34.5 weeks and no exercise for 6 weeks?

-This week I have had a burst of energy.  I haven’t even wanted to take naps and have been more productive than usual….this is strange.

-The other day before a spin class I ran for 6 minutes on the treadmill at the gym.  I didn’t have my belly bra and holy cow it started hurting so bad.  I can go 10 miles without any cramping when I am wearing it.  It has saved my life and I am not even being dramatic when I say that.

-Thank goodness for workout clothes and the fact that I rarely have to put on real people clothes.  I had a few tanks from Lululemon pre-pregnancy that are long, super stretchy and the best fabric and I pretty much live in them.

-During the first trimester I hated brushing my teeth and now I kind of crave it if that is possible?  When I get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night I have to brush my teeth.  Not normal.  Billy loves hearing the electric toothbrush at 3 a.m.  This addiction to brushing my teeth has now left 95% of my clothing with toothpaste stains on my belly.

-Even though I thought I would want to cut back my mileage to 30 miles this week, I didn’t want to. I have been feeling great, healthy and strong so I ran 41 miles.

-Give me mac and cheese right this second.

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A few people have asked me what in the world I am going to do after I have the baby and I am told not to exercise until I am fully recovered from the birth.  Being the running addict that I am, I actually have no idea.  I plan to listen to my doctor’s orders 100% because I have learned my lesson way too many times about jumping back into running before my body is ready and getting injured.  So after my doctor gives me the okay to to run I will.

I feel like with all of the new changes going on in my life after she is born that I will be super busy and happier than ever with my new little girl and not miss running too much.  When I am missing the endorphins then I will just have to keep reminding myself of the big picture and my big goals for the future.  No little 3 mile run when I am still healing is worth messing things up so that I have to wait even longer to run!

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What was your experience with this?  How long did you wait to start running/working out?  Was it hard mentally for you?

What did you wear the most during the last trimester?

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81 comments

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You are so awesome!! I hope I meet you once you’re here in the bay area!

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You are one smart girl. Six weeks goes by so fast when you are busy figuring out what to do with a little human. And you can still go on walks (for sanity’s sake) in those six weeks. On the other hand, you may just be too tempted to bust out running!

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Hey HRG, you are absolutely right in your mind set about how busy and super happy you will be when you have your little girl, it will be a whole new level of endorphins for you to enjoy! I am sure you will miss running, but walking that little baby of your all dressed up in her stroller, throughout your new town and exploring together will make the 6 weeks fly by. :) I am excited for your new experiences.

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OKAY your baby bump is perfect. And adorable. And I love your shirt and I totally understand the craving brushing teeth thing. Not so much the mac & cheese addiction, so if you want you can go check out my apartment in South Provo and my roommates can give you all the boxes I never opened (if they haven’t eaten them already).

Honestly though, LOVE your blog, love all the photos, and I love your honesty about everything. You are going to be such a great mama! (:

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You look so happy and adorable!

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Ohmygoodness, I have craved tooth paste with every one of my pregnancies! I felt like I couldn’t get enough of it, and when I brushed my teeth, I would completely coat my entire toothbrush in it. I didn’t just crave it, I wanted to chew it. I found that it looked bad if I carried around a tube of tooth paste, eating it during the day ;), so I discovered Orbit White gum (the dark blue kind). It tasted the closest to my tooth paste and got me through those long 9 months!
OH! And sounds like you’re nesting, big time! Good luck!!! Thank you so much for writing this blog… it’s my favorite one I follow!

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I ran right up until labor and thought I’d be able to jump right back into it but recovery was harder than I thought. I tried running again around 3 weeks pp and it HURT (down there). I got super paranoid (thanks to googling prolapse) but ended up being alright. I walked for another week or two before trying jogging again and I was fine. By my fifth week I was running again, though much slower than I was used to and by about seven or eight weeks I felt like I could go full speed again. Hoping for a speedy recovery for you! Just listen to your body and you’ll be alright.

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I always waited the full 6 weeks. I had heard to many horror stories. I know many people don’t wait…and that is cool that it works for them. I did try exercising about 4 wks postpartum with my 3rd and started bleeding like crazy and got really sick-feeling. Everyone is different, though. I think that the 6 week deal is to cover all bases. Letting yourself have time to heal and feel great is so important. There is no rush. Remember that. Parenthood is a huge exercise in patience :)

You look AWESOME :)

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You are the cutest pregnant woman! Seriously, you are glowing!!

