Pay it Forward Friday ~ Balance After Baby

Katie Moore is a stay at home mom for her daughter and an active blogger living in North Carolina.  Katie discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things "Mommy."  She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people!  To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or on twitter @moorekm26.


*****************************************************************************************************************************************************



After giving birth, it took me a while to get back into the rhythm of everyday life.  Everything seemed to change; however, as mothers, women can make this adjustment to having a baby quite efficiently.  Known for our innate multitasking skills, we’ll continue to add activities to our packed schedules over time—exercise and healthy eating are just two of them.

Start Slow
Soon after I came home from the hospital, I was ready to get my body moving again with some light exercise and stretching.  Based on factors such as if you’ve had a Caesarian birth or a natural birth, the intensity level of exercise will vary from mom to mom.  Before starting any exercise, I recommend talking to your doctor. It was one of my best decisions because he helped me make think realistically about my exercise plan and weight loss goals.  Just as my doctor gave me advice on options before my labor on choices like pain management, circumcision, and cord blood banking; my doctor helped significantly with my post-partum choices as well.

Exercise
Early on after my delivery, my agenda was filled with reminders to exercise to get back in shape.  Though I often felt overwhelmed by changes that my body had gone through, I soon realized that exercise was an essential element for getting back my pre-baby shape.

For women who’ve had a Caesarian birth, I recommend asking your doctor for a light exercise regimen. Picking up your baby, doing light chores, nursing, and bending are all that a mother recovering from a Caesarian section should be doing in the way of exercise.

For women who have had natural birth with no complications, walking and stretching are good exercises to begin within a week or two after coming home from the hospital.  Light chores are good exercise and so are Kegel exercises, which you can do anywhere!

Breastfeeding
Any breastfeeding is good for a new baby and a new mom. It was a tremendous help for getting back into shape because it helps burn extra calories.  Remember that if you are breastfeeding, you have to take in extra calories to support your milk production.  However, don't feel guilty if you are unable to breastfeed. Your baby will be fine, and you will get your pre-baby figure back, too.

Nutrition
Check out the food pyramid on the USDA website. This gave me information on what I needed to eat and the quantities that were appropriate for me. Based on my experience, I went heavy on veggies and lean proteins.  It seemed like more work because I preferred to prepare things fresh instead of making too many bulk meals ahead of time.  But keeping everything from the food pyramid in your diet is important, as long as it’s in moderation.

Balance
After giving birth, the best thing I did was create balance in my life that included baby time, family time, good nutrition and exercise.  These four elements of life will provide you with health, happiness and a sense of fulfillment in your new role as a mother.





As a way to share the blogging love and meet new bloggers, I have "Pay it Forward Friday."  This is where I periodically feature fellow bloggers with different interests and from new areas.  If you are interested in writing a guest post for "Pay it Forward Friday," feel free to send me a message!  I would love to feature you!!

Alexis