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Fighting weight gain, post delivery
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Postpartum exercise is a must for women who wish to get back to normalcy
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Women find it difficult to exercise in the postpartum phase, and some wonder whether with all the breastfeeding, sleeplessness and constant tiredness, postpartum exercise is even necessary or safe. But exercise is necessary in the postpartum period, even if it is difficult. Women who have not reached pre-pregnancy weight by six months postpartum are likely to retain the excessive weight. Postpartum exercise builds up a new mother's cardiovascular fitness and mental health and prevents the post-delivery weight retention that leads to obesity.
Pre-pregnancy weight and exercise habits, weight gained during pregnancy, and the numbers of previous pregnancies are indicators of whether a woman is likely to retain weight postpartum.
The competing demands of career, newborn and home life make it all but impossible for new mothers to find time for exercise. Strollers allow one to walk without losing sight of the baby, and treadmills and exercise videos can enable exercise at home.
Weight gain and decreased activity during pregnancy decondition a woman to exercise. Relaxin hormone makes ligaments lax during pregnancy and its effects persist up to three months after delivery.
Postpartum women should begin walking and other gentle exercises as soon as the wounds of labour have healed. Women who have had preeclampsia, third-degree tears during labour, and caesarean sections need to consult their gynaecologist about when to begin exercise after delivery.
Breastfeeding does not promote postpartum weight loss, presumably because calorie intake rises to match this loss. So women need to walk, even if they are breastfeeding. Studies show that regular aerobic exercise has no adverse affect on lactation. And the growth of infants who were exclusively breastfed was not affected by maternal weight loss of half-a-kilo per week in the three months immediately after delivery. However, lactic acid levels rise in breast milk after exercise, and newborns sometimes refuse this milk; the best solution is to exercise after feeding the baby.
Stress incontinence is a problem with increased parity, and prolonged and traumatic labour. Voiding immediately before exercise, avoiding caffeine for several hours before working out, and wearing a tampon during exercise to increase urethral support can reduce this. Isometric exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles reduce stress incontinence in over 50 per cent of women who have the condition.
RAJIV M
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