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I still have a few years before I’m ready to have kids, but reading about how you’re continuing to run through your pregnancy gives me hope that I can keep running, too. Thanks for sharing your story!

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Love your outfit. . . so cute!

I waited 6 weeks before exercising (I don’t really run though). Honestly you will know how your body feels. I was still SO sore from delivery even at the 4 week post partum mark. At 5 weeks I was just feeling “normal”again and I did NOT want to push it at that point (not worth going backwards!!). By 6 weeks it was all good again. Seems those Dr’s really know what they are talking about when they recommend waiting 6 weeks. :)

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Haha I get toothpaste on myself and I don’t have a pregnant belly sticking out! And I think it’s just key to remember that 6 weeks is the blink of an eye out of your whole life! Plus you’ll have a great distraction :)

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My first baby was a c-section, so I couldn’t exercise for more than 6 weeks, and I honestly had no desire to. My second baby was a VBAC, and my doctor said I could exercise whenever I felt like it, so I started walking, lifting weights, and doing yoga immediately. I didn’t run for a while because it was uncomfortable with my giant nursing breasts.

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Great job keeping up with your running throughout your pregnancy! You might be surprised at how quickly you’ll be able to return to running, even if it is at a slower pace at first. With my first, I think I started to do some short walk/runs at about 2 weeks. My body totally told me when to walk (trust me….you’ll know). I wasn’t allowed to swim or bike for four weeks due to an episiotimy, but my doc knew I was a long-time triathlete and really just said to listen to my body with the running and didn’t put any limits on it. Even with my third baby, who ended up being a c-section b/c he was breech, I was allowed to start running at four weeks at a very slow pace because of my prior training. You might be surprised at what you’ll be allowed to do. But just enjoying the time with your new little one is pretty special so that’s all good, too!

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I lived in Lululemon for all three of my pregnancies, it stretched right along with my belly to fit. ;) I ran throughout my first pregnancy, walked during my second and by the time my third came along, I was a fitness instructor…so I walked and instructed boot camp until almost the end. After each delivery, I started walking almost immediately (a 5k hilly route pushing a single, then double, then triple stroller…lol…so I didn’t feel like I was missing out on cardio), but waited about 5 weeks to run. My doctor suggested 6 weeks, but said nobody knows when you’re ready better than you. Could be one week, could be 8 weeks! Congratulations…you look stinkin’ adorable!!!

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Such a cute picture Janae! I started walking 3 days after birth. I think it was about 1 1/2 weeks pp when I gave running a try–I felt fine, but I started bleeding again so I had to stop and stuck w/walking until about 3 weeks. I started running/walking at 3 weeks and was fine. But I had to take a break at 6 weeks because I hurt my back carrying the portable carseat–so my biggest advice is listen to your body, stop running if you start bleeding again and carry the baby w/o the carseat!!!

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You are the cutest, happiest looking pregnant lady!

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I can’t believe your due date is just around the corner! You look adorable.

I just gave birth to an 8lb 1oz baby girl on June 7th. I started walking about 1 week after delivery. it was very slow and only a couple blocks in my neighborhood. I started running on June 30th. I would take walk breaks and it wasn’t until this past week that I started to run without any breaks. What feels fast to me now, was actually my easy pace pre-pregnancy. I know its only a matter of time and I will be back to that fitness level. Right now I am just enjoying my runs and looking forward to building up my mileage again. I’ve got a few lofty postpartum goals: 50K on Sept. 22nd and a marathon on Oct. 21st. Along with a 12k aUG. 4th, 10 mile race Aug. 11th, half marathon Sept. 30th and 10K on thanksgiving. Of course, I am not looking to PR, just to finish!!

I think we all know our bodies best. And since like you, I ran up until the day before I gave birth, I knew when my body needed to be active again!

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You ate right that you will be so busy (and sleep deprived) at first, but I remember loving all the walks I got to take those first few months and they seemed to give me a bit of endorphin feeling. Maybe because it just felt so good to be outside in the sunshine after the long sleepless nights!

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ps your so cute :)

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I waited two weeks and it was the hardest 2 miles of my entire life! Of course, I didn’t run at all during my pregnancy. The only thing that kept me going was knowing it would eventually feel good again. So you might be ready before six weeks…as they say, listen to your body :)

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You look amazing, and I’m super impressed with your mileage!
I’m sure it won’t be too hard to not run right away; you’ll want to spend all the time you can with the little lady!

