How I Got Back in Shape After Giving Birth
I’m sharing all the details on my fitness and nutrition after having a baby in August 2020!
But before diving into workouts and nutrition, I want to send a message of kindness and support to every woman out there dealing with the pressure our culture puts on us to “bounce back” or “get back to our pre-baby bodies” after giving birth.
As if it weren’t tough enough giving birth to a baby and caring for that newborn, we’re also expected to dive headfirst into a weight loss plan. It’s insane! (Oh, and we need to return to work after 6-12 weeks. No big deal. Ha.)
Here’s how I view the postpartum fitness journey:
We cannot move backward in time, so it makes no sense to me to strive for “bouncing back”.
After giving birth, your body is different. This is a new body.
The first step toward any physical goal is accepting this body you have today.
If you berate and criticize the body you’re living in right now, you ain’t gettin’ nowhere.
I said in the title of this article that I’ve been working hard to “get back in shape”, but I don’t mean “lose baby weight as quickly as possible by whatever means necessary”.
I mean that I’ve been:
1. Regaining the strength I lost (thanks to pregnancy hormone changes and limitations on my workouts while pregnant) and
2. Working toward a body composition where I feel fit, athletic and strong. (“Body composition” refers to the makeup of your body—how much muscle and bodyfat you have).
I observe my scale weight like scientific data, but my primary goal has never been to “lose the baby weight”.
That’s because scale weight only tells a small part of the story when it comes to how we look & feel.
I returned to my pre-baby scale weight (155 pounds – and I’m 5’7” with quite a bit of muscle) relatively quickly, but my body composition changed quite a lot after giving birth.
My belly had been stretched out, and 7.5 months later (as of the time I’m writing this article), the skin on my lower stomach is still gradually regaining its elasticity (more on that below).
Does this bother me sometimes? Yes.
Do I obsess about it? No.
It’s just not worth obsessing over.
(If I’m being honest, it’s taken years for me to reach the place where I can type that, ha!).
After all, I have this beautiful, hilarious, wonderful baby girl, and I wouldn’t change anything about my pregnancy experience—because it led to meeting her.
Plus, after being a personal trainer, then a nutrition coach, and now a life coach, I’ve realized that looking a certain way doesn’t make you happy. It just doesn’t.
Happiness comes from being in alignment with your truest self (*if you’re feeling “out of alignment” with your true self, sign up for a free 30-minute mini-coaching session with me!)
Okay, let’s dive in! Here are the details around my workouts and nutrition after giving birth:
(An article about what I did during pregnancy is coming soon!)
I gave birth on August 16, 2020.
I walked into the hospital at 172 lb.
One week after giving birth, my scale weight was down to 160 lb. (Lots of blood and fluid lost—oh, and the baby, ha ha).
Exactly 2 months postpartum, I returned to my pre-pregnancy weight of 155 lb. But like I said above, my body definitely looked and felt much different!
A few days after giving birth, I started going for short, slow walks outside with baby in the stroller (just to get outside and move around).
One week after giving birth, I was itching to do more than just walk. But after doing tons of research and reading, I knew I needed to be careful.
It’s important to avoid lifting heavy things too soon after giving birth because it places a lot of pressure on your abdomen and uterus.
I had a vaginal delivery, which meant my uterus needed more time to return to its normal state.
The research I did recommend that I not lift anything weighing more than 15-20 pounds for at least 2 weeks after delivery.
So, for my first few weeks postpartum, I focused on (a) healing and (b) getting some daily basic movement. I continued walking each morning plus pelvic floor exercises.
“Pelvic floor work” was brand new to me. I had no idea what it meant aside from Kegels, so I did a lot of research on this, too. This was a resource I found super helpful!
In addition to Kegels, pelvic floor work also includes squats, bridges, pelvic tilt, and diaphragmatic breathing.
(Again, I am definitely not an expert in this area—your best bet is to find a pelvic floor therapist near you! They can give you an exam and recommend specific exercises tailored to your needs.)
After a week or two, I also felt ready to do some careful bodyweight movements like incline push-ups (I used my coffee table—you could also do wall push-ups).
After My 6-Week Check-up
Once I got clearance from my doctor to push a bit harder at the 6-week postpartum mark, I added more movements with more resistance.
I have been lifting weights for so long, I can pretty much make up my own programs and routines, so that’s what I did (but there are great trainers/coaches out there who can help you with a program!).
I also had a tiny bit of midline/ab separation, which is called diastasis recti. Many women experience this with varying degrees of severity. (It makes sense that your ab muscles would separate after growing a baby in there, right?!).
