No way would I have been able to do a 1/2 Iron (or hell, let me be honest - a 5K run) after delivering any of my babies! BUT, I am sure others have. I had 2 very easy (as labor and delivery go) vaginal deliveries (baby #1 & 2) and one very unexpected C-section (#3). After baby #1 I couldn't run for months after because of a lingering pubic bone pain that to this day I can't figure out what the problem was, I just know there was no way in hell I was running anything for a long time until it healed up. Baby #2 I was jogging lightly at 6 weeks. Baby #3 and the C-Section, well, I didn't even drive for 5 weeks after that, so no, no running here - and it was textbook with no issues after. Basically just saying that you never know what is going to happen during and after you deliver your baby - and that doesn't take into account nursing.
That being said - new babies eat every 2-3 hours, from start of feed to start of feed. If you are lucky you will have a baby who takes right to it and eats like a champ - quick and to the point. Done in 20 minutes and eats every 3 hours. Or you could have a lazy sleepy eater who is still eating an hour after you start, and you know he/she will be right back on the boob 60 minutes after they are finally done eating. Leaving you exactly 60 minutes to get their diaper changed, get a snack and some water - for you, do some dishes, laundry etc... At 6 weeks, all of my kids were still eating on the 2-3 hour schedule. I say this because you will definitely have to figure out when to train. If your baby takes a bottle (formula or breast milk, doesn't matter which), someone else can feed the baby for you while you are out training. But take into account time to pump. You can't take the baby in the jogger (not recommended before 6 months, even in the Chariots I believe), so you will have to have someone watch the baby while you do all your training. If you have a treadmill and a bike trainer, that problem is alleviated for the most part - you just have to train while baby sleeps or during their awake time that isn't on your boob!
Nurse first then train. Empty boobs. You don't want to be running while baby is waiting for you and/or you are engorged. I have read that lactic acid can alter the taste of breastmilk so that's another reason to nurse then motor on out for your workout. Also - there are changing tents at most Ironman events - you wouldn't be the first person to sit down for 20 - 30 minutes and pump in transition. You would just have to have all of your "stuff" with you in your transition bag or grab from a friend on the way in and take a few moments to take care of your boobies!
If you do it - hats off to you!! Let us know what you decide to do.
ETA: If I was going to race and deal with nursing this would be my plan: Nurse or pump just before you toe-the-line. That's the last thing you do before you get in the water. Swim, bike, then at the bike to run transition pump, then run. Your probably looking at 3-4 hours (depending on how fast you are) between nursing/pumping before the race and your mid race pump/nurse session, then run and you should be good to go.
Like I said up top - never a chance for me to do anything like this - but I sure have thought about what I would do - pretending I was a rock star and all!
**********************
Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."
That being said - new babies eat every 2-3 hours, from start of feed to start of feed. If you are lucky you will have a baby who takes right to it and eats like a champ - quick and to the point. Done in 20 minutes and eats every 3 hours. Or you could have a lazy sleepy eater who is still eating an hour after you start, and you know he/she will be right back on the boob 60 minutes after they are finally done eating. Leaving you exactly 60 minutes to get their diaper changed, get a snack and some water - for you, do some dishes, laundry etc... At 6 weeks, all of my kids were still eating on the 2-3 hour schedule. I say this because you will definitely have to figure out when to train. If your baby takes a bottle (formula or breast milk, doesn't matter which), someone else can feed the baby for you while you are out training. But take into account time to pump. You can't take the baby in the jogger (not recommended before 6 months, even in the Chariots I believe), so you will have to have someone watch the baby while you do all your training. If you have a treadmill and a bike trainer, that problem is alleviated for the most part - you just have to train while baby sleeps or during their awake time that isn't on your boob!
Nurse first then train. Empty boobs. You don't want to be running while baby is waiting for you and/or you are engorged. I have read that lactic acid can alter the taste of breastmilk so that's another reason to nurse then motor on out for your workout. Also - there are changing tents at most Ironman events - you wouldn't be the first person to sit down for 20 - 30 minutes and pump in transition. You would just have to have all of your "stuff" with you in your transition bag or grab from a friend on the way in and take a few moments to take care of your boobies!
If you do it - hats off to you!! Let us know what you decide to do.
ETA: If I was going to race and deal with nursing this would be my plan: Nurse or pump just before you toe-the-line. That's the last thing you do before you get in the water. Swim, bike, then at the bike to run transition pump, then run. Your probably looking at 3-4 hours (depending on how fast you are) between nursing/pumping before the race and your mid race pump/nurse session, then run and you should be good to go.
Like I said up top - never a chance for me to do anything like this - but I sure have thought about what I would do - pretending I was a rock star and all!
**********************
Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."
Last edited by:
RockyMtnChic: Mar 17, 15 6:33