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a) That is an adorable shirt.
b) 6 weeks post-partum is just going to fly by (I can’t say the same for the next 6 weeks or for Billy – hee). Just remember you WILL regain your fitness, much faster than you probably think, and the newborn phase is such a SMALL part of a child’s life. Just get caught up in the moment and enjoy every minute :)

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your baby belly is so cute! You must be getting very excited, you get to meet her soon!

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I had kidney surgery a few years ago and couldn’t do anything more strenuous than walking, or lift anything heavier than 10 pounds, for 5 weeks, which is probably similar to what your restriction is like. My advice is this: WALK. EVERY DAY. Obviously a few days after giving birth, even walking will be impossible, but just try to walk a little more every day. Walk twice a day. Walk to do errands. Walk walk walk walk walk. It still gives you some endorphins, and you can enjoy the outdoors at a leisurely pace.

Once I finally got cleared to exercise again, it didn’t take long for me to regain my fitness, and my surgeon said that my recovery went much, much faster than it does for most because I kept myself moving.

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I’ll bet you’re back out there well before 6wks! :) I always start getting super antsy around two weeks, but my husband asks me to wait three weeks till running each time. Walks start early after baby, but by the time three weeks rolls around I am SO ready to run!! It’s definitely a different feel, and compensating for all the extra weight that has shifted up from belly to boobs is awkward, but it feels so good to get out there! The hardest part of postpartum running for me is without a doubt having to be away from baby!

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You are going to be so consumed with her on every level you will do just fine. And getting out for light walks will ease you back into it. I am glad to hear you are willing to follow the dr advice.

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Thanks so much for this post. I am about 20 weeks with already a big belly. I wanted to know more about the belly bra for when I run. I have seen a lot of different maternity belts on the market and want to get one that works. Did you order yours through bellybra.com? Good luck with your last few weeks- we find out what we are having tomorrow! SO excited. :)

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HEY VALERIE!!! Wahooo for being 20 weeks along, that is so exciting. Here is the link to my support belt and seriously I love it so very much. I hope that you find something that works perfectly for you too (I hope it is this one:)
http://www.amazon.com/Pea-Pod-Ultimate-Maternity-Belt/dp/B000THAUY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342476922&sr=8-1&keywords=ultimate+maternity+belt

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you look so gorgeous!!!!

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A good friend of mine (also a runner) just had her baby a few weeks ago and she has been going on 3-4 mile walks with her every morning!

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By staying active throughout your pregnancy you should be able to go back to an active lifestyle fairly quickly. Of course, listen to your doctor, your body, and you baby! The first few weeks are so full of bliss and exhaustion you may not even think of running. With both my babies I had minor tearing, and started running/playing soccer at two weeks. My doc okayed me as we were leaving the hospital to be physically active as soon as my body felt ready and for me two weeks was it. It was pretty hilarious for the spectators, I’m sure. I feel on my bum twice and peed my pants a little(they didn’t know that, I hope).
Bottom line, do talk to your doc and let them know how important running has been to you and then listen to what they suggest! And don’t worry if you don’t get out for 6 weeks, when you do you’ll get right back to it, but with the best running partner :)

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I started walking a few days after and within 2 weeks I was running again. I wanted to run sooner (is it just me, or when you go for a ‘walk’ it is hard to not run?) My legs wanted to, my lungs were game, I wanted to and then I started to run and it felt like my uterus was going to rip in 2. lol. So I tried it again at the 2 week mark and I had to go REEEEAAAAL slow, but it felt fine. Unless you have a c section, I doubt you will have to wait 6 weeks. I see some people running days after they had the baby. Just listen to your body. You will know what it can do.

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It is really hard to not run because those first 2-3 weeks your hormones make you crazy. You feel really sad for no reason and you can’t really leave your house. Go out for walks if the weather is nice and get fresh air anyway you can and it will help.

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I had a c section with my twins . At about 4 weeks after I thought I was able to mow the lawn but I started cramping so i stopped. As soon as I got the ok from my dr at 6 weeks, my babies went in the jogging stroller and off we went! 6 weeks truly was the magic number for me. I got antsy way earlier than that but 6 weeks was when my body was fully ready.

