Postpartum Grace
- Lindsay Adelle
- Mar 27, 2019
- 5 min read
I feel like I've started and stopped writing this post so many times.
I was nervous to expose myself in this way, but realized this is a topic that SO many women struggle with. Postpartum is no joke! There are many hurdles we go through from mentally being tasked to take care of a baby on little to no sleep, to our bodies changing, milk coming in, and our weight fluctuating. It's not a walk in a park but more like a a drive through Winnipeg where you're never sure when a one way will pop up, or a pothole! (hehe - oh springtime!)
I want to be open and honest about this part of my life, because it has helped me when others have shared their experiences and "journeys" for lack of a better word. It is a way we can connect and feel supported, and that is my true hope - to encourage you in whatever stage of life you may be in!
I'm going to rewind a bit and describe a few things in pregnancy that lead up to postpartum. With each pregnancy I gained about 30 pounds, but with Hallie it was 40+. I was ashamed about this, as I was eating well and working out 3-4 times a week until 27 weeks. That is when everything changed for me. I remember clearly doing a workout and feeling like I couldn't walk afterwards. The pain continued to increase down my side and in to my pelvis. Every movement would create excruciating pain and I had no idea what was going on. I thought for sure it was my sciatic nerve as it has always bothered me in the last trimester of pregnancy, but this time it felt much worse.
I was told about a physiotherapist who specialized in pregnancy, specifically pelvic floor and saw her. I was told about Pubic Symphisis Disorder, which is what I was experiencing. This limited my movement, and I would only be able to go for short walks as the pain would increase while standing. There were some exercises that helped a bit, but mostly it would just *hopefully* go away after the baby was born. (in my case it went away and I felt no pain 7 weeks postpartum!)
After Hallie was born, I just had to go on a scale to see where I was at. It's crazy how light you feel after you've given birth, but yet the scale didn't quite reflect that same feeling. I did drop 10 pounds but that was where it stayed for the first 6 weeks.
I gave myself time and grace for the first few months because you feel like you are just surviving, and trying to manage 3 kids was no small feat! What did help me was starting to get into a bit of routine with easy workouts while the kids napped. I set the expectation low because you never know how much time you will have before someone wakes up, so if I was able to do 10, 15 or 20 minutes that was great! As the routine got more predictable and settled, it was easier to have a half hour to do an at home workout. Some that I have really enjoyed are Moms Into Fitness by Lindsay Brin. She has great postpartum workouts, especially if you have diastasis recti and need to strengthen pelvic floor muscles. This is what totally helped me before doing anything more high intensity as my pelvic floor really needed strengthing. Some other workouts that were great for at home were BBG by Kayla Itsines, and Fit Girl Gang! Both of these you don't need a lot of equipment.
During the winter months hot yoga was a great outlet for me, and meeting up with friends there was like a mini vacation! (literally because it feels so nice and hot! ha!)
At the 6 month postpartum mark I had lost 25 of the 40ish pounds. I knew I had a ways to go, but for myself, breastfeeding doesn't help me lose weight. In fact it does the opposite, and I hang onto weight longer until I'm no longer breastfeeding. As soon as I had stopped nursing, another 10 pounds came off in 2 months. It honestly doesn't matter the time it takes or how much weight you lose, but how you are feeling! If you are feeling healthy, then that is SO great!!
I didn't follow a strict diet, but drank tons of water, and tried to eat balanced meals! It really helped to take all of the snack food out of the house, and instead to prep veggies and fruit that I could grab when I did want something to have between meals. I have little self control when it comes to sweets so if I eliminate it and don't have it in the house all the time, it's waaay better! The evenings can get especially hard when breastfeeding and you are tired so your body craves food that will give you instant energy, instead of food that will satiate you longer. Having some healthy fats, energy balls and dark chocolate around really helped when those cravings hit hard!
Some things I learned this time were:
1. Give yourself so much grace. You just freaking had a baby, so give your body time to adjust to all the changes, the lack of sleep, the "new" normal of life.
2. The scale doesn't define who you are. In the past I've struggled with numbers on the scale, but the truth of this is it doesn't define you. You are who God made you to be, and you don't need to do anything else to deserve that love! Your body will go through many changes in life, but you are still beautiful inside and out! Believe it!!
3. Accountability - it is so great having family or friends encourage and keep you accountable. Be sure these are people who are positive impacts in your life! It has been great having these people in my life who celebrate little successes with you, and even if you have a little setback, they are there for you!
As the weather is getting nicer I can't wait to be outdoors for runs and chasing the kids around!
I have been going to Orange Theory twice a week for the past couple months (my husband took me with him as he has been on a craaazy weight loss journey himself, and I got hooked on it!)
Do something that you enjoy doing! It can be so nerve wracking trying something new, but most often than not you will feel so brave and strong afterwards! Find a friend to go with you and to encourage the heck out of you!
xo,
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