If you don’t address your diastasis recti, it can lead to low back pain, posture changes from a weakened core, and possibly a hernia. So—take it seriously! :-)
This article has 100 different exercises you can do for diastasis recti. It’s really good!
The Annoying Parts
My biggest frustration with postpartum fitness was how patient I needed to be. It was so boring doing all these low-intensity movements!
I was dying to jump back into heavy workouts as quickly as possible, but I read many horror stories of women pushing too hard, too fast, so I reluctantly slowed down.
It was also frustrating regaining my strength. My one rep max back squat was 245 lb. before getting pregnant. A few months postpartum, it was a struggle to squat 165 lb.
But I knew if I lifted consistently, my strength would return.
That’s the nice thing about strength—it takes a long time to build strength, but it also takes a long time to lose it. It stays with you!
And, fortunately, my strength levels have (finally!) returned to pre-baby levels!
At 7.5 months postpartum now, I can hit my previous max numbers on deadlift, bench press, overhead press, hip thrust, etc.
I am looking around for a powerlifting meet or some other competition in the next year or so (I do best when I have something to train for!).
Nutrition
For the first few weeks after bringing baby home, I ate whatever I could, whenever I could. It is a chaotic time because the baby has to be fed every couple of hours (including through the night), so I just needed calories—lots of them!
On top of that, I did my best to breastfeed exclusively (no judgment toward moms who choose not to breastfeed!).
Breastfeeding burns a lot of calories!
A breastfeeding mom needs to consume anywhere from 300-500 calories per day on top of her maintenance-level calories just to keep up her energy and milk production.
I was conscious about getting plenty of protein (like 20-40 grams with each meal and snack). My husband was really helpful in preparing food and bringing it to me while I’d sit and breastfeed.
There just isn’t much time to cook when you’ve got a brand new baby at home!
One of my favorite easy foods was Kodiak cakes (they are like protein pancakes) with extra egg whites mixed in for more protein. I could eat them with one hand while breastfeeding!
I tracked my food (in MyFitnessPal) on some days to ensure I was getting enough calories, protein and fiber. But I wasn’t strict about it. I didn’t weigh things out, just estimated.
Once I felt like baby & I were in a better rhythm, I started tracking food more consistently, aiming to be at maintenance-level calories or slightly below that.
My goal has always been to look athletic and fit, not to look “skinny”. I think women look great with some ‘strong curves’!
I had to keep a close eye on my milk supply, ensuring I was eating enough to keep it going.
Some moms produce tons of milk, but that wasn’t the case for me. I produced barely enough to keep up with this growing baby girl (she’s been in the 99th percentile for height since the day she was born! Future WBNA star?! Ha ha!).
After 4-5 months, I felt physically good overall. My only complaint was that my lower stomach still felt squishy.
Even while doing bodybuilding competitions, I’ve never been the girl with rock-solid abs. That’s where I tend to hold bodyfat.
And now I had this mushy lower-ab area that felt like it’d never go away.
But, like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I am proud of myself for not freaking out about it.
Years ago, I might have associated my value as a human with this squish on my stomach.
But today? It’s alright :-).
In the grand scheme of things, no big deal.
The “squish” reminds me of being pregnant with my baby girl, so there are moments where I feel fond of it, ha!
Do I get a little nervous about posting pictures of my stomach on Instagram? Yes!
But I care more about helping other moms feel less alone during their postpartum journeys—because I’m certain the majority of us face similar challenges (mental and physical!).
Could I have been more aggressive with my bodyfat loss? Yes.
I’ve just had so much going on. Being in a calorie deficit is a stressor on the body and mind, and I’ve currently got enough on my plate (don’t start a new diet plan if you’re super stressed out!).
I am the primary caretaker for my baby girl. I launched my own life coaching business 4 months ago. I lift weights 6 days per week in our garage gym. I also start a Master Coaching program in 2 weeks (yes, I have lost my mind. Ha ha).
That is ENOUGH for me.
I don’t need to add a hardcore ‘cut’ where I aim to get shredded on top of all those things.
All of this to say—my heart goes out to every postpartum mom out there who has moments where she wishes her body was different.
Just like your baby, you are perfect exactly as you are. You gave birth to a new human being! It still blows my mind. So that little bit of squish on your stomach? It’s perfect, too :)
If you’re struggling with your mindset around your postpartum body, I’ve got you!
Sign up for a FREE 30-minute mini-coaching session with me. I’ll teach you tools to help you start feeling better in your skin right away :-)
Disclaimer: This information is for informational purposes only and should not substitute the advice from your healthcare professional. All kinds of exercise and dietary changes are potentially dangerous, and those who do not seek counsel from the appropriate health care authority assume the liability of any injury which may occur.