Guest Post: We are thrilled to have Melissa Baudo Marchetti share her wisdom and experience about physical therapy and the postpartum period. Calling all moms! Have you recently had a baby or have been a mom for a while
I recently came across a social media post stating “Halt the Kegels!” It went on to say that pregnant women should not be doing Kegel exercises (pelvic floor contractions) and was followed by a long comment thread re-affirming this statement. As a Physical Therapist who specializes in pelvic health I am blown away by this linear and absolute way of thinking. Knowing what your pelvic floor does, and learning how to contract it and release it is INTEGRAL to a healthy pregnancy, delivery and recovery.
Oh Baby! Fitness co-owner Kathleen Donahoe was recently interviewed by Happy Babies Parent Education about postpartum recovery—specifically cores and floors (pelvic ones, that is!)
How quickly will I lose weight the baby weight?
Just as weight gain happens at different rates during pregnancy, weight loss has different paces for different women. 9 months on , 9 months off is a good rule of thumb— not 9 months on and back in your skinny jeans at 2 months! If your baby is 9 months old and you still have weight to lose we recommend a combination of exercise and healthy diet to lose the last few pounds.
How soon can I exercise after baby?
Question: I weigh less than I did when before I got pregnant, but I look bigger. What’s up with that?
“Before I got pregnant, I was in a pretty active rhythm, incorporating a combination of strength training, warm yoga fusion, and Pilates classes into each week. I was able to maintain most of that routine for the first trimester, but I’m starting to hit some walls recently. I get fatigued more easily, recovery takes longer, and a lot of different kinds of movement are becoming uncomfortable or even impossible for me to perform. So I have two questions: (a) at this point, and going forward, what are the types of movement that are NOT safe for me and the baby? And (b), what are some effective exercises to replace the things that are no longer safe?
Dear Kathleen- I am having a scheduled C-section, so I already know that my post-delivery recovery time will be several weeks. When can I expect to be able to really exercise again? When will I be able to just go on a walk around my neighborhood? Any tips for recovering my pre-pregnancy shape as soon as healthily possible? What’s the best way to deal with getting my belly back to its normal size?