I have stupid amounts of energy a week after delivery, I don't REALLY have to rest to establish my milk supply do I?

[Kathyis12feethighandbites]

I am feeling utterly fabulous having delivered a week ago after 8 months of exhaustion, nausea and vomiting
BF seems to be going really well, DS2 only lost 100g in his first week and is feeding plenty and doing all the right things.
I put on loads of weight this pregnancy and unlike previous babies I don't WANT to eat cake right now - I just fancy eating healthy stuff and rushing up and down hills because I CAN! (apologies for capitals, I'm overexcited by my ability to run up stairs after 8 months of practically needing to be winched up by a crane).
V depressed to read all over the web that you're not meant to up the exercise till 6-8 weeks and also that I should make sure I eat at least 1800 calories.
Does anyone know if this is really important? Surely as long as I follow cues from my body it will all be fine?

[seaglass]

As far as I remember, you need to do as your body tells you, and if your DS is putting on weight fine, then it sounds like everything is OK.
If you start to feel tired, start taking it easy

[belgo]

I remember feeling like this after dd1 was born - like you eight months of nausea and vomiting and suddenly it was all over!

As long as you follow your body, then do whatever you feel like. I have a friend who was at the gym two days after giving birth; and another friend who give birth to twins last week and she is already up and about cycling across town twice a day to visit the babies because they are still is hospital! That is a bit extreme admittedly.

Congratulations

[Kathyis12feethighandbites]

Thanks Belgo & Seaglass.
Good to hear your friend is doing so well Belgo - hope her babies are ok.

[belgo]

so do I, it must be awful being apart from your newborn babies. I was so impressed to see her on her bike, I had to look twice!

[Clovissa]

I had my baby 4 weeks ago and I've been running around since the morning after my c-section (well, I was up and dressed anyway). My milk supplies run out in the evening and the mw says it's because I'm doing way too much, I need to lie back, watch telly etc. But for me, getting out and about = sanity (also, I have the sort of DP who is overwhelmed by putting the dishwasher and the washing machine on in the same day).

I've lost all my baby weight although my tummy is a bit grim and held together with the sternest pants M&S sell - I can't go swimming until I've stopped bleeding and I certainly wouldn't go to the gym because I had a c-section.

BUT I have to give DS a formula feed last thing at night because he can't get enough from me. I don't really have a problem with this, he gets 80% bf.

Congratulations on your baby!

Bit rambling, but hope it helps..

[Kathyis12feethighandbites]

Congratulations on your baby too Clovissa!

It's quite normal for milk supplies to be lower in the evening - I had that with dd and in those days I did sit around all day in front of the telly.
I def identify with getting out and about=sanity.
Impressed you have lost all your baby weight in a month. That's good going. Mine is going to take a few months minimum because I put on so much.

[squashimodo]

Wow, good for you.
I haad a bbsby last friday and have only just started t fee better now.
Listen to your body, if you feel good, yhe fine.

[squashimodo]

so many typos

[MrsBadger]

no you don;t need to 'rest' to keep your supply up, and just eat to your appetite, you sound like you are doing brilliantly

but [voice of Doom] be warned you may still be riding the post-birth euphoria wave and may yet 'crash' in a week or two - my low point was 3wks, iirc, when DH went back to work, the novelty wore off and the lack of sleep hit me like a falling piano...
that was when I started craving doughnuts and developed a Homes Under the Hammer habit...

[thisisyesterday]

no you don't need to rest to establish your milk supply but just a word of warning (and it may not apply anyway)

lots of babies (i def had this with ds3) like to sleep a lot when out. he would sleep in the pram, sleep in the sling, sleep in the car seat.
this meant that he wasn't really feeding as much as he ought to during the day and now and then i'd realise that we'd gone a good 6 hours without a feed.
that is not really ideal, and could make supply issues, or at best mean that he wakes a lot more frequently during the night to make up for it!!!

but that's the only thing i can think of that you might have to watch out for, if you're out and about a lot.
if it';s just that you wanna get out and get soem exercise then go for it!

[Kathyis12feethighandbites]

LOL @ MrsBadger's voice of doom. Yes, you could well be right. Maybe that's why I'm so keen to get going before the urge disappears! (Also the weather may be horrible in a few weeks, instead of these lovely autumn days.)

[morocco]

enjoy the high! mine lasted a year - was great

[LatinDAISYcal]

what others have said; by all means follow your baby's cues and your body's but beware the 3 week low when they have a mammoth growth spurt and your hormones go wonky donkey.

But he isn't your first so I'm sure you know all this

enjoy getting out and about but don't over do it....gentle exercise is definately OK, just don't start training for next year's London Marathon quite yet!

Congratulations

[fairylights]

ah yes i was totally like this the first couple of weeks after dc2 was born - it was great . She is 8 weeks old now and i keep marvelling at all the energy i had only a few short weeks ago.. i just went with it though and am now accepting the fact that i am significantly more tired again.. ah well! enjoy!

[Georgimama]

I was like you. MW dropped round for first visit when DS was 3 days old and I had gone out shopping with him. She told my mum off!

[Skillbo]

I echo fairylights - I didn't understand how people felt so tired as even though I was having disturbed nights, I was bouncing out of bed in the mornings! Now, I pray for a small lie in - wish it had lasted...

Having said that, feel absolutely fab once I'm up so maybe it is still with me, in a different way

[Kathyis12feethighandbites]

No danger of me attempting a marathon - walking up hills is more in my line (and, conveniently, something you can do with a baby on your front).
With my 1st dc I had what my friend described as 'postnatal elation' for months - I got such a happy score in the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Questionnaire that the hv didn't believe me.
With dc2 things were very different - sore nipples, no sleep and general fed-up-ness.

Thanks for all the advice/experiences. I will enjoy it while it lasts but won't be surprised if it doesn't!

[mathanxiety]

You may well 'crash', but in the meantime don't look a gift horse in the mouth. If you're going to exercise, take it slowly because inside, you're still physically healing, especially inside your uterus, which is recovering from the placenta peeling off. You don't want to disturb the healing process and have any increase in bleeding. Walking is great for strengthening abdominal muscles and recovering tone there. I would have my abdominal muscles checked in case of separation before attempting anything more strenuous than walking. Congratulations, btw