The baby has been born: how do I get back into shape?

The second part of the last article on running with a baby is also the last of the series of ten articles on running. The first days of May will center round the marathon (the first marathon ever for many of you), so it would be good for you to take into consideration the recommendations you received in the previous article that was dedicated to the half marathon. It is almost the same except the distance is twice as long. That?s why you need to pay appropriate attention to your supply of fluids, nutrients, vitamins and minerals, your optimum running pace (with a slower start it is easier to maintain pace or to accelerate) and proper, much needed regeneration after the race. After winning your race (you can count it as a victory in just completing this race) you will be filled with endorphins. Make use of them in your further running, racing, training and record-setting. You have now become runners! Make running a regular and integral part of your life. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

In this series, we have also discussed another ?marathon? of life ? that of childbirth. Is it easier for athletes to give birth? It depends: it may be a bit more complicated with your developed muscles but you will regain your former fitness level faster and your physical conditioning and psychological resilience will be a big help during those few very difficult hours. If you are deciding about the place to give birth, choose a maternity hospital that is flexible and open to your requests and the natural childbirth procedure. Don?t put up with everything doctors tell you to do. Unless your life or that of your baby is at risk, it is not true that the only possible birthing position is lying on your back. A surgical cut (episiotomy) is also not necessary either (this cut causes injury to the pelvic floor muscles!). Keep yourself informed in advance, consider each step thoroughly, and invite a doula or someone else who can give you support to make you feel comfortable. Childbirth is not a disease or illness, but an unforgettably intimate moment in the life of mother and child which we not only want to survive, but experience to its fullest, and which will have a huge impact on the following months and years of your life.

When is a good time to return to sports? Experts say approximately eight weeks? rest is sufficient. It is, after all, a huge adjustment for your body and it takes several weeks for it to recover. Does that seem a lot? It doesn?t need to be, but you need to follow a few golden principles to avoid serious problems, such as incontinence, back pain or abdominal separation.

There are athletes, however, who have managed to return sooner to their sport and without any consequences. Elite runners, for sure, have a team of people helping out but rarely do you hear how a non-elite athlete should return to training following childbirth. During the first ten days postpartum, along with hormonal changes, the uterus begins to close ? this is the most important time for rest. However, you can start strengthening your pelvic floor muscles from the early days. Some useful exercises to help with this are the yoga ?bridge? and ?cat? poses, both Kegel stretching exercises. Your motto could be: think about my pelvic floor wherever I go! Here is another secret: by strengthening your pelvic floor you can help improve your abdominal muscles and your body posture altogether!

The only way to begin strengthening your abdominal muscles is first from the sides, then from the front, never vice versa. Diastasis, or abdominal separation, is a disorder affecting not only mothers with loose muscles but also athletes who start to exercise too early and do it incorrectly.

As for running, you should begin the way you ended: first at a walking pace with a distance that gradually increases. Avoid sprints and takeoffs which you will not even be able to do. Again, you have to keep your pelvic floor in mind and take a break from walking or running (with a baby pram if you like) as soon as you feel discomfort in that area. You should do some exercise to activate your pelvic muscles and take a rest if the baby allows. Also, if postpartum bleeding reappears it means you are putting too much stress on your body.

Get yourself a baby pram that is suitable for running or get two kinds -- one your grandma can walk with and a sporty one for yourself ? the lighter the better, especially when going uphill as every extra kilo makes a difference. The lightest strollers are 7.2 kg and around 10 kg for twins. For the smallest babies, you need a baby car seat which you can fit inside the baby pram. Older kids need enough space even if they are only 2 years old! With this equipment, you can train as much as you like even if your grandmother lives 200 km away and your husband is constantly working.

Breastfeeding is an important part of motherhood. Denying your baby breast milk would be the world?s greatest sin considering all the great things your child gets from the milk for nutrition and immunity. Not only is it an advantage for the mother to have the milk on hand everywhere she goes without having to heat it up and worry about it going bad on hot days, but also it helps create an intimate contact with the baby. Today?s athletes have no dilemma whether to maintain their fitness level or breastfeed their baby; a combination of both is possible even though there is some effort involved.

The first few weeks of breastfeeding combined with training tend to be especially unpleasant. It?s better to run ?with your tank empty? and your baby fed. Some grandmothers and lactation advisors say that a mother?s milk production will decrease as a result of intensive exercise or it will get bitter and the baby will refuse it. The truth is, you won?t have problems with acid during the first low-intensity runs and if you do, and your milk is not palatable to the baby, you can simply use a breast pump and have a bottle ready for your baby in the freezer.

Additionally, you will need a comfortable and good quality sports bra. And what about lack of sleep? It isn?t enjoyable if your baby wakes up several times a night, but the baby will sleep during the daytime and you can use this time to rest and regain power. Many mothers make the mistake of starting on household chores once the baby falls asleep which is also important, of course, but you don?t need your place to be perfectly clean. Daddy can also take care of the baby and he can handle anything but the breastfeeding.

MY EXPERIENCE:

Matýsek was born in a time period that would normally take me to run four and a half marathons. But everything was done naturally, without the use of chemicals, and we got to choose the position with no surgical cut involved. We took time to select the hospital and doctors and we had a doula assisting. As a result, I was able to eat at the table and begin strengthening my pelvic floor on the same day of delivery. I started very carefully with training on the 13th day (about 3 km of brisk walking with my arms in the running position) and switched to a non-stop slow jog after approximately 4 weeks. I attended my first race 7 weeks after delivery, my first league start after 3 months and my first marathon 5 months after delivery, but all in slower finishing times than usual, of course. It took me about half a year to get back to my old level of fitness and I improved my personal best a number of times in the following year. Interestingly, according to my laboratory tests, seven weeks after delivery my muscles accumulated acid from running at speeds around 13km/h which normally didn?t raise my lactate levels at all, and after ten months, acid accumulated only at speeds over 15km/h, (a speed below 4min/km).

TRAINING TIP:

After the marathon, regardless of any pain in your legs, make time the following day for a 30-minute slow jog or at least a fast walk. This will help get oxygen into your tired muscles and get rid of the accumulated metabolites causing pain and stiffness. This oxygen shower will help you regenerate faster ? at the end of the week you will run without any problems whereas if you do nothing for a week, it will take longer to recover from the pain. You should keep in mind that recovering from such a demanding race takes a few weeks and you should therefore take it easy with running and wait on further races until later (unless you make them part of your pace training). Follow your feelings and run, run, run! (Let me know how it goes at www.longrun.cz )