How soon can I come back to working out postpartum? What signs should I look for to know I'm doing too much too soon?

Question

Emily Hill, DPT · Answer

Hi, I'm Emily. I'm a physical therapist. I do actually specialize in postpartum care, so this is a tough question to answer. Ultimately, it does come down to the conversation that you need to have with your OB-GYN right after you have your baby, and it depends on how you delivered your baby. If it was a cesarean section or a vaginal delivery, and how things went during that vaginal delivery, do you have any tears or stitches or anything like that? Assuming an uncomplicated delivery, vaginal delivery, you could start simple breathing exercises and light transverse abdominus activation exercises, not like sit-ups or crunches or crazy core work, and very light pelvic floor work as soon as up to day two postpartum. I personally also started walking very short distances, keeping in mind if I felt lightheaded or dizzy or anything like that, I didn't go any further the day after I delivered both of my kids. So that was a conversation that I very openly had with my OB-GYN the day after I delivered. I asked if it was okay if I went for a short walk. How do you know if you're doing too much? Number one, you're gonna watch for how are you managing your pressure. If you have midline doming, if you look up diastasis recti, it's very normal to have a separation of the abdominals in this region immediately postpartum because you just grew another human being. But if you are doming in the midline when you're doing any of the breathing or the exercises, it means you're not managing your pressure well and you need to avoid that because that's making that tissue have too much pressure. Also if you notice if you're going for walks that you're bleeding increases, it means you're doing too much because where the placenta is attached in the uterus and then it detaches when you deliver it, there is basically a wound inside of there that you need to allow to heal. So you have to listen to your body during this time. So you're going to watch for your pressure management, I don't want you breath holding, and for any increased bleeding.

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"How soon can I come back to working out postpartum? What signs should I look for to know I'm doing too much too soon?"