Is it okay to exercise after childbirth while breastfeeding? There are no doubts for Dr. Patrizia Proietti, midwife expert in public health and referent Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative: L 'physical activity helps to produce endorphins which are good not only for the mother but also for the baby. No particular contraindications when practicing your favorite sport, but some precautions are necessary: drink plenty of water, breastfeed the baby before training, wear a suitable sports bra.
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Which sports to do while breastfeeding (and which ones to avoid)
go to the galleryPlaying sports while breastfeeding helps new mothers to produce endorphins that are also good for the baby. We talked about it with Doctor Patrizia Proietti, midwife expert in ...
Playing sports while breastfeeding
«Playing sports produces endorphins that are very good for both mother and baby. Physical activity is in fact an integral part of the determinants of health together with proper nutrition and lifestyles ». The sporty new mothers they can therefore continue their activities, obviously "listening to their body": swimming lovers accustomed to doing 100 laps will be able, for example, to reduce the number, but will not need to give up their favorite sport. The same can be said for other sports: "Why should a mother who lives in Cervinia and is a ski instructor not ski and breastfeed?". If mom does sport at a competitive level «He will certainly have to undergo a thorough examination clinical evaluation».
In general, it is preferable avoid starting a new sport while breastfeeding, as learning techniques never learned before could strain the body. Therefore, it is better to practice a physical activity that you already know how to do or that is easy to learn, such as the exercise bike or thewater aerobics. If you are not a sports lover, it is still a good idea not to give up doing some movement, for example by taking a walk in the park that you can do at any time of the day and, why not, even with a stroller in tow.
Train for perineum recovery
Starting from 2 months after childbirth, it is essential to «train to counter prolapse and urinary incontinence with exercises aimed at recovering the muscles of the pelvic floor, pelvis and spine. For this it might be useful to follow one postpartum pelvic rehabilitation, with targeted exercises to exercise the muscles of the perineum and back ».
READ ALSO: Pelvic floor exercises
«The advice is to ask, immediately after giving birth and on returning home, for the obstetric consultation in the nearest clinic for the evaluation of breastfeeding and the health conditions of the perineum ". Without forgetting to train and strengthen arms and shoulders, «to avoid compromising posture while holding the baby. These post-partum courses are held above all in the counseling centers, but it would be important for them to be offered to new mothers also by sports facilities ".
Sports to avoid while breastfeeding
«The new mother must therefore be careful in the first 8 weeks after delivery for his perineal salute. Absolutely exercises for the lower abdominals should be avoided in the first 8 weeks, before the uterus has made its involution and returned to its pre-pregnancy position ". To be avoided - or in any case to be practiced with great attention - in the months immediately following childbirth sports that involve excessive effort or that are contact, traumatic or that may foresee a violent impact like football, fencing, dips from 10 meters, paragliding, boxing.
Drink a lot of water
“Breast milk is made up of over 80% water. Nursing mom has to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. To prevent milk production from being affected by sports training, it is necessary for the mother maintain good hydration drinking even more water when exercising. Hydration will also be good for the beauty and brightness of the skin, especially that of the face ».
Breastfeed first and then train
"Obviously, the mother must breastfeed the baby before playing sports in order to empty the breast properly, wear a sports bra and, if possible, pump and store the milk so that, even during his absence, the baby, if he wishes, can be fed with a cup or a small glass ».
Baby-friendly sports facilities
"It would be essential, for a good culture of breastfeeding in a" Mother and Baby Friendly "community, to create sports facilities that favor sports activity and breastfeeding by providing for example:
- comfortable places to breastfeed with changing tables and armchairs
- refrigerators available to leave expressed / expressed breast milk
- babysitters trained ad hoc on the correct nutrition of infants and children ».
Updated on 13.08.2022
TAG:- breastfeeding
- mum
- sport
