Getting back into running post-pregnancy (and post-episiotomy...)

[MangoHedgehog]

Before I got pg I ran my first half-marathon (actually conceived DD2 the same day! ). Then had to give up exercise on advice of dr and mw due to lots of early bleeding. Now I am 4wks post partum and itching to get back out there - I have a horrible feeling I will have to go back to couch to 5k again and I want to get on with it!

I had a fairly big episiotomy which seems more or less OK now - still feels a bit bruised at times but not giving me any real discomfort. Am tempted to try out a light jog for a couple of k to see how I get on. Might I risk causing myself some horrible damage to my undercarriage though? Can my pelvic floor handle it? If you are a runner, how long did you leave it before starting running again? esp if you had an episiotomy or tear? thanks :)

[ILoveLemonCurd]

Try it and see how it feels. I started jogging 5weeks post partum and had to take it slow as I had that horrid "everything is going to fall out of my fanjo feeling" . (I had a tear but no stitches as I refused [militant emoticon])

I ran my first marathon the month before I fell pg and like you didn't run during the pregnancy. I started power walking first and then followed Paula Radcliffe's 5k plan which is a bit harder than C25k but not much. What did surprise me was that the fitness returned quicker than I thought it would. Once I got to 20 mins continuous running I was away. I ran my first HM when DS was 12 months and did another marathon in June.

Be patient, listen to your body and see how you get on. Don't have any wild targets to start with, just go with the flow. Remember that you are more susceptible to injury so just take it slow. you might surprise yourself!

Oh and congratulations . Total respect too for conceiving on the same day as your HM

[MangoHedgehog]

Wow Curd, a HM 12mths after giving birth is great going! if you had to go back to a 5k programme even after you'd done a marathon before becoming pg then there is definitely no hope for my pie-in-the-sky idea of starting off with a slow 5k!

thanks for replying :)

[golemmings]

I'm mostly a paddler although I ran 5k when I was just pregnant with DD. I carried on racing kayaks until 5 mo pregnant and was back racing when dd was 10 weeks (following a 3b tear). I then did sod all training until ds was 6 weeks (another tear and episiotomy and anaemia) when I started c25k. That was October. Ran a 5k in March, a 10k in june and running my first HM the day before ds's first birthday. It's the only thing keeping me sane!