What to expect when you're expecting (186 page)

Do exercises slowly, and don’t do a rapid series of repetitions. Instead, rest briefly between movements (the muscle buildup occurs then, not while you are in motion).

As during pregnancy, avoid jerky, bouncy, erratic motions during the first six weeks postpartum, while your ligaments are still loose. Also avoid knee-to-chest exercises, full sit-ups, and double leg lifts during this period.

Be sure to replenish fluids lost during exercise. Keep a water bottle next to you during your workouts and sip often. Aim for an extra cup or two of fluids for short bouts of exercise (more if your workouts are longer or more strenuous).

Take it slowly and sensibly. “No pain, no gain” wasn’t a motto created with new moms in mind. Don’t do more than recommended, even if you feel you can, and stop before you feel tired. If you overdo it, you probably won’t feel it until the next day, by which time you may be so exhausted and achy that you won’t be able to exercise at all.

Don’t let taking care of your baby stop you from taking care of yourself. Your baby will love lying on your chest as you go through your exercise routine.

Can’t wait to get back on the workout wagon? Easy does it, starting with:

Kegels.
You can really start your Kegels as soon as you’ve delivered (see
page 295
for directions if you haven’t done them before), though you probably won’t be able to feel yourself doing them at first, thanks to perineal numbness. Kegels can be done in any comfortable position, and comfort is key when you’ve just delivered a baby. Any time is a good time for Kegels, but try to get in the habit of doing them while you’re feeding your baby—which you’ll be doing a lot in the months to come. Work up to 25 repetitions four to six times a day, and continue for the rest of your life for good pelvic health (and increased sexual pleasure).

Deep diaphragmatic breathing.
In the Basic Position (see box,
page 466
), place your hands on your abdomen so you can feel it rise as you inhale slowly through your nose; tighten the abdominal muscles as you exhale slowly through your mouth. Start with just two or three deep breaths at a time, to prevent hyperventilating, and work up gradually. (Signs that you’ve overdone it are dizziness or faintness, tingling, or blurred vision.)

Anxious to get that pre-baby body back? Then you’ll be happy to hear that it’s time to move up another rung on the exercise ladder. But before you take that step, make sure the pair of vertical muscles that form your abdominal wall have not separated during pregnancy. If they have, you’ll have to close them up before the workouts start heating up (see box below). Once the separation has closed, or if you’ve never had one, move on to Head/Shoulder Lifts, Leg Slides, and Pelvic Tilts (see illustrations on
pages 466
and
467
).

All these exercises should be done in the Basic Position. At first, do them in bed, then move on to a well-cushioned floor. (An exercise mat is a good investment, not only because it makes these exercises easier and more comfortable to do now, but because your baby can practice rolling over and try his or her first tentative crawls on it later on in the year.)

Close the Gap

Don’t look now, but there’s probably a hole in the middle of your belly (and it’s not your navel). A very common pregnancy condition known in obstetrical circles as diastasis, it’s a gap in your abdominal muscles that can develop as the abdomen expands. It can take a month or two after delivery for this gap to close, and you’ll have to wait until it does before you start those crunches and other abdominal exercises or you’ll risk an injury. To determine if you have a separation, examine yourself this way: As you lie in the Basic Position, raise your head slightly with your arms extended forward; then feel for a soft lump above your navel. Such a lump indicates a separation.

If you do have a separation, you may be able to help correct it more quickly with this exercise: Assume the Basic Position and inhale. Now cross your hands over your abdomen, using your fingers to draw the sides of your abdominal muscles together as you breathe out, pulling your belly button inward toward the spine while raising your head slowly. Exhale as you lower your head slowly. Repeat three or four times, twice a day.

Now, with your practitioner’s go-ahead, you can gradually graduate to a more active workout program that includes walking, running, bicycling, swimming, water workouts, aerobics, yoga, Pilates, weight training, or similar routines. Or sign up for a postpartum exercise class. But don’t try to do too much too soon. As always, let your body be your guide.

Milk It

Good news for nursing moms who want to exercise their right to work out. Exercise—even the high-intensity type—doesn’t turn your breast milk sour, as you might have heard. Salty, maybe, from the sweat on your nipples—but your baby might actually enjoy that added tang. So go ahead (when your practitioner’s given the go-ahead) and exercise to your body’s content. Feeding your baby before a workout (or pumping) might make you more comfortable (since your breasts won’t be as full), but it isn’t necessary. And don’t forget to wear a bra that offers you plenty of support—you need it more than ever.

T
HOUGH IT’S CERTAINLY TRUE
—future medical breakthroughs and Hollywood movies notwithstanding—that only women can become pregnant, it’s just as true that fathers are expectant, too. As a dad, you’re not only an essential member of your baby-making team, but an invaluable nurturer of both your pregnant spouse and your unborn offspring. In the months to come, you’ll participate fully in the amazing process of pregnancy—in the excitement, in the responsibility, and, of course, in the worry. Some of your concerns will overlap those of mom-to-be; others will be uniquely yours. And just like your mate, you’re entitled to your share of reassurance, not just during the pregnancy and the birth, but during the postpartum period as well.

And so this chapter is dedicated to the equal, but sometimes neglected, partner-in-reproduction. Keep in mind, however, that the pages that follow aren’t intended for your eyes only, any more than the rest of the book is intended only for the mother-to-be. Your spouse can gain some valuable insights into what you’re feeling, wondering about, and hoping by reading this chapter; you can better understand the physical and emotional challenges she’ll be facing during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum—and at the same time better prepare yourself for your own role in this adventure—by reading the rest of this book.

Get Ready, Get Set … Then Go

Giving your baby the best start in life can start even before sperm meets egg. If your partner isn’t yet pregnant, you both have time to get yourselves into tip-top baby-making shape first. Read Chapter 1, and follow the suggestions for the preconception period. If you’re already expecting, no problem. Just start taking good care of yourselves and each other now.

“My wife is having every symptom in the book, literally: nausea and cravings and peeing all the time. I’m not sure what to do—I feel so helpless.”

Seem like the woman in your life has been taken over by aliens? Close—she’s been taken over by pregnancy hormones (which can sometimes make an alien invasion seem like a walk in the park). These hormones, vital to baby production, can also produce a wide variety of uncomfortable (and sometimes bewildering) symptoms: hard for her to cope with and hard for you to stand by helplessly and watch.

Fortunately, you don’t have to just stand there—you can actually do something. To help your pregnant partner feel better while helping yourself feel less helpless, read about the symptoms individually in this book, plus try some of the following father-focused symptom- fighting strategies:

Morning sickness.
Morning sickness is one pregnancy symptom that definitely doesn’t live up to its name. It’s a 24/7 experience that can send your spouse running to the bathroom morning, noon, and night—and hugging the toilet far more than she’ll be hugging you. So take steps to help her feel better—or at least not worse. Lose the aftershave that she suddenly finds repulsive and get your onion ring fix out of her sniffing range (her sense of smell is in overdrive). Fill her gas tank so she doesn’t have to come nose-to-nozzle with the fumes at the pump. Fetch her foods that quell her queasies and don’t provoke another run to the toilet—ginger ale, soothing smoothies, crackers (but ask first—what spells r-e-l-i-e-f for one queasy woman spells v-o-m-i-t to another). Be there for support when she’s throwing up—hold back her hair, bring her some ice water, rub her back. Encourage her to eat small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones (spreading out the load and keeping her tummy filled may ease her nausea). And remember, no jokes. If you’d been throwing up for 10 straight weeks, you wouldn’t find it amusing. Neither does she.