I’ve seen this topic covered in a few different ways, but wanted to get more details. How long did you wait to run/bike/swim after delivery? I had dreams of getting back into running and biking within a couple of weeks, but it seems like most people had to wait at least 4-6 weeks. I’ve gained about 40 lbs even though I’m still swimming, biking and run/waddling at 32 weeks so I was hoping to get back into exercising sooner than later. I’ve got a month of maternity leave before I go back full time (barring a c-section). I know a lot will depend on complications, but wanted to hear other people’s experiences with returning to training after delivery.
Same boat.
I am blessed to have 12 weeks off, and will need it all to lose the nearly 30 lbs I’ve packed on. I’ve got about two and a half weeks until my due date. I stopped running at 28 weeks and cycling on the trainer at the same. As of right now, if I haven’t gone into labor yet, I’m swimming in a masters meet on the 17th. We’ll see how that goes. Ha.
I have aspirations of at least running a half mary October 16th. So, if I have to take 6 weeks off totally, then I’ll have 6 weeks to train for a half. Wont be fast, but I can finish. That’s my “plan.”
Same boat too (hi CorkyC! I know you 
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I’m due this week, plan on doing a marathon in January. I’ve been doing a lot of reading about this topic and talking to coaches. My plan is to take it easy for 6 weeks if I have a C-section, but I’m hoping to at least start walking as soon as possible post-delivery. I also plan on getting in the pool as soon as I possibly can, even if it’s just to swim for 10 minutes. Those two things are more for sanity purposes than even fitness. I’m going to be cautious about returning to running too soon b/c that’s my first main race and I don’t want to rush into an injury…so 6 weeks if C-section, and 4-6 if not.
I haven’t run since week 23, but have been swimming and walking. Good times.
I’d be interested in hearing what others have done.
Stalker.
:0)
just an observation…but this country is having way too many c-sections as it is often recommended that one gains more weight than is necessary during pregnancy. But then again there is more money to be made by having a baby delivered at the hospital with as much interference and drugs as possible. I know several people who had home births without pain meds and without any complications. Those that I know that had natural births at home were back to light running within two weeks. There are many women who had hospital births first and their subsequent deliveries at home and regretted having gone to the hospital for their first.
I wouldn’t do anything until you see your Doc. Many times that’s not until the 6 week mark. Unfortunately, I have heard of stories of women just deciding they feel OK and start to run, for example, and end up doing some damage.
You can probably walk right away and that may be all you fee like doing. Swimming may seem like it’d be OK but my Doc said to avoid it because you may have “internal” types of tissue/skin damage that could get infected with the pool waters.
For me, with the exhaustion of child birth, not sleeping through the night and breast feeding, getting out to run was really not on my radar til about week 12. Then, it turned out that I had actually had more internal damage than was originally assessed so I couldn’t get back to it as I wanted to. I ended up starting months of PT!
Just to give you some hopes… With first baby, I gained 30lbs, ran until 20w, swam +/- 2x/w until the end and biked occasionnally until about 32w… Started back to run after 3 weeks (it was sooooooooooooo f&?$& hard to run 30 min!), and eventually came back to the same shape I was before my pregnancy when my baby was about 4 m.o, and PR on almost every race I entered before my baby was 1 y.o. OK, I had time to train since I had 10 months of maternity leave and was able to have some naps, but still…
Now I’m due on July 22 with baby no.2, I still run (sloooooowlyyyyy), swim a little and I stopped to bike a long time ago (had to prioritize my activities with my 21 months toddler and full time job). I’m lucky that I have gained only 22lbs with this one. I have signed up for NYC mary which is on Nov. 7. I’m following the plan at 75% of what is required since May 24, but don’t do the intervals. Everything is done slowly, mostly for my mental healthness. I expect to get back into my running plan 3 weeks after delivery (if no C-section), and run the mary with a smile (secretly I’d like to qualify for Boston, but it will all depends on how I recover from this childbirth). But on the other hand, I know that if I deliver after my due date (which is not very probable according to my Dr… Yeah!), if a C-section has to be done, or if I have trouble recovering from this baby, I may have to drop out of the race, or just go and jog slowly the entire mary. Will see. I needed to set up some goals during my pregnancy, otherwise I would have cracked up. I’m pretty sure that about 90% of the readers of my post will think I’m crazy, but that’s me. Go hard or go home…
Good luck with your baby! If you can avoid a C-section, go for it! Giving birth is like an IM! It feels so good after all!