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I love love love your outlook on post-pregnancy exercise. I know it will be insanely difficult, but you really should wait for the all-clear from your physician.

I’m a doula and so many of my clients start exercising way too soon after childbirth because they feel great and crave endorphins. Unfortunately, even a short run too soon after birth can lead to some pretty nasty pelvic floor problems when you’re going through menopause–peeing your pants, your uterus literally “falling out”…you get the picture.

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You are definitely nesting- yay!! Get stuff done while you can! And hey, if running makes you feel great, then keep on going, no matter how many miles it is. With both of my babies, I was out for walks 2 weeks after they were born. Depending on circumstances (that are kinda inappropriate to discuss in a blog comment;) you should have no problem getting back into it. Even though walks might seem, no offense to anyone!, lame, they really will make you feel like a regular human just to get out of the house and do something not involving diapers and breastfeeding. Like everyone else has said, listening to your body is the best thing for you. I was back to running 4 weeks after my second baby, but not for almost 7 with my first. This has nothing to do with that, but- You are so adorable!!!

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I started running 4 weeks postpartum. But all I did was 1 mile. Super, super, super slow {like a 13 min. mile the first time}. It felt awful, but soon I’d run faster and started adding distance. I don’t do very well with walk/runs so I’d only go as far as I could run. This time I’m hoping to get more walking in 1-2 weeks postpartum {pending everything is fine!} and maybe that will help me transition easier into running. Everybody is different and you have to listen to your body. My first delivery was a lot harder on my body than my second.

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I didn’t wait for six weeks to run/exercise and the doctor was perfectly fine with that. In fact, he said that as long as it didn’t hurt, I was fine. I also had an easy pregnancy, exercised till the day I had him, and had an easy deliver. I started going for walks about a week after the baby and gradually eased into very slow jogging. I still do a slow jog with walking breaks but have just listened to my body and done what didn’t hurt. It is amazing though how different my body is and how much harder some things seem to be. The doctor said it can take a year for your body to fully recover. Wow!

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They say 6 weeks but you will know if your body is ready or not. I waited only 4 and then started off pretty easy (Jillian Michael’s DVD’s).

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I didn’t have any desire whatsoever to workout after each delivery. Nursing round the clock was enough. Plus, like the doula above mentioned, you are still healing and could cause pelvic floor damage. I know of too many women that complain about urine leakage and I’d say the majority of them were doing too much too soon. It’s not worth the risk.

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I’m so excited for you!!! I can not wait til you have your little girl :) Good luck with not running for a while, You got this!!

http://runningsprinkles.blogspot.com :)

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This is my favorite baby bump picture so far! Super cute shirt… you always look so happy!

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Walking is great immediately to get your body moving and work out those excess fluids. The initial bloating/inflammation/nursing etc of recovery is worked out through movement. Spatially, you’ll still have to adjust to how your body will move differently post birth. I felt “all over the place”. Fluids were just making everything…um…ripple. lol

So, don’t put the spanx away yet. It will help. And sweating helps A LOT. Not only physically to feel “tighter” but mentally to vent off the adrenalin from new momminess.

I think you’ll surprise yourself at how soon you’ll start running. You’re already accustomed to slower miles which is really the key. I know you struggle with being ok with slower miles but you’ve done so well with it during your pregnancy and embraced the benefits of running, at whatever pace. The “6 weeks” is kinda like how you should recover after a marathon as a beginner. At first just “run” to run, like you are now. Not “run” to “race”.

Good luck, slow down and have fun.

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MENDY!! Thank you so so much for your comment. I think I will definitely get into walking asap after the birth! Good call on keeping the SPANX!! You are brilliant. I love how you compared it to the recovery after a marathon for a beginner…that sounds great to me. You are so right, running and racing are a lot different. Thanks again, I really loved reading this!

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You look great and I love your blog! You are really helping to motivate me with trying to run throughout my pregnancy. I am only 8 weeks though and running in the first trimester has been ROUGH with the bad nausea and fatigue. I feel like I have lost so much fitness and I just ran a marathon less than 3 months ago!

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CONGRATS LAUREN on your pregnancy, that is so exciting. Oh girl, that first trimester almost KILLED me! It gets so so much better though, you can do it and keep me updated on how you are doing!

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You are glowing! You look so beautiful!

So when do you two move out to CA???

