Working out after baby is one of the strangest experiences! You’re body has just gone through some pretty traumatic stuff. No matter how easy your labor & delivery was, you still went through 9 months of changes growing a human being, and brought them into this world! (Sorry, not sorry for all of the exclamation points, this is a big deal!!)
2017 – post Half Marathon training & pre children
So even for the fittest of people, which I am not, it takes a while to get back to your previous strength. Plan on going slow so that you can build a foundation of strength, rather than rushing back and potentially injuring yourself. After healing from. both vaginal delivery and C-section, these steps are SO important to both kinds of recovery.
I know you may be thinking, who is Maria to tell me all of this? She isn’t a fitness guru. She doesn’t have a degree in kinesthetics. She doesn’t even like working out. All of this is true. What I do have is a passion for learning and gathering information. I have been doing Elise’s Postnatal Barre program since I was cleared to workout after having Lottie, at 8 weeks. Last week I returned to her Barre Blend program because I felt prepared and strong enough to do so.
12 weeks postpartum with Baby #3
So here are some actual experts in the field who can give you exact plans to follow!
Expecting & Empowered – Krystle & Amy are a sister team; Krystle is a PT, PCES, Amy is an RN & Doula. They have a podcast where they discuss all things postpartum care, and an app with their fitness programs.
Elise Joan: Pre/Postnatal Barre – Elise is a dancer and fitness trainer. She has multiple programs for pre/postnatal moms, that focus not just on the physical recovery, but the mental as well.
MamasteFit – Gina & Roxanne are a sister team; Gina is a MS in Exercise Science & Doula, Roxanne is a L&D nurse. They co-own a gym here in NC, as well as have multiple birth prep & postpartum online classes.
Between my 2 boys, I’ve had births and recoveries on both ends of the spectrum. Ted’s birth was traumatic and recovery was slow. Jr’s was smooth sailing, and recovery has been lightning fast! While some of these tips won’t be necessary if you have an easier birthing experience, they are applicable to all mamas postpartum.
• Invest in support garments! Bao Bei makes great bloomers (undies) and leggings to give support to your core. This will not only help you to not feel like your stomach is all over the place, but also help your muscles to recover.
• Ice pads will help reduce swelling and provide relief. Frida Mom makes some premade ones or you can make your own! Instructions below.
• A comfy robe/pjs are a must. You’ll be up at all hours of the day and night, so having something easy to throw on is very helpful. I basically live in my Milkmaid Goods robe until 8am (when we take Ted to daycare) everyday, and longer on weekends.
• Don’t forget about yourself! Ask for help to take a shower, take a nap, or get out of the house. It is SO easy to slip into putting the kids first 100% of the time, but you can’t pour from an empty cup. This is so important to keep in mind always, not just in the 4th trimester.
• Set up diapering stations in the main areas of your home. Depending on the size/layout of your home, the nursery may not be a convenient place to change diapers during the day. We have a basket with diapers and wipes in our living room, bedroom, and nursery. Our bedroom & nursery are on the second floor of our house, and I don’t want to do the stairs every time I need to change a diaper. I also don’t want to wake Ted up in the middle of the night, so we have one next to Junior’s bassinet.
• If you’re breastfeeding, it is also helpful to have some breastfeeding essentials (lanolin, snacks, breast pads, Haakaa pump) in the main rooms of the house.
• Find your tribe! After those first few weeks of chaos, things will start to feel a little more routine. This is the time to reach out, either in person or online, to other mamas who can support you. Maybe you find a Mommy & Me fitness class, made friends in your prenatal class, or you interact with others on social media, whatever works for you. It is so easy to feel overwhelmed and alone, even if you don’t have postpartum depression.
Last, but most importantly, give yourself grace! You just grew a human being! You are amazing! Did you keep yourself alive and happy? Great! Did you keep your baby alive and happy? Perfect! Anything else is extra. Laundry? Extra. Dishes? Extra.
The 4th trimester is no joke!
How to make your own ice pads
You need: high absorbency pads aloe vera gel witch hazel optional: essential oil
1. Carefully unwrap pads and flatten them out
2. Slowly pour 2-3 Tbs of witch hazel all over pad, letting it absorb in.
3. Add a few drops of essential oil, then spread an even layer of aloe vera gel.
4. Rewrap in the packaging, then put in a gallon ziplock bag.
I used the same L.L. Bean tote as my hospital bag for both boys. It is just the right size for quick stay. I love that I can pack so much stuff in it!