First off let me say I have no idea how you all manage with such short mat leaves… we get a year here in Canada and even though I didn;t use it all, man, 6-12 weeks just blows my mind.
Anywhoo, to the real q’s: you will have no idea until post. So just don’t bother planning anything now. Every situation is so completely different that it’s almost not worth describing anymore… not trying to ignore your question, but I have personally answered this question about a dozen different times in a dozen different threads in this forum, as have many other of the regulars, and we are all completely different with different results.
You need to just take it day by day post-delivery… you will walk a lot, likely not swim for ~6 weeks, and likely not run for another ~4-6 weeks (you need to wait for your hips and abs to tighten back up). If you’re planning on breastfeeding, that will take care of most of the weight gain - don’t try to lose too much weight via exercise or calorie restriction or it will backfire.
Basically, use the force and work with your doc. Make no plans except to enjoy your new baby 
AP
I agree that it’s different for everyone and you should talk to your doctor before you do anything. Most docs schedule the follow up visit at 6 weeks post-partum. I was anxious to get back in the pool and felt good, so I called his office and they moved mine up a week. After an exam at 5 weeks, he said I could swim. I ran (slooowwwly) at 6 weeks (had heard about the dangers of running too soon while ligaments and everything in your hips is still loose). I did a short bike ride at 2.5 weeks post-partum. it was pancake flat and only about 8 miles, but it felt good. I rode the trainer here and there for 30ish minutes at a time and focused on some easy strength/core/PT exercises mostly. It all came back eventually. I ran a 5K at 8 weeks post-partum and was thrilled that I made it through (barely) without a walk break. I ran a half marathon just before she turned 7 months old. She’ll be 10 months old when I do IMWI.
Really, the only tip I can give you is that if you’re feeling good, see if your doctor will examine you a few days or a week early and then do what you’re told. Good luck with your delivery!
Thanks everyone. This really helped me re-calibrate my expectations. I’ll update this fall.
Definitely see how it goes post birth. Even an unmedicated natural complication free birth can make running and even thinking of sitting on a bike seat a miserable experience for months… and with pp bleeding, no tampons means out of the water until that stops for sure. By six weeks, you doc will give you the all clear or if complications, recommend you take some more time. (Even if given the all clear - listen to your body, it may not be ready, but you’ll know). Expect 6 weeks of nothing but walking. If things go great, you may get to get active sooner - but definitely communication with your doc or midwife is key.
It all depends. I ran 20 miles a week at a slow pace and on a treadmill, so I could stop if needed till my due date. I ended up being 8 days late. I ended up being induced after I went in for a appointment a week after my due date as my water had broken. My first run post birth was 5 days post. It was a total of 2 miles on the treadmill followed by walking. I did only easy running for the first 2 weeks working on 5 miles at a time and then started training. I PR’ed a 12K at 9 weeks and ran my first marathon at 4 months with no walking. I had no injuries till 18 months post when I got IT band issues training for my 4th marathon and I am sure not related to running after birth. The only thing I will note about running so soon after birth is it caused my milk supply to dry up within 7 weeks. Also I only gained 22lbs during pregnancy
I had a c-section with both my twins and singleton pregnancies (all breach babies) and started running after 5 weeks. You know your body, and will know whether it is ready to start going again. Think I was in the pool within 2 weeks but not exactly comfortable until about 5 weeks.
2 years on am back to (and beyond) previous levels of fitness and have even lost more than my babyweight - with 3 under 5’s to run around after on top of a fairly full on training schedule. I would not advise serious training until you are getting regular sleep though - motherhood is draining enough without overloading yourself. The message is to try and get the balance right between looking after yourself (which includes getting the HR going, and getting the rest) and enjoying your baby. You cant have a happy baby without a happy mum!
Best wishes
I would also agree that you should make your choices in coordination with your dr. I ran and swim all the way to delivery. Walked every day in the weeks after the baby was born. For me, the doc said to wait 6 weeks until running but I called them after 3 weeks (which was when the bleeding finally totally stopped) and they said to go ahead and do some runs but to take it easy & listen to the body. Rode the bike for the first time after about 2 months.
Good luck!
Agree listen to your body. Listen to your MD, but with the caveat that most OBs don’t deal with athletes, so are likely to be more cautious.
The ligament issue is a problem sometimes. I popped a rib out of the joint with the cartilage in front by my sternum at about 3 weeks post partum doing tricep dips. (don’t even ask) with my second. So be careful.