Although I’ve worried many times about how exercising will affect my milk production for Baby Anthony, Jesse and I have decided that it is absolutely essential for me to keep as a priority in my life.
True confession (that probably deserves its own post someday): I’ve been struggling hardcore with post-partum depression for the past month or so. All the crazy post-baby hormones have kicked in– my hair has been shedding like crazy, I feel like crying 99% of the day for no reason at all (and when there IS a reason…look out….), I feel sleepy ALL the time, despite the fact that Anthony sleeps through the night with small “dream” nursing sessions that neither of us really wake up for (so thankful for our co-sleeper!), I feel anxious and panicky almost all the time, and, most notably, I’ve become SUPER SUPER forgetful. As in, I lose my keys once a day (not like me), I pour a glass of water because I’m thirsty, then walk away looking for my glass of water….it’s bad.
I would like to say, first and foremost, that Jesse has been a Rockstar Husband through all of this. He is kind, patient, and hears out every irrational emotional storm. I think that dealing with someone who is depressed must be a lot harder than other trials, because it means you have to withstand the everyday. But instead of wearing down, Jesse has been stronger and more supportive than ever. In the spirit of seeing something good come from this, it’s that I become more and more assured, every single day, that I am Jesse’s first priority and that he will always be there to help me, no matter what.
But enough about that. Working out has been a HUGE help to me throughout this process. I’m making sure to eat plenty of (healthy) calories, and I’m checking my weight often to make sure I don’t lose any, so hopefully this won’t have any adverse side effects in the long run. I will say, however, that although I’ve made sure not to LOSE weight, I feel and look so much different than I used to! Almost all of my old clothes fit, and it definitely helps with my energy.
Here has been the routine that I have stuck with semi-faithfully for the past 3 weeks:
Cardio: I hate doing cardio, but I have established a habit of swimming laps at the gym 2-3x/week. I broke out my old swim team suit from the 7th grade (yes, I still fit in it! How weird, now that I think about it…). I can actually swim sets for 30 minutes straight, with small 30 second breaks in between each 100m! Take THAT 4 months post-partum!
Strength: Okay– the name is TOTALLY silly. But this DVD WORKS. Even when I was in shape, I couldn’t walk for a day after I tried this thing. I’ve counted over 100 squats in the strength routine. My arms are like rubber afterwards…so tired!
Abs: Pilates are the BEST. By far. I lost an inch around my waist over these past 3 weeks, just by doing Pilates! I try for 20 minutes, 2-3x/week.
Flexibility: Last, but not least, I told you that Jesse and I are just starting to try out yoga. He does it every day, and I join in once or twice a week. We’ve used:
Jesse’s also used the P90x Yoga, but I haven’t dared….
That’s it for now!
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