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AHH My cutest Kate! How are you!?!?! Thank you for your sweet words! We move to Cali August 11th…AHHHH!!!

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Just started following your blog! Congrats, I have a 9 month old and couldnt run for a whole year (many marathons and halfs before!) cause of IVF and then the pregnancy (darn doctors!)…honestly he told me one week after pregnancy I could run cause he knew he had been the bad guy for a year…I started slow…run 1/2 mile then walk a bit and do it again…I was up to 5 miles in a few weeks (remember I hadnt run in a year but walked about 6-12 miles a day….PE Teacher!)…so honestly your body will tell you what it needs but def ask the doctor too!…

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HEY ANNIE!! Thank you so much for your comment. A 9 month old…that is so fun. Oh girl, a year without running, I bet you went crazy!That is so good to hear about your experience coming back to running! Thank you so much…this helped a lot. YAY for PE Teachers:)

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You are smart to listen to the advice of your doctor, because only they will know your exact situation. You will feel ready, or you definitely won’t. Every woman and every birth is different (my two were night and day from each other). You’re in great shape and I’m sure walking and doing light exercise won’t be a problem if you have a smooth delivery. I think the hardest part about running again after babies is the nursing boobs — OUCH. Ha. You are beyond darling.

Like others have said, that six weeks will fly by and you’ll wonder where it went. Your baby won’t be so tiny anymore, you’ll have a little routine (somewhat) figured out, and you’ll be just ready to start back into running full speed. I wish you luck with everything! It’s such an exciting time.

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As a fellow runner and pregnant with my 2nd right now I understand how hard it is not not run for the 6 weeks. However, after birth you are so tired and focused so much on your new bundle of joy that 6 weeks flies by. It’s honestly a wonderful break for the body and it will allow you to get the rest you need so that you can later get back out there and crank out the miles. I’ve heard countless stories of women who tried to run before the 6 weeks was up and trust me it ends badly. Just read this article…

http://www.themompreneur.com/index.php/health/viewarticle/1/id/33

I’m sure you will do wonderfully with the birth experiences and afterwards. Running is a little tricky in the beginning after that 6 week mark but it just keeps getting easier. Best wishes to you!

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I ended up having an unexpected c section with my baby and had to wait the full 6 weeks before doing any kind of exercising at all. I was told to not even lift anything heavier than my baby! Those first few weeks left little time for me to even think about finding time to workout anyway. But not taking a break all together definitely made me SO excited to be able to workout again.

Also, I LOVE this picture of you! You look gorgeous!

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That non-running time is going to fly by and you will learn exactly where running is going to fit into your new found routine!

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You look amazing and I’m so impressed with your high mileage!!!! You are so close to the end!!! Yay!!!
While I agree 100% with you about returning too soon, I don’t know why you are being told you have to wait 6 weeks!!! I mean, obviously if you get a c-section you will have to wait that long. BUT, I had a natural birth and despite needing a good # of stitches, my dr told me to start running when I felt good enough. For me, that was 5 days! Granted, the first day was just a single mile, but by 2 weeks, I was back to 4-5 mile runs. And by 4 weeks, I had run my first 10 miler. I could have run it sooner but I didn’t have the time to run that long with taking care of aj and breastfeeding…anyways, I’m no dr but since you’ve had such a healthy, successful pregnancy you should be able to jump right back into it!!!!

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OH MICHELE!! Thank you so much for your comment, this helped big time. I really look up to you and your running a lot and so after hearing your experience I feel a million times better! 10 miles after just a month…you really are supermama!

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I should have also mentiond…there’s a lot of evidence of trouble if you do too much too soon after pregnancy. I think the key is just listening to your body. Probably not the smartest to have the baby and a week later try to race a marathon. But since you are still running 40 miles a week (crazy awesome mileage), running 10-15 the first week after the baby will be a BREAK for you!! LOL. You have been so smart the last 34 weeks so I have no doubt that you are going to handle post-partum the same way.
The biggest surprise for me was my pace. I was expecting my pace to be close to what it was pre-pregnancy – especially since I was running with ~20 pounds less weight on my body – but I found that it took a couple of months to really feel the same. The first few weeks were slightly (emphasis on slightly) faster than what it was the last few months of pregnancy. I think that’s the key – just let your body run at the pace that feels comfortable – and don’t push or overexert yourelf b/c everything is so loose from L&D…But as long as your dr gives you the okay, you should be able to start getting some miles in fairly quickly =)
PS. You are rewriting the books on what a supermama is!! I’m excited to see how you well you bounce back from pregnancy!!!!

