Feeling beautiful after having a baby!

Figure: what physical exercises?

Don’t become too obsessed by the idea of losing weight during the first few months after birth.

By eating well and resuming an active life, your weight will gradually return to normal.
In the meantime, you can help to rediscover the tone and firmness of your body by using products and doing appropriate exercises.

Moderate physical exercise while breastfeeding does not have any effect on the quantity or composition of the milk, or on the child’s growth.

Fitness schedule

• Once bleeding stops > walking, gentle swimming
• After 6-8 weeks > perineal rehabilitation (after the post-natal examination)
• Once the perineum is toned > abdominals
• After 4 months > cardio-vascular exercises at the gym or outdoors (tennis, fast swimming, cycling)
• After 1 year > running, except if you have had 3 children. In the case of a multiple pregnancy or pregnancies very close together, it is possible that the muscles in your stomach or perineum have been too stretched or weakened and do not close up properly, no longer protecting or maintaining the organs as they should. This can cause hernias and/or “organ descent”. Depending on the intensity with which you practise running, you should discuss resuming it with your doctor.

Some examples of exercises

From the first month, to relieve your back
• Lying on the back, legs bent, heels close to your buttocks, hands pressed against the stomach, head on the floor, chin down, gently rock your pelvis towards the front, so that your lower back is touching the floor.
• Keep this position for 10 minutes, breathing out through the mouth.
• A little tip: lift your pelvis as you exhale and lower it again as you inhale.

First abdominals
• Lying on the floor, chin down, knees bent, feet in the air, put your hands on your knees.
• Without moving, push your hands towards your knees and your knees towards your hands for 20 seconds.
• Repeat 6 times with 30 seconds rest between each exercise.

Tone up your bust on your pushchair
• Place both hands on the pushchair and try to bring your hands together WITHOUT moving them.
• Keep this posture for 15-20 seconds. Breathe out and repeat 3 times.

Thighs and shoulders
• Sitting on a chair, feet apart in line with your hips, place your hands on your knees.
• Push your knees together, pushing your knees back against your hands.
• Keep this position for 30 seconds. Repeat the exercise 4 times with 20-30 seconds rest between each exercise.

DDA