Three Things That Surprised Me About Postpartum Running

I made my postpartum check up appointment for 5 weeks after giving birth. I remember putting it in my calendar, thinking, “I am so smart, getting a week’s head start on being cleared to exercise. I will be dying to run by then!” It turned out to be sort of true. I was dying to run – cool spring weather combined with our street being an often-run route to Prospect Park meant I was constantly reminded of what I couldn’t do yet. I started using the hashtag #imissrunning on Instagram. But even as I walked from the doctor’s lobby into the examination room, I knew I wasn’t ready.

I got the all clear to “do whatever feels okay,” yes. But my tailbone had been hurting and the pain was just subsiding (did you know giving birth can bruise your tailbone? I didn’t!) and my pubic bone was aching. My OB told me it was most likely caused by Baby T’s shoulder as he was born – it probably didn’t help that the doctor pulled him out quickly when they saw the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.

So I waited another week before heading out for an easy 20 minutes, with a couple of walking breaks. Was it glorious? Well, it felt amazing to be on my own for I think probably the first time in a full six weeks. I did feel a little slow to start, definitely. But there were three things that surprised me about postpartum running the second time around.

I didn’t pee my pants. (Yay!)

This was a big shock to me. Almost as much of a shock as it was when I peed my pants while running after giving birth to Roman. It’s one of those things you kind of have to google to hear about – it’s not at the top of the list of what to expect postpartum, or if it’s mentioned it’s often in a coy way: “You may find your pelvic floor is weaker during exercise.” (Translation: you may find you are wetting yourself in public).

What did I do differently during pregnancy this time around that helped my pelvic floor? Well, I’ve thought about this and there were a few differences with this pregnancy. First, rather than thinking of kegels or pelvic floor exercises as something to be done as an exercise on its own, I instead incorporated them into my workouts. When I ran, I would do a kegels exercise as I ran up a hill, or I would pick a point in the distance and try to hold the muscle contraction until I reached it. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with kegels, think about when you’re peeing and you try to stop – that’s what you’re doing when you’re doing a pelvic floor exercise). When I lifted weights, I would hold a contraction for a set. You get the idea.

Second, I think regular prenatal yoga was a pelvic floor lifesaver. We would do mini meditations on visualizing our pelvic floor as a flower with petals opening and closing, or as a net that got pulled taut, then relaxed. Yes, it was a room full of pregnant women focusing on their vaginas. Yes, it ended up being one of the reasons I can now run without feeling like an old lady.

Finally, during my recovery, pelvic floor exercises were about the only thing I consciously did in the way of fitness. My plans for some yoga flows and stretching did not pan out. In my second week I realized an extra block after a three block walk was going to be too much for me. I was in a bad way, which was totally unexpected. But I am so glad I remembered to do those kegels.

My body surprised me (and not in a good way).

I was fitter and in better shape during this pregnancy. My labor and delivery was quicker and easier. Yet recovery was not as effortless as it was the first time around. Maybe it was because I’m older now, or maybe it’s because Tanner was a big baby. (And by the way, my little chunker at two months old is weighing just a smidge less than his brother did at his NINE MONTH check up. What can I say, I guess my milk is super-powered or something.)

My point is, you can’t predict how your body will recover. Being fit and healthy during pregnancy doesn’t necessarily mean you will bounce back quicker than someone who didn’t exercise while pregnant. So forget putting any pressure on yourself for a postpartum fitness plan. I think it’s important to have a plan in mind, but be prepared that it may not work out how you’d hoped and that’s okay. When I look at what I planned now, I’m happy because I know I’ll make it to those big goals even though I need to take it easier right now than I originally thought.

Whose is that woman’s body in the mirror?

I don’t know why this surprised me, given I went through a pretty similar realization during my first postpartum experience, but your body is like an alien being for a while. When I went to the hospital to have Roman, I packed my jeans in an overnight bag for the return home. My regular jeans. Jeans I hadn’t worn for about 7 months. I was shocked when they didn’t fit. I guess all the reading about taking months to lose the weight you gain while pregnant really hadn’t sunk in. I told that story to friends afterwards, laughing at myself, “What was I thinking?”

So I really don’t know what I was thinking when I essentially did the same thing again this time around. I packed jeans. And okay, they were jeggings I had specifically bought when I was pregnant and my regular jeans stopped fitting, so they had a lot of stretch. But again with the pants I hadn’t worn in many months.

Nothing I used to wear fits the same. And when I’m out running, there’s an uncomfortable sensation of parts of me moving after I stop. And I’m just heavier, which doesn’t feel great when I’m running uphill. But for the most part, I can focus on my breath and how my legs feel and how beautiful the park is this time of year and it’s a time when I can forget about what my body looks like and just concentrate on how wonderful it is to be alive and surrounded by love and be able to be active. I know, I know, it’s sappy, but I guess I have a lot of feel-good hormones going around right now. Probably why my milk is supercharged.

So here’s where I’m at with my running – I haven’t run longer than three miles. I’m wearing my Garmin, but I don’t check it until I get home, because I don’t want to put pressure on myself. After a couple of good early runs, I scaled back because I found running a little slower reduces the pelvic bone pain (which is getting better every day). And I’m now focusing on cross training and strength training to complement my fitness recovery. I’ve been swimming and I’m heading to a baby and me yoga class today with a girlfriend, which I’m so looking forward to! (I missed yoga!).

And you may notice the kickass awesome tights I’m wearing in some of my photos – they’re made by Spandits! which is a small company run by two amazing women in Maine. I’m honored to have been chosen as one of their 2015-2016 Ambassadors and one of the perks is a 10% discount for my family and friends. Since all my lovely readers qualify as friends, head to their website and use the code SPANDITSLOVE for 10% off – tell them I sent you! 🙂 Right now through the end of June, they also have a promotion for $15 off when you spend $75. (The blue floral print is called Take Me Away and the rainbow print is Tropical Tie Dye).

Mamas, what surprised you most when you started working out postpartum?

When was the last time your plans did not go as expected?