Postpartum running ; Couch to 5k

[Tywinlannister]

DS2 is nearly 4 months. I had a csection and feel totally healed.

I didn't really have much of an exercise routine before the baby but I did and still do walk a lot. I am thinking of starting C25k as I have lost a bit of weight through breastfeeding and want to keep it up (no longer feeding but still eating like a horse!) I got to week 6 just before I fell pregnant.

I feel completely fine other than my hyper-extended hip on one side which has always given me grief on and off even when I am not pregnant. It tires after a 3mile+ walk but is fine day to day. It was slightly weaker after DS1 as well but hardened back up after about 6-8 months, although my SPD with that pregnancy was terribly bad, I had none with this pregnancy.

Is this too ambitious?

Sorry, I mean hypermobile. It's extra bendy!

I took up C25k when DS2 was 6-7 months when I realised that I'd finally stopped limping from SPD (3 months after the birth I was still having to catch the bus to avoid walking uphill)

After my CS from DS1, I felt ready for a postnatal class at 10 weeks, and a mainstream circuits class at 5 months.

It sounds like you feel ready. I liked the way that I could slot running in between my bottle refuser's feeds. I repeated some runs and took it gently as I was concerned about injury and a fairly low fitness at the start. One year later, I did my first HM!

I'd be very cautious tbh.

If you must run, make sure it's on a bouncy surface i.e. woodland path rather than concrete/tarmac.
Running is really high impact and your undercarriage would not have recovered fully yet from pregnancy (how you've delivered is a contributory fact, but pregnancy alone puts strain on the pelvic floor).

Could you not swim/cycle/powerwalk for cardiovascular fitness rather than run?

I did my first run 5 weeks postpartum but I was regular runner before and was doing park run up until about 22 weeks. Everything I read befor going back to running said if you felt any weakness in pelvic floor (partic if any incontinence) to stop immediately. I would give it a try but don't push yourself if you feel discomfort.

I could actually do some cycling. I used to cycle to work/shops etc so I suppose I always think of it as a mode of transportation rather than an exercise! Might be nice to cycle for the fun of it rather than to get somewhere - we have some nice cycle paths here. I quickly develop rather large thighs from cycling though, in my teens they were like rock!

My pelvic floor feels fine, the hip pain is on the outside.