JULY - Nursing Mommies
 

Wow, that's a big baby for three weeks early. Congratulations. I'm working on getting back in the swing of things. Hubby's losing weight & although he still weighs almost 40lbs more than I do, I don't want to risk us weighing the same. ;) My nurslings are 3.5 & 20 months, so they've cut back enough that it doesn't exactly torch the calories. I have a gym membership. I love lifting weights even though I'm usually the only woman in the freeweights area. I hate cardio. I have to go do cardio tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it. ;)

Have you been lifting weights for long? I just read in a health magazine that lifting weights releases lactic acid which will enter your breast milk. Have you noticed any change with your babies feedings?

I am dying to get back to the gym and hit the weights, but am reluctant after reading that.

(yes, my baby was big for being 3 weeks early, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, so he was steadily gaining weight)

yadda yadda, all exercise releases lactic acid to some degree, most babies dont care a whit. I run like a mad woman (and lift when I can) and the only thing I have noticed is my baby now likes salty sweat. The other day right after my run when he was done nursing he started sucking on my arm and anything else sweaty he could find.

So my oversupply must be cycle related because after I had posted last week about the crazy boobs, the next day I woke up and they were both floppy and "empty" after overnight (even empty I have a lot). Interesting.

Ennay is right, any exercise releases lactic acid. And no, it doesn't slow my babe down a bit; she usually insists on nursing in the kids' club in fact.

Funny about the sweat-sucking babe. :D Can't say any of mine have done that.

Ennay, I've heard several women talk about supply fluctuations that are cycle related. I know a lady on another board who actually has to supplement every time she gets AF. :( I can't say as I've ever noticed it personally, but I'll be honest that I don't pay a huge amount of attention as long as whoever's obviously getting a good meal.

I do notice a supply dip when it hits but I pump. After "the witch" leaves then I usually return back to normal amounts of pumping after 2-3 days. I've also noticed that if it hits on the weekends that some meals he is going from one breast to the other and back to the first and sometimes back to the 2nd to get full.

I certainly never noticed any with dd, but hey, everytime is different...although I usually hear of decreases, not increases.

he has started crawling finally, so nothing is safe!

Dallas is adorable! Congratulations on your little bundle!!!

I've exercised after all three of my nurslings were born, and none of them have cared a lick. I think I might have waited two weeks after my last baby, but I had very untraumatic vaginal deliveries (my last was even born at home!) and had no pregnancy complications.

Good luck! Glad you've joined us!

Kara

Thank you all for the welcome!

I actually am going to start kicking my walking into a little jog. I figure I know my body better than my OB, and I really feel great. I'm anxious to get back to working out & hopefully that will help me feel better about myself and give me that extra energy I have been lacking.

As much as I respect the education and training that doctors and nurses undergo, I really believe that I know *my* body better than they do. They know a lot about the generals and the averages but in my experience, so much of their advice is based on toeing the line so they don't get sued... That is exactly why I had my third at home! I was sick of explaining that I didn't need to be tested for STDs or be hooked up to an IV or "managed". Argh. Sorry for the rant. I totally agree with you. You know your body best and as long as you will only exercise to your body's limits, then go for it.

Kara

I went with the dont ask dont tell return to exercise myself. I started walking a couple days after delivery and when I could walk for 30 minutes I started adding in run intervals. I had one episode of increased bleeding so I rested for 2 days and started again

By week 3 I was running continuously for up to 3 miles,
I think by 6 weeks I was up to a 6 mile long run. Week 8 was my post partum checkup and I did a 7 miler the day after. Of course I did end up with shinsplints so it may have been a slightly fast ramp, but I still wouldnt change it :lol:

It never occurred to me to ask permission to exercise. But then, it never occurred to me to ask about nursing while I was pregnant, either. ;)

My cousin is pregnant right now with her sixth child. She's going to an OB and will have a hospital birth (no one in my family but me has ever even thought about anything else), and she's having to argue with them over the glucose tolerance test. Never had GD in any of her pregnancies, but they still want her to do it. :rolleyes:

thanks for the backup on making decisions for yourself without always running to the "experts" first.

Ennay: excellent on your running.

I was running about 3 miles a day before I got pregnant. I was just learning to really love and enjoy jogging...but that faded out with my pregnancy. Yesterday I added a little jog to my walk and my knees are killing me today, but it felt great to get back to something I found I loved.

Be careful because that relaxin (the hormone that allows your pelvis to widen, and hence loosens all your joints) is still circulating through your body for up to six months postpartum. That could be the culprit behind the sore knees.

Kara

Kara, thank you, I didn't know that. I will have to look that up, just for my own information. Thank you!

No problem. I have joint issues from my gymnastics days, so I happened to feel the effects of the relaxin more than some I think.

Kara

Yes the relastin is definitely something to watch out for...I think that is why I ended up with BAD shin splints, that and weak core

So far, so good. I feel great after each workout, but I am really feeling it at that early morning feeding. My body is just so sore and achey, it is really hard to get out of bed!

I know i'm sore, because it's been awhile since my body has worked out. I'm happy to be back at the gym.

What type of workouts is everyone doing? How much weight are you trying to lose? How much did you gain with your pregnancy?

I'm trying to run at least five miles twice a week (it took me seven months to work up to five miles and I don't want to lose it!). I also walk every day, at least two miles and usually closer to four or five. Sometimes I throw a Tae Bo DVD in there and I have a pilates DVD waiting to be tried out one of these days. I love the elliptical, but I don't do it very often. I also attend a yoga class once a week, which I LOVE!

It's not so much the *weight* as it is the flabby belly that I'm trying to lose...

Kara

I lift weights and do cardio when I can't talk myself out of it. :) I hate cardio. I'm not too worried about a scale number; I'm mostly trying to get my body fat down to about 25%. (Anything from 20% to 30% is usually considered healthy for women; I'm aiming at the midpoint.)

I'm training for a marathon in a few months so I run a lot and do weights when I can.
I gained 46 lbs with this pregnancy and am now about 20lbs below prepreg weight

I'm not currently trying to lose because marathon training is getting pretty intense, but after the marathon I'd like to lose another 5-8 lbs or so I think? No real goal, I want to get my body fat lower. AFter the marathon I am going to spend a couple months with more weights and x-training.