when is it ok to start exercising and how much to do? I haven't exercised in a very long time and I want to start now. once I start should I add anything else to my diet? more protein? I already have plenty of carbs a day since I am breasfeeding my baby I take in between 20-60 carbs a day. but I think I have to do better in my protein intake...anyways do I need to change anything once I begin exercising?
Thanks

Hi!

You sound like you're feeling well enough to get a program started! You'll have to find what is right for you, but I would start small, maybe three times a week, for 20-30 minutes. What you do depends on your level of energy, you are expending quite a bit with your little one!

Maybe check out the videos in a library and find a couple you really like. If you can find one that mixes some weights, all the better! But start light, if you haven't done any regular exercise in a long time, now would not be the time to strain something or burn yourself out, you're already busy. Take your time and realize that your fitness gets better with however much you do. You can also walk when it's warm. I used to walk and bike my kids all over (of couse, it didn't do diddly for my ponderous weight until I stopped low fatting it and started LC! ).

Also, I don't know much about it, but I think I saw something in an article somewhere that you should try to exercise right after nursing, because your body needs time to get rid of some hormone before you nurse again? I'd look into it, just in case. Obviously I wasn't much help on that!

Good luck with your new baby and your new WOL!!

Amber

Depending on how old your baby is and how recovered you are, I would say you could begin with some light exercise, such as walking immediately.

My new baby is going to be 5 months old on Sunday.

Because my first child was diagnosed with failure to thrive, and I was breastfeeding exclusively, I just want to tell you to make sure that the baby is making several 7-8 wet and/or poopie diapers a day so that they are getting adequate nutrition.

I didn't make enough milk with this baby either, and I had to go back to work at 4 weeks, so she is a formula baby now, but she got the first six weeks of breastmilk for some health benefits.

She weighs almost 18 pounds! Big happy baby.

I read that article Amber was talking about. They suggest that you exercise after nursing so that lactic acid (build up from muscles) don't get into the breastmilk, which may effect the taste. Exercising after nursing gives your body a few hours to remove the lactic acid from your system. I'm not sure about this theory. Anyway, walking can't hurt (except in this cold we have here), and you can work your way up from there.


Welcome, and congratulations!

Beth

Hi ladies and thank you for your advice. My baby is already 9 months old but I am still mostly breastfeeding her because she wont eat much solids.
Hey Beth congrats on your baby too!!
I feel so much better but I have to take it slow because I still don't sleep enough since Daniela(the baby) is still waking up 3-4 times at night and she is teething at the moment, so I don't want to overdo it with the excersice, but I do need to start to workout at least a little bit.
Thanks for your advice and take care!

At 9 months you can start weaning her from one of her night feedings. I would do the one that is before midnight so that she will get used to sleeping longer before her next nursing session. When my youngest (she will be 3 on Saturday) was nursing she wanted be latched on 24/7 but I broke that early when she was about 3 weeks (very sore mama and very tired I was). Of my 3 children she was the longest nurser (14 months). Alot of the waking is from being a light sleeper and feeling like they are hungry when in actuality they just need the bond time. I wouldn't nurse but give her just some water from a cup so that she can also get used to drinking from a cup. It will be a struggle for both of you for the first week (maybe 2) but it will give you a break and the much needed rest.

Luisa,

I nursed both my kids for over a year, and I took many long (several miles) walks with them in strollers when they were infants, starting when they were a few weeks old. It didn't have any effect on my milk supply or on their growth rates. (One was 26.5 pounds at a year and the other was 22 pounds at a year -- the one who was 26 pounds at a year is now over 6'2" tall and has always been tall/long so the 26.5 pounds was not heavy for him.) I'm a lap swimmer and I also started swimming laps intermittently when I was nursing them. The problem with lap swimming was I had to get someone else to watch them, so walking was easier since I could take them along.

You should probably start slowly if you haven't been exercising, but I'd try to work up to walking at least one-half hour or 45 minutes most days. Once spring gets here and the days stay light longer, if you can do it in the evening with your husband, it's a nice way to spend time together. Now that my kids are old enough to leave home alone, my husband and I are once again walking together on weekends and some evenings, something we had stopped doing after the kids were out of strollers. I really enjoy the relaxed time with him.

Also, if you don't have a quality stroller, it's worthwhile investing in one. The cheap ones are very hard to push. For walking, you don't need one of those expensive jogging strollers, but you do need something with decent wheels. My youngest is 13, so I have no idea what the good brands are now. Way back when, I had a McLaren that was a real splurge to buy, but was worth it. I put a lot of miles on that stroller.

Are you nursing Daniela to sleep? In my experience, kids who are nursed to sleep take a lot longer to learn to sleep through the night. Every time they turn over at night, they want to nurse again. If it doesn't bother you, it's fine. If it does, I'd try to cut out the bedtime nursings so she learns to fall asleep on her own. I stopped my kids nursing to sleep early (two or three months) and they almost always slept through the night. My sister nursed hers to sleep until they were two or so, and they didn't start sleeping through the night until they stopped nursing. It didn't both my sister, and once they stopped nursing they started sleeping through the night. It's only a problem if it is a problem for you. I can't function if I don't sleep at night, so for me it was a major problem. My feeling is once the nursing baby is 9 or 12 months old, the mother has some rights as well.

Hi Gretchen and Liz!

Thanks so much for the help, I really think walking is a good idea for me since I can take her with me, also I thoght about exercise videos. do you know any good ones out there?
I also have a bad knee a whole bunch of pinched nerves in my back so that is one of the main reason I haven't exercised in a long time but I want to exercise so bad now that I am seeing the results of lowcarbing.

regarding my little Daniela..yes I feed her to go to sleep the waking up at night doesn't bother me if I get at least 2-3 hrs of sleep inbetween. She was doing fine until she started teething because she doesn't want to eat solids so she is hungry but will only take the breast. ....

Anyways ladies I really appreciate your advice and again do you know of any good exercise videos that do not include steps? I have never been able to do step aerobics, it's funny I can dance but I cannot do steps.!

take care

I know what you mean with back trouble. But if you can do leg lifts and start getting your abs worked a little that will help to get your back strong again.

I had lower back surgery in 1998 for a hurniated and ruptured disks. 8 weeks after surgery I was cleared to go back to Curves for women and didnt have any problems with the machines hurting my back at all.

Now that I am nearly 4 1/2 years post op I need to get my abs back in shape because I have been neglecting them and my back hurts because of it.

Good luck