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You are absolutely beautiful and glowing as always Janae!!
You will be an amazing mother!!!

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Weeeeeird, I was gonna ask if you had any lulu workout clothes…you answered that! It’s pretty much all I live in right now (thank goodness I worked there 2 years ago, so I stocked up!). I just got asked today if I’ve bought any maternity clothes (I’m 22.5 weeks) and the answer is no! And I will proudly not buy them for as long as I can!!

Love that you ran 41 miles…I did my goal of 20! I’d love to see your breakdown of how you hit 41. Running is seriously awesome. I need to figure out when to buy that belly band for running…probably soon?!?

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I went for a walk the next day. It depends how you feel and how your birth was.
I plan to rest for the first few days and then start walking slowly for the first week and then go from there.
You have so much fluid and sweat it out so much those first couple of weeks its incredible.
Don’t stress because you really can’t predict what’s going to happen. I’m giving myself a goal of 1 month before I start actually running again and am hoping to co,plate my first half marathon by the end of the year. That means I’ll have about 12 weeks after the baby is born to prepare.
Gyms don’t usually take babies in the crèche until they are 6 weeks old, so I guess it’s weights at home for me.

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The good news is that you can always walk. You and baby girl can walk all over town if you want. She may as well get used to being in a jogging stroller so just buckle her in and walk, walk, walk. You are so super cute. I know you probably think me crazy but I would LOVE to meet this baby girl before you leave. I think I have warned you about what a freak I am for the babies. If you have her in CA I guess I will just have to visit in October when I run the San Fransico Marathon…are you anywhere near there?!?

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Janae you are such an inspiration, 41 miles at 35 weeks prego! Get it girl!

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you are glowing!!!!

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I like this question and I have a good answer. Being that I switched OBs right before we started trying, I made sure that she was a runner. I also had it pretty easy since my water didn’t break and I was induced, so I was able to run my last 3-miles the day I went into the hospital. So when she delivered me, as I had my legs still up in the air and the baby was getting weighed, we started talking about running. LOL My husband thought that the whole delivery process was just so weird. He said it wasn’t like the movies. I had these quiet pushes for 5 minutes and out came baby. I asked the doc if I could be released the next day and she said sure, she’d come and give me a check-up. The next day, she came to check in on me and didn’t even check on me really. We just talked about what marathons we were running next and she said I could start walking in a week and running in 4-weeks — so to schedule my next appointment for 4-weeks rather than 6. I did walk on the treadmill for the 3-weeks and felt great.

I have to say, it was not mentally hard for me at all and I thought it would be. I was so busy with a newborn that it didn’t even phase me. You get to be in love all over again. Also, on another note, I NEVER felt FAT post-pregnancy. I strongly believe (for me) that being fit throughout pregnancy really helped me. No, my stomach was not flat right after, but I worked out hard throughout that I fit right into my pre-pregnancy pants/shorts right away. And now, a year later, I am more fit than I was in my entire pre-pregnancy life. (And I’m not even eating as healthy as I was before).

You’re doing wonderfully and will bounce back to everything perfectly. I think what was harder for me was that my speed didn’t come back the way I wanted it too, BUT, I’m not really trying as hard and it’s def harder being a F/T worker + mommy + wife.

Wishing you the best.

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I had a C-section with my twins and was told to wait 2 weeks to start running. I started walk/jogging at 2 weeks exactly, and ran a 5k about 4.5 weeks post partum. The worst part was my huge, swollen boobs – going from a 34B to a 36DD does not come without some running issues.

I did a lot of things wrong though. Actually, I wrote an article about that for ForTwoFitness on my experience – maybe it’ll show you a different perspective on coming back after pregnancy: http://fortwofitness.com/blog/2011/06/sidelined-one-runners-complete-exercise-hiatus-during-high-risk-pregnancy/

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When I asked about when I could run again, I was told simply “give it a week or two.” Basicaly if I felt up to it, then go ahead and if not, then don’t. The running part was harder than it was even at the very end of my pregnancy. My legs felt great, but I never realized how much you use your abs while running. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life. One day, I spent a minute or two standing a few blocks over debating whether to call my husband to pick me up because I didn’t know if I could even stand up and walk.
The hardest part now is not the physical part of running but the finding time to get out there and do it. It doesn’t help that it is over a 100 degrees outside or pouring down rain, neither of which make for great stroller weather.

