I stopped running at 30 weeks pregnant. I was no longer training for my 1/2 marathon and my body was just tired. That is also when I started to gain weight and for the first time in the pregnancy go over my pre-pregnancy weight. I did run short distances during my 40th week of pregnancy doing what I could to get the baby out! But not anywhere near what I was doing before 30 weeks.
Now that I have had my baby it is time to get this party started and get back into running. However, there are a few things to watch out for and make sure that you are being safe and not harming your body because the body is still healing. You might feel great but we have no idea what is going on in the inside!
1. Get clearance from your doc. That was my first mistake. I didn't. I took things in my own hands. I felt great. Bleeding had stopped for a few days. I thought I was ready. So I ran. Granted I was just shy of 6 weeks pp. Well, that whole next week I had started bleeding again, to the point I thought I would have to go to the ER because it was so bad. I won't make that mistake again. Get the ok from your doc! TRUST ME!
2. Running will feel funny. The first few times you exercise your insides will feel out of place. You will giggle more than you did before and your legs and other parts of your body will hurt. Oh, and if you are breastfeeding, your breasts will feel very, very heavy and only feel more heavy. It will get better though. Your body is different. You have had a baby. It just takes some time to get used to. Your insides won't feel out of place and the giggle will go down. The whole breast thing though, nope that will stay for awhile, you will just get used to it. Just make sure you nurse or pump before you exercise so you don't have a leak due to the stimulation from running.
3. GO SLOW! Please don't expect to be running an 8 minute mile right out of the gate. It just won't happen and if you do, you are setting yourself up for injury.
4. Watch out for baby. If you are stroller running, go slowly at first to allow your baby to get used to the movement and feel of the jogging stroller. Also, watch baby's head support. The head support is still lacking. Watch for potholes or cracks in the sidewalk. Backward facing in the stroller is still great so you can see your baby the whole time. There are running strollers that use a car seat to hold small, small babies. My stroller is not a jogging stroller but it holds the car seat in it. Not sure how much stroller jogging I will actually do.
5. Have fun. Make small goals. You will be surprised how easily running will come back. My body misses it. My legs burn for it. My first run felt AMAZING! (it was the after affects that sucked) Congratulate yourself after every run because you are a mom who is finding time for yourself! YOU DESERVE IT!
