How soon after birth to start exercising?

[TimeWasting]

It's 3 weeks since the birth, natural, stitched tear healing well, and want to start bringing in more activity, witha view to proper exercise soon.

depends. reccomended time is 6 weeks, your body needs longer than you think/feel. i started doing longer walks with the buggy around 6weeks but left it longer to do 'proper' excercise because i ebf. every time i pushed myself before 6 weeks i got a load of fresh bleeding so had to stop and rest again, and i had natural, fairly quick deliveries.

I started back at the gym at three weeks. Walking uphill on the treadmill, gentle rowing/weights work. DH used to do the early evening feed with a bottle of ebm so this was 'my time'. I also walked everywhere pushing the pram. From day one I was doing v gentle post natal pilates exercises (some of them more like pelvic floor than anything else.) Didn't run until 9 weeks before of difficult forceps delivery.

If your stomach muscles are separated you need to be careful what abs stuff you do, as it can actually make them worse.

Really, it depends on how active you were before as to what you should do and how soon. I was on the crosstrainer on my due date and keen to get back into fitness. If you weren't active during your pregnancy then brisk wealking would probablybe the best start.

I have just appalled a physio by admitting to running 6 weeks after DS was born but I felt ready and 2 weeks in It's feeling good.

I have also been told by an osteopath that I WILL NOT BE CARRYING DD IN THE BACKPACK AT CHRISTMAS because if the levels of relaxin un my body. Dd is 2.4.

I think,there may be a mismatch between what fitness professionals and physical health specialists recommend

Sorry, that doesn't really answer your question does it?

The best thing to start with is a pilates course to rebuild your core stomach muscles and pelvic floor. This is routine after giving birth in almost every developed country except uk. Only then should you do anything else. Otherwise, as some have already pointed out, you have a high chance of doing more harm than good due to weak pelvic floor, stomach and core, misaligned posture after pregnancy and high levels of relactin which makes you more injury prone. Some doctors believe it is nit great to bf with high levels of lactic acid in blood (ie after exercise) but it thus has never been proven to affect baby adversely. A visit to a chiropractor is s good idea before exercising just to make sure pelvis and back are in the right position after childbirth and pregnancy. Don't underestimate what your body has gone/is still going through!