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I had our little boy on March 25th and today was actually my very first day back running and did about 2.5 miles. I ended up having an unplanned c-section so I wanted to make sure my scar had plenty of time to heal as I could feel the stitches pulling just when walking for about the first 8 weeks. It was definitely tough to get back out there this morning especially with the heat, but I’m looking forward to getting in a routine again and hopefully being able to run a half marathon again by the end of the year!

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If your baby is half as stinkin’ cute as you in this pic, you will need to put her in commercials! :)

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Your doctor might give you the green light earlier than you think! I only had to wait 3 weeks to run again!

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Hey! I’ve been away from the blog world for forever and didn’t know you were expecting! How awesome! I just had a little girl un June. Baby girls are the best!!! You do don’t have to wait 6 weeks. I tore like a bomb exploded down there and I was still good to go a little after 2 weeks… Though I’m going a lot slower. Listen to your body for sure, but don’t let anyone tell you that you HAVE to wait 6 whole weeks. The other cool thing is that you’ll lose all that pregnancy weight in like a week if you’re breastfeeding… No exercise required and you’ll feel as hungry as you were when you were 14 years old. Congrats and good luck with everything! I’m sure she’ll be a beautiful little lady! :)

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Hi, Doll! I didn’t have time to read the comments on this because I’m late for stuff…anyway, in case no one else said this…you will be soooo tired you won’t realize you aren’t exercise.

and diaper changing, not sleeping, soothing newborns…

harder than any run i’ve ever done!
you will be AWESOME at mommyhood I totally know it!!!!!! <3

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Hi
I’m new to this blog but I love to run and I have 2 kids so I thought I would answer this one. :) With the first kid I waited a month. I started with walking after about a week and half and then back to running a few miles within the month. If you’ve been active during your pregnancy (I only walked) then your body will bounce back in no time if you have a vaginal birth. I’ve heard it takes a little longer with c-sections. The second kid took longer. Maybe I was more tired with having a toddler and a new baby. At the end of the day if you’re an avid runner you will be back to running in no time. And eventually you can take the little one with you which is great for the both of you. Congrats!

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I’m late reading this but you are such a beautiful pregnant woman! Love that top. Pregnancy suits you. :)

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Thanks so much Julie! You are the best!

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I am a mother of 2 that loves running and fitness. For my first I waited the full 6 weeks b/c I was afraid not to wait. However, after my 2nd-it was winter and I couldn’t get outside so I hit the TM on my 3rd day home from the hospital. I did walk- run intervals at first and starting doing yoga and strength training at the same time. I did not run as much as you during pregnancy but I did walk and run steadily all the way through my 2nd pregnancy so I knew I could handle it this soon. Others can’t-but it was right for me. My doc. told me to ease into it and didn’t have a problem with what I was doing. Good luck and listen to your body-you’ll know if you’re ready!

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I waited the full amount of time after giving birth to start running again. It went by fast and the doctor told me I could speed walk after two weeks. Totally did that and it helped get me energized to workout again.

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I was walking the hospital hallways 3 hours after my c-sections and running within 2 weeks. No complications. My body was ready and eager to get back put there.

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6 whole weeks?!?!?! Is that for real? I seriously had no idea. I’m an idiot!

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I feel like I should comment on this because I threw all rules out the window and had an AMAZING recovery! I had a c-section (baby was breach) so I was told absolutely ZERO exercise for 8 weeks. Even with a catheter in me, I almost jumped up and slapped the doctor. The second they yanked that thing out, I was determined to get to walking. First to the bathroom, then a lap around the hospital, and at 2 weeks I was walking 3-4 miles a day. By 3 weeks I was running 4 miles a day. My only strategy and suggestion: take it SLOW, but don’t stop. If you feel any pain, slow down. But keep going. You’ll be up and running SO quickly! I also did Insanity as an alternative workout. I lost that baby weight so dang fast, and it was perfect to do while the baby was napping in a swing.
You’ll do great!!!

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I am in my second trimester and came back to read some of your posts, because I am very nervous about what I am going to do for those 6 weeks. I know it will make me very depressed to not be working out, and I’m not sure how I’m going to deal with it!

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