Exercise and Breastfeeding
Exercise and Breastfeeding
Exercise and Breastfeeding
Many women continue to breastfeed for months and even years after delivery while they are also getting back to work and getting back in shape. In fact, breastfeeding is an important part of recovering after delivery, since it helps your uterus contract and return to its original size (that's why you may feel cramping when you breastfeed, especially in the first few weeks). Breastfeeding also uses a lot of calories.
Breast milk is very healthy for your baby. Don't pass up this unique opportunity to bond with your child and pass on some good immune protection. A regular moderate workout should not interfere with your breastfeeding schedule and may help you sleep better between feedings. Even world-class athletes have competed in international competitions within three months of delivering while breastfeeding everyday.
If you are eager to resume exercise, you can do so safely while breastfeeding if you take a few precautions. Make time to sleep enough, eat sufficient amounts, and drink a lot of water. You may notice that you have sore nipples or a somewhat reduced milk supply initiallybut that is easily preventable.
Some women find that they produce less milk if they exercise regularly. Surprisingly, this is not because they are burning so many calories that they don't have enough to pass on to the baby. Studies reported in the journal Seminars in Perinatology show that regular exercise and maternal weight loss of about a pound per week from weeks four to fourteen after delivery have no effect on the breastfed infant's growth. The decrease in a woman's milk supply is also not because a tight sports bra constricts the breasts. Instead, exercise can cause a reduction in a mother's milk supply because of dehydration. You may produce less milk after exercising simply because you are too dry.
Keep in mind that you are drinking for two: you need to take in all the fluids your body and your baby need. When you exercise while breastfeeding, you need more fluids than you did during pregnancy and certainly a lot more than before pregnancy. Keep a bottle of water handy and drink at least a liter of water per hour while you are exercising and even more in hot or humid weather. Staying well hydrated will help you to give your baby a healthy supply of breast milk.
Unless your doctor specifically recommends it, don't supplement your baby's feedings with formula just because you are exercising and concerned that he may not be getting enough milk. In fact, adding formula will just cause your body to produce less milk overall, because most babies will choose a bottle over the breast since it gives more milk with less effort. And the less your baby nurses, the less milk your body makes.
If you find that your baby is not as eager to breastfeed right after you exercise, it could be the lactic acid in your milk. If you enjoyed a long, hard workout, then your muscles were producing lactic acid, a by-product of their activity. The lactic acid shows up in your breast milk (for up to ninety minutes after a strenuous workout) and your baby may not like its taste. If your baby drinks it right up, don't worry, lactic acid won't have any harmful effects.
Your breasts, when full of milk, may be sore when you exercise. Toward the end of pregnancy, your breast tissue becomes fully developed and your breasts may weigh a pound or moreeach! A couple of days after delivery, your breasts fill with milk and become even larger and more cumbersome. Over the next few months your breasts do get smaller, as they (and your baby) become more efficient at the whole breastfeeding process. Exercising with those heavy breasts in those first few weeks can be uncomfortable, especially if you haven't breastfed for a couple of hours. For this reason, try breastfeeding before exercising.
You may also find that your nipples rub against the bra and become tender. Make sure you are wearing a well-fitting nursing brathose maternity bras just won't be comfortable anymore. Also, try wearing soft nursing pads over your nipples to protect them from chafing. Some athletes also recommend rubbing your nipples with petroleum jelly (or lanolin or colostrum cream) before heading outthis is especially helpful if your nipples are dry and cracked.
As soon as you feel up to it, get out there and gradually resume some of your favorite activities. Even if you're breastfeeding, you don't want to abandon the good habits you developed during pregnancy or lose this opportunity to get back in shape. Both breastfeeding and exercise are important parts of your recoveryand of getting your motherhood started on the healthiest track.
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