Unlike many other people, we didn’t pack a bag for Michael, because he went home every day. So this post is going to be what I packed for myself and baby this second go ‘round. When I packed my hospital bag with Ted, I packed all of his things in the diaper bag and that was his ‘suitcase’. This time Michael still needed it at home for Ted, so I used packing cubes to separate his things from mine in the same bag.
This long-sleeve kimono onesie has rollover mittens!
Here are the 5 things I packed for Junior:
1. Sleeping gowns – These are a game changer with newborns! You don’t have to worry about pushing floppy newborn legs into pant legs. You don’t have to worry about trying to do up zippers when you’re exhausted and sleep deprived.
2. Baby nail clippers – I didn’t actually pack these initially, I had Michael bring them the day after Junior was born. He was born with super long nails (and has continued to grow them like crazy!) and kept scratching me when he was nursing. Most of the stuff that you need for baby, the hospital has, but they didn’t have these.
3. Blanket/swaddle – Again, the hospital has blankets, but I like to bring one that is a piece of home. Also, I am terrible at swaddling, so I love the Happiest Baby or Freshly Picked swaddles, that take the wrapping at out of it.
4. Going home outfit – This is the time to go crazy! Find the cutest outfit that suits your style. Ted came home in a Harry Potter themed outfit, and Junior wore dinosaur Little Brother pajamas.
5. Kimono style onesies – These are the BEST for when you’re in the hospital/first coming home. They are easy to put on (no trying to get floppy baby into a over-the-head shirt). They are also more forgiving of the belly button/umbilical clip that can get caught on an over the head shirt.
Getting ready to go home, wearing the comfiest pjs around.
As for myself, I packed a bit more but still tried to keep it minimal. The last thing you want is to be juggling a lot of stuff while having contractions!
1. Nursing friendly pajamas – I love these because they fit the bump the last few weeks of pregnancy, and I’m still wearing them 7 weeks postpartum! So soft and easy for nighttime feeds.
2. Blanket – Some people bring blankets and pillows, but I am okay using hospital pillows (trying to keep it minimal). If you have a special pillow, bring it! Make your stay feel cozy.
3. Nursing pillow – Honesty time. I didn’t bring my Bobby for nursing. After the traumatic birth of Ted, I sat on the Boppy for weeks. It took the pressure off of my stitches and made sitting comfortable. So I brought it this time, just in case that happened again.
4. Slippers – Socks work too! Just something to keep the hospital chill off of your toes. Again, go with whatever makes you comfortable.
5. Toiletries – I didn’t wash my hair while I was in the hospital, but I did shower ASAP after birth. I also had my makeup in there too. Doing my makeup makes me feel like a person and ready for the day, so I brought it as a in-hospital selfcare item.
6. Breast pump – If you are planning on pumping at all, I would suggest bringing your pump to the hospital. Will you use it, most likely not. But you can work with the on site lactation consultant to make sure you feel confident in how your pump works, and checking that you are using it correctly.
7. Going home outfit – I chose a flowy, chambray dress as my going home outfit. It’s not too fitted or tight, so it was comfortable. I was able to dress it up a little for some pictures too. Depending on the time of year that you give birth, you may also need to add a coat, or wear a shirt/joggers combo.
8. Support bloomers – These support bloomers from Bao Bei are a MUST HAVE postpartum. They are seamless, so they don’t irritate stitches. They are lightly compressing, so they provide just the right amount of support. And they are cute!
9. Long phone charger – You will need the longest phone charger you can find. Hospital beds are notoriously far away from plugins and you will be hanging out in your bed for most of your stay.
10. Nursing bras – I have been loving the pull down version of nursing bras this go ‘round. Last time, I used the clip ones. They work great, but sometimes Ted would be fussy and I would fumble around trying to clip or I clip my bra and it was inconvenient.
That was all that I brought with me! The hospital provides SO much stuff, that it seemed silly to me to bring it all with me. Especially since I ended up driving myself to the hospital! (See Junior’s Birth Story)
First day at home!
I hope this helps you to figure out what you will pack. Like all things in motherhood, do what is right for you. No two moms (and no two babies) are exactly the same. Enjoy your journey!
Living in Plaid 