Returning to riding after first baby

[BOTW2023]

Hoping to get some thoughts from people who have returned to riding soon enough after their babies. I’m 34 weeks pregnant with my first baby and so excited - please don’t let the horsey post detract from that!! I’ve been riding for 25+ years, owned my own horses for the last 15 and have had my current horse since he was 3 years old - he’s now 15 and an all round good boy. I am a competitive dressage rider, and was riding 5-6 days a week pre pregnancy including an hour long private dressage lesson every week. I kept riding at pretty much that pace up to about 16 weeks, and then eased off and stopped at maybe 22-24 weeks. I felt fine physically on the horse up to maybe 22 but got up for a walk around 24 weeks and hips and muscles said absolutely not so decided to call it at that stage!

I cannot wait to ride again - I knew I would miss it terribly and I really have. With this in mind, I kept my horse in work 4 days a week (2 with my trainer schooling him and 2 with a friend riding) as I felt that bringing a horse that was off for months back into work would be an unrealistic task with a new baby.

what I’m hoping for is that as soon as my body is able (say 6 weeks, all going well but obviously give or take) I’ll start riding again-small amounts, like 20-30 mins twice a week. I live 15 mins from yard and used to ride before work so was able to do a 40 min ride and tack/untack in an hour. I’m thinking - 20-30 min ride plus travel to and from yard should be doable in an hour and a half. This just doesn’t seem like an insurmountable task twice a week??

I have always been really determined about my riding and kept at it regardless of the weather, tiredness etc. I’m so excited to ride again but I feel like all I am seeing is posts about people either not managing it, or “not putting yourself under pressure”. I’ve no intention of pressurising myself but I really just want to get back on board.

I guess I’d just love to hear from some people who felt similarly and managed it, and how they felt about it. I know it may seem silly but it’s something I love so much and it’s so a part of who I am that I’m starting to feel really deflated by just hearing people say “oh you’ll be at least 6 months etc etc”.

TIA!

The big issue post birth is the relaxin hormone makes it much more likely to strain ligaments in the first 3-6 months after you've given birth, so you'd be likely to strain something staying on as falling off if you got unlucky and your horse did a big spook.

I'd also want a lot of core strength back before getting on as you want to be able to lift the pelvis from the front which was the point I stopped getting lessons when pregnant as I couldn't get my core to do what I wanted!

See how you feel, make sure lochia has stopped and have done post partum exercises to reengage core and check for Diastema Recti- plus make sure you have a bra that fits!

I got back on after 6 weeks. My horses are round the corner from my house and live out so no stables etc. I'm very lucky to have my parents in the same village, so often I'll ride and someone will push baby in the pram. Otherwise I leave him with DP for 1.5-2 hours while I ride, which I've been doing since he was probably 8 weeks old. I'm still on maternity leave and I ride a couple of times a week. Its far less spontaneous but it's doable.

Oh yes, the bra! Trotting round the arena and realising I'd forgotten to change my bra from a very soft, unsupportive sleep/nursing bra was not an experience I was keen to repeat.

In your situation I think the mental recovery and the mental changes you'll undergo will be bigger barriers than the physical recovery. Childcare is often the main barrier to riding, along with mum guilt, so plan ahead in terms of who will look after (and especially feed if you're planning to bf) the baby while you ride.

How will you feel about leaving the baby to ride? Even now my littlest is 4 is still feel huge guilt for leaving her to ride, but the reality is that it's important for parents and good for children for their parents to have hobbies and interests outside the family home.

Also think ahead to when the baby is a toddler. Does your yard allow children? How is your horse around children? How would you feel about doing your yard chores with a baby/toddler/child in tow?

Good luck with it all. I think you'll be physically fine given that you've not stopped riding for long, it will just be the general tiredness/mental load, etc. to battle through but that all gets better with time, so don't put too much pressure on yourself to conform to pre baby plans once the baby has arrived.

@BOTW2023 also, is your username inspired by anything in particular?

I got back on after 5 days for a hack and I honestly thought my insides were going to fall out as everything was all still so relaxed after the birth! By day 10, I felt back to normal and could do a short hack around the block comfortably.
I jumped about 3 months after having my DD but this was in the height of lockdown so there wasn't much going on to ride for anyway.
If you are planning to breastfeed, I would try and express a bottle a day and get baby used to that to give you a little breathing space. I can remember many a ride getting a call after just 10 mins saying the baby was going nuts despite having just been fed and could I come back. I really wish I had done the bottle thing as I found the first 6 months really hard to fit in riding but it became a lot easier once she started on solids.
My baby came to all of my events with me and my mum (and sometimes DH). She loved it from the start and would happily sit and watch for the whole day when eventing. I just kitted out the lorry with a changing mat, play pen, blankets and toys.
Get a second pram for the yard. I got one for £10 on marketplace. It is a big 3 wheel pram and literally goes over any ground but I wouldn't want to take it into town as it is always filthy.

I got back on after 11 days.

Depends how busy your yard is and age of baby, but a good old fashioned baby walker attached to a kick bolt which a lunge line was a life saver for me when doing my chores 😁