Body after Baby

There is nothing more wonderful then the moment when you first hold your new baby in your arms. You quickly forget all the aches and pains that came with pregnancy.  Once the excitement of your new arrival starts to fade you have to face the inevitable meeting with your mirror. You feel like an extension of your new baby who is so dependant upon you and there are still so many physical and hormonal changes happening. Many women feel helpless and like getting back their physique is the most impossible and daunting task. Well I am here to tell you there is hope and life for your body after baby. It is possible and extremely important for every woman to get back in shape and feel confident about their bodies again after childbirth. I hope this information can help those who are about to or have recently had a baby and those who are still struggling years after giving birth.

Before Baby - remain as active as possible during your pregnancy, not only will it make it easier to get back at it after baby but it will also make you stronger for your labor. I recommend light, high repetition resistance training, brisk walks and as much yoga and pilates as you can fit in.

Make a plan - before you have the baby,  create a plan for your post-pregnancy shape-up. Decide what you are going to do, how you are going to eat and how you will make it happen.

Set the tone early- most people find six weeks is an appropriate time to allow themselves to heal before becoming active after labor. It will vary depending on your labor, consult with your Doctor but most of all listen to your body -BUT do not make excuses. The sooner you get back at it, the sooner you can start reclaiming your body. I was lucky to have a very good labor the second time around and started running less then two weeks after having her.

Make it a priority- it's extremely demanding to have a newborn, you have little to no time to yourself and when baby naps most feel the need to run around frantically trying to get the house work done. YOU need to become the priority- make this the one thing you do for yourself every day.

Adjust with Baby - schedule your workouts around baby, when my daughter was first born she would wake up around 6am and go down again until 8am after she was fed. This was my time. She went through different cycles and I adjusted my workout times around her naps.

Get a jogging stroller -whether you are a runner or not, a good lightweight jogging stroller is the best investment you will make. If you can, get attachments to allow use in the snow or on a bike. If nothing else you can always get out with your baby every single day for an hour. Most babies fall asleep in the stroller and that can be incredible peace of mind! If you start early your baby will learn to love the daily strolls.

Get a Gym Membership - while there are several options for working out at home, f you can make it happen, go to a gym that has childcare. It will force you to get organized in the morning, get you out of the house, be an excellent social outlet where you can meet other mothers and it will give you time away from baby. Most gyms have excellent child minding facilities and when baby is this young the car ride to the gym usually knocks them out for the duration of your workout. You'll be close to your baby and the staff can call you if needed.

Budget friendly Options - there are plenty of options that will allow you to workout at home. Invest in some videos, some free weights, resistance bands and skipping rope and you'll be well on your way to fitting back into your jeans. Fit Pregnancy is a great resource and has a wealth of post pregnancy workouts. I also really like some of the Jillian Michaels workout videos which are excellent for fat burning.

Burning the Fat- there are some surefire ways of getting rid of post-baby fat effectively. I would say there are three important factors. Intervals, resistance training and nutrition. Intervals are the most effective way to get the rid of body fat. Start with a five minute warm-up, then one minute going hard and one minute easy, working your way up to five minute intervals. Do the intervals for at least fifteen minutes and follow with a five minute cool down. Resistance training will fire up your metabolism for a longer period of time, assuming you reach fatigue on your last repetitions. Additionally, every time your workout, you cause micro-tears to your muscles causing them to rebuild and increase in size. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism.

Nutrition - nutrition accounts for about 80% of your weight loss so it's the most important factor. Eat small frequent meals, never more then three hours apart. Eliminate all forms of sugar from your diet. I know it sounds impossible but you can do it. You'll be surprised how quickly you adjust. If you want to sweeten something, use natural substitutes like honey, agave nectar and fruit. Yes this means no desserts too! Also avoid alcohol, limit your intact to one drink a week. Eating healthy is actually very simple, think of lean protein, vegetables and fruit/whole grains and healthy fats. A great resource is the Clean Eating Diet by Tosca Reno.

Be patient - I remember the countless cry-sessions in my closet trying to fit into my jeans again. Remember is took nine months to gain this weight and it will take time to come off. Stay committed and persistent and it will pay off.

Most of all - remember your child will spend their lives looking up to you, learning from you. It's up to you to be a positive role model by gaining a positive, healthy body image.

Please pass on your success secrets to share with other readers!!