You’ve had your baby and haven’t so much as glanced at your yoga mat. Maybe your body feels different than it used to feel. Maybe you can’t imagine how you’ll shower once a day much less practice daily. Perhaps you have weight to lose and are afraid it’s not going to happen.
What’s a new mom do?
No crash diets or all day workouts here. Sure, you want to feel healthy and strong again, and to lose the baby weight, but you also want to focus on being with your baby. So forget those “I lost 45 pounds in six weeks” headlines you see on the covers of gossip magazines. The yogic postpartum recipe calls for patience, self-care, and a balanced approach.
I’ve been there. I gained 45 plus pounds while pregnant (this was after having gained and lost the same several amount years before) and, after an emergency c-section, I had so much bloating that even my maternity jeans didn’t fit me after I’d given birth. Because of my c-section, a big chunk of my torso went numb and I didn’t know if I’d ever get that feeling back, much less find my yoga practice again. Would I ever feel the same? Would I ever go up in another Headstand? Would I ever engage my abdominal muscles? And a much more superficial but equally pressing question in my mind at the the time: Would I ever get back into my pre-pregnancy skinny jeans?
The answers, I’m glad to report, were yes, yes and yes.
Here’s what helped:
Long walks with baby Bundle up your baby, leash up your dog, pack your diaper bag, and hit the road. Walking is a fantastic exercise for new moms, and you’ll be surprised how much of a sweat you can get going pushing a stroller or wearing your baby in a carrier. Sure, you’ll need to stop every few minutes for feeding, changing and soothing, but eventually your baby just might fall asleep. And you’ll feel less exhausted for having had the brisk walk.
Eat more to lose Rather than concentrating on restricting your diet, make a daily salad or stir fry and see how many healthy, energy boosting foods—greens, fruits, beans and legumes—you can fit on your plate. For desert, fill up on fruit. (I love a big bowl of pineapple mixed with a little yogurt and some almonds. Or grapefruit, my new favorite.) Carry nuts with you for snacking on the go. Especially if you’re breastfeeding, you’ll need all the extra energy you can get. Cut out the less-than-healthy foods so you’ll have room for the good stuff.
Go slowly back to your home practice Depending on whether you had a vaginal delivery or a c-section, you’ll need varying amounts of time to recover before unrolling your mat. (Ask your doctor or midwife, and discuss with your yoga teacher, too.) Don’t rush or push it; start with some restoratives and a meditation, and work your way back to your body from that place of peace.
Mix it up Once I had my Ob’s go-ahead to exercise, I experimented with a mommy-and-me type work-out class that fused cardio and light weight-training with yoga, Pilates, and dance. The best part was that we all got to bring our babies (they hung out on a mat in front of us, laughing at our funny moves) but still break a sweat.
Returning to class One day, in the far-off-seeming but not-too-distant future, you will find a way to get yourself back to your favorite yoga class. That said, maybe you’ll go from being a twice- or even three-times a week attendee to a once-a-week (when lucky) class-goer. Maybe you’ll only go every other week. Or once a month in the beginning. Maybe you’ll stick to mommy-and-me yoga classes. But this will be a new beginning.
In time, with effort and tapas (discipline) you will find your core, lose the pregnancy weight, and feel strong again. I lost most of those extra pounds by my son’s six-month birthday, and the rest in the few months after that. By the time he was one I was back to slowly building up my Headstand practice again. Now that he’s five, I can report I feel strong and fit and spent the other morning practicing a series of Handstands and forearmstands in a Level 3 yoga class, something I could never have imagined doing after having my baby—or even when I was 20.
The truth is, your body probably won’t feel the same as it did before having a baby. But who’s to say it won’t (eventually) feel even better?
Jessica Berger Gross is the author of enLIGHTened: How I Lost 40 Pounds with a Yoga Mat, Fresh Pineapples, and a Beagle Pointer (Skyhorse), out in paperback now. She’s spending the year in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and five-year-old son. “Like” her author page on Facebook. Follow her on Twitter. Visit her at www.jessicabergergross.com.
When it comes to trying to be an enlightened mother, it’s essential to find ways and moments to take a self-care break. The more we take care of ourselves, the more love and care we have to offer our children (and partners). Yoga practice, of course, is where it all begins. Asana and yoga philosophy are the foundation. And small, daily breaks—a meditation here, a restorative pose there—can make a big difference in how we feel day to day. But every once in a while it can be amazing to add on something special, something indulgent, to the mix. And how much sweeter if you can combine self-reflection and mom-to-mom friendship with self-care?
Jessica Berger Gross
