How to Get Back In Shape Postpartum

Hey everyone! I’ve been getting a lot of questions about my journey with fitness after having baby number three. I love hearing from all of you in my community and finding out what kind of topics you’d like me to share. Keep reading for my tips on how to get back in shape postpartum.

It All Starts With Our Minds

Getting back in shape postpartum all starts with our mind, patience, and a thankfulness for our bodies. The mind is deeply connected to the body. Replenishing our bodies first thing postpartum is very important. You may be wondering how to replenish your body – don’t worry, you’re not a lone. Whether or not you are breastfeeding, it is important to remember that you have been delivering nutrients, minerals, vitamins and more to your baby for months.

There are many ways you can replenish your body and mind postpartum:

• Healthy cooked meals with superfoods are amazing. Try lentils, proteins, vegetables, healthy fats, Omega 3s, etc. Remember, eating and rehydrating with plenty of liquids is very, very important.
• Depending on your general toxic levels during pregnancy, consider turning your placenta into pills. This practice can be very beneficial and help with postpartum depression, hormones and milk production. If you are in the Los Angeles area, I recommend reaching out to Krizia Anne Hernandez.
• If you are curious on what your toxic levels are like and how to reduce this, you can start by trying a clean lifestyle. Using clean household, skin care, and clean, organic food can diminish what we control in our bodies.
• Replenishing through rest and taking all the help you can get. It will catch up, so don’t let your energy chip away. If you are feeling very, very, very tired – like there is an elephant on your chest on a regular basis – something else could be going on. Consider reaching out to me to discuss thyroid or adrenal fatigue. I am always happy to help! You can try Red Light Therapy to relieve your overall health and wellness. Check out Thersage’s products here!
• Replenishing through essential supplements and herbs is great! I recommend trying Organic Olivia products. My suggestions include cell salts, Organic Olivia and Earthley postpartum herbal tinctures, beef liver capsules, and oyster capsules. These contain so much nutrients and oyster can help with thyroid function as well as hormones. You can use my code JULIE10 for 10% off all Earthley products.

Try a Belly Wrap Postpartum

Belly wraps are an amazing Ayurvedic or wearable corset-like wrap to put your organs back, help with fluids, re-attach skin to muscle, womb wound healing, and back core support. A belly wrap helps to heal quicker and keep other issues at bay (I’ll explain more below). If you are unsure where to start, Bellibind is a service that will provide amazing care and support for Ayurvedic care. If you are not able to afford this service, Belly Bandit is one of the best postpartum options out there!

Work Towards Light Walking for Back and Pelvic Floor Strength

Do not rush into the gym as you may end up actually doing more harm than good. Often, you can get opposite results if your body is not ready. Look into pelvic floor exercises online or even professionals. In most countries, it is part of provided care under insurance considered vital for women’s well being.

Consider Abdominal Separation

Before going back to a working out routine, determine if you have Diastasis Recti. What is that? Well, this is an abdominal separation that can happen during pregnancy. The muscles become separated and if you don’t know about it, or go into regular exercises, you may separate them even more. In my personal experience, I noticed that I would get larger after my regular workouts and I realized after being fed up with all my workout efforts and getting worse results… I learned about this!

Thank you, America! Once again, no one told me about this and once you dig into this… You’ll realize most women have this. Where to start learning about this? Every Mother’s website is the best one I have found yet. Through using this app and gentle exercises, I completed healed my Diastasis Recti. If you have medium to severe DR, I would recommend not doing anything else than these excercises recommended. If less, you could incorporate gentle pilates or yoga.

Work on Your Pelvic Floor Strength

Once you are healed after six weeks, working on your pelvic floor strength, have determined your DR or healed it – only then, do I recommend starting weight lifting. Weight lifting can be extremely beneficial. Muscles are what maintains our longevity and is actually an amazing hormone balancing exercises which most women need after pregnancy.

Your Unique Journey With Fitness

Remember, if you are breast feeding, don’t be surprised to not lose weight or lose a good amount and then plateau. We are all different. It is a common myth that breast feeding will make you lose tons of weight. Yes, as a mother, you do burn tons of calories, though our bodies are all wired differently. There is a very good reason for this, and that is your body is naturally holding on to what your baby needs.

It is very, very common to gain weight or to have another hormonal crash once you’re finished breastfeeding. It can sometimes feel like a ‘delayed’ postpartum depression. I hear this all the time, “I’m eight months postpartum and I feel so depressed”. There is a normal phase to this. It can be your hormones “re-routing” themselves. Perhaps deficiencies which some supplements can really help. Either way, know that feelings of Postpartum Disorder are to be watched for and taken very seriously. Please reach out and ask any questions you like about your journey. Know that each and every motherhood journey is unique.

You Are Not Alone

The Mommy Codes was inspired by a need to share my journey as a mother and help other mothers know that they are not alone. If you are struggling in your postpartum journey, please reach out and ask for help. You are welcome to read my blog posts about Dealing With Postpartum Depression and Learning About What Postpartum Is.

My Instagram direct messages are always open. You are welcome to book a Motherhood Coaching call with me!