My Postpartum Plans

I’ve finally hit 40 weeks and am so excited that baby could be here any day – although if she’s anything like her sister, I’m in for another few weeks of being pregnant. My babies are stubborn!

I’ve started to shift my thinking to planning for postpartum workouts and putting together a plan. I am beyond eager to get back to my usual workout routine, but I know I also need to give my body time to heal and recover – I did spend 9 months making a baby and the body doesn’t just bounce back.

In this post, I’ll share with your my postpartum plans and the workouts I’m doing for recovery.

First 8 Weeks

In the first 8 weeks after birth, I’m doing a program by Julie from Our Fit Family Life called From Birth to 8 Weeks. This course focuses on how to take care of yourself right after delivery, breastfeeding tips, posture tips, as well as have exercises for each week to help you rebuild your core and strengthen.

I had taken a course by Julie after my first pregnancy and it made a world of a difference in my recovery. The workout isn’t the typical workout I usually do (like high intensity or running), but instead is slower-paced and focuses on breathing patterns and rebuilding your pelvic floor. Thanks to her class though I was able to get back into running and working out without any pelvic floor issues (like no leaking when I ran or jumped!) and didn’t have any diastasis recti (DR) or “mom pouch”.

I’ll be honest and say the workouts aren’t exactly the most exciting since they’re slower paced but it is important to build a strong foundation before getting back into my regular workouts. I’d rather spend the time now rebuilding than dealing with issues for years.

I do also want to keep my Peloton weekly streak going, so I will be adding some meditation classes to the mix. It’s going to be tough but I’ll be taking a break completely from the bike the entire 8 weeks after delivery.

8 Weeks and Beyond

After I complete the 8-week program, I’m thinking about joining Julie’s other program, Body After Baby. This program is only for moms that are at least 8 weeks postpartum and is the same program as I did with my first. I’m not sure if I’ll need an additional 8-week program or not, so I’m kind of leaving this one as a maybe.

When I had my first baby Julie only had this program available so I never was able to do the immediate after birth program.

Related Post: I tried Divi for 4 Months for my Postpartum Hairloss…Here’s What Happened

Postpartum Nutrition

I am so beyond eager to get back into macro counting, but know that the first few weeks with a newborn are going to be stressful! I have macro-friendly meals (like these Icon meals) and snacks in the house and am planning to try to stick to what my macros should be, but tracking won’t be a focus for the first month.

Once baby and I get into a groove and my supply regulates, I’ll be joining Stronger U again and working with my coach. Stronger U has a whole team of registered dieticians that specialize in pregnancy and postpartum macros, which is reassuring to me because I know they’ll understand what I’m going through. I also like that Stronger U has a private community of other pregnant and postpartum moms so I can connect with others.

Related Post: Stronger U While Pregnant

When is it OK to Start Peloton?

You actually might be able to begin doing Peloton classes sooner than you think. While I wouldn’t recommend doing a strength or cycling workout before your doctor clears you (usually around week 6 or 8, depending on delivery), there are some classes that you can take like meditation and walking(again – ask your doctor).

I really want to keep my Peloton weekly streak going so my plan is to add-in some meditations to my routine in the early weeks of postpartum. I especially like the sleep and calming meditations, so I’m sure I’ll have those on repeat! Peloton also does have postpartum yoga classes that I might try as well.

Once I get cleared to workout I’ll slowly be adding in some of the easier outdoor walks while I go for stroller walks.

I’m going to be waiting until I’m at least 8 weeks before I try hopping on the bike or going for a run.

Final Thoughts

I can’t wait to get back into high-intensity workouts and knowing my body is strong will help me be more comfortable when I add in running and cycling again. While I’m eager to get into these high-intensity workouts, I know I need to give my body time to heal and with these workouts I know I’ll be setting up the best foundation possible.

This post isn’t intended to be a guide or for you to follow my workout plan – it’s just what my plans are based on the lessons I learned from my own pregnancies! Always talk to your doctor before starting any kind of fitness routine.