Exercise And Lose Weight While BreastfeedingSo many women ask "Can I exercise and lose weight while breastfeeding"? Short answer: Absolutely! with a but. You should wait at least 4 to 6 weeks after giving birth vaginally before exercising and 6 to 8 weeks after a c-section delivery. Your body has been through a lot and needs time to recover. Once you get the okay from your doctor, you're ready to go! 
First you need to start off slowly. Don't forget it took your body 10 months to make that little beauty (or beauties!) and it's going to take about 10 months to get back to where you want it. Even then, most of us have to work at it. Losing about 1 pound a week is a safe zone but remember, while you're breastfeeding, you need to take in about 200 to 300 extra calories a day (which is a bagel). Don't go on any diets, just eat nutritious food and drink lots of water and your milk, your baby and you will thrive! When you're about to start exercising, nurse your baby so he's nice and happy (and maybe asleep!), then put him in a safe place so he can watch you jumping around (and you can keep an eye on him). Chances are, he'll enjoy it! When you're done exercising, you may need to wash off your breasts because a lot of babies don't like that salty sweaty taste (really, who would?). How To Exercise While BreastfeedingARE YOU READY?Other than getting the thumbs up from your doctor, you can check to see if your abdominal wall is back to it's normal position before you can do any abdominal exercises. To do this, lay down on your back and place two fingers just above your belly button. Lifting your shoulders up, if the space between your ab wall is about one to two fingers in width, you're okay, any more than that, you should wait until the ab wall comes back together. A GOOD SUPPORTIVE NURSING BRA Not only because your girls are a little bigger than they used to be and will hurt bouncing around but an ill fitting bra can cause clogged milk ducts, which can lead to mastitis , which is very painful and requires a prescription to relieve.
WATER, AQUA & H2O! I'm sure you've heard that it's good to drink 8-10 glasses of water each day to maintain good health and weight but it's even more important when you're breastfeeding. The more you exercise and sweat (excuse me, women don't sweat, we glisten!) the more you need water in your system. Breastmilk is about 88% water! WHAT DO YOU DO? Find something that you love doing. Let's face it, if you don't like going to a gym every day, you're going to stop going eventually. I'm not a big gym fan myself and I'm not into sports but I have found a new love... the Wii Another great feature that comes with the balance board is you can create pet stats. Basically you weigh yourself, then yourself and your pet or baby and it subtracts your weight and keeps your baby's weight charted so you can see his or her growth! I could go on and on about how much I love it but you can read more yourself if you're interested. GET OUTSIDE With a jogging stroller Not only are there a lot of great exercise dvd's to use, one of the best is The Perfect Postnatal Workout BUY THE BOOK
La Leche League
has on their seventh edition of the The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
Best of luck and health to you and your baby and don't forget... HAVE FUN! Nursing does not diminish the beauty of a woman's breasts; it enhances their charm by making them look lived in and happy. ~Robert A. Heinlein Would you like to learn more?Going somewhere? Find a nursing room near you! Even Airports have nursing rooms! Do you know the breastfeeding laws in your state?Return from Exercise And Lose Weight While Breastfeeding to BreastfeedingAnywhere.com HOME page
|
. I got the white one because it's pretty and doesn't show off any dust like hubby's stupid Playstation. If you're going to get one of these make sure you also buy the 
. Not only does it work with a ton of games and for your workout but it's also a scale that tells you your BMI (Body Mass Index). Right now I'm doing the 
, which was created with Bob Greene (Oprah's trainer).
if you like to run (baby will love seeing the scenery zip on by!) or even as simple as pushing your little one on a swing (really works the triceps!). Walking is a great way to start exercising and best of all, you can
. You actually workout WITH the baby! Most babies find this fun and giggle through the whole thing, how's THAT for motivation?
, which has a wonderful "Nutritional Know How" chapter that contains practical information on breastfeeding while exercising and dieting to lose weight without compromising the integrity of your breast milk.
