Exercise & Breastfeeding

THIS PICTURE SHOULD BE THE POSTER FOR 'BREASTFEEDING FOR HEALTHY CHILDREN & MOTHERS'

How beautiful is the girl you see above? This picture got my attention because what she's doing is just incredible: in the middle of a busy beach, Mother of three, Pauline Thomas stops to breastfeed her baby. I have always been a big advocate of breastfeeding because I know the benefits to Mother and Child. Also, that's all I knew growing up: I watched my Mom breastfeed all my siblings and I was determined to do my best to follow that example. I believe any amount of breastfeeding is better than none at all. My hats off to those women who go all the way till baby is 12 months and beyond!

With my first daughter, I woke up every 20 minutes to breastfeed and I thought I was going to lose my mind. But later when I watched her grow with little or no health issues, I was glad that I did. It was also very easy to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I waited till I was done nursing (six months later) before starting any form of exercise, partly because I was tired all the time but mostly because I was just lazy. But after 3 months of diet and exercise I surpassed my goals and went down to a size 4 (I was a size 6 when I got pregnant and ended up a size 10 by the time I had her). Breastfeeding had helped me burn alot of calories to begin with, I guess the late night feedings were worth it, LOL.

Anyway, my point today is that I now have my second child and I wanted to start exercising while I was still breastfeeding and was not sure if it would affect the quality and quantity of my breastmilk. After some research, I was inspired to go ahead and start exercising. I must say I've had no adverse reactions from baby so far, plus I realized that I produce more milk as well. I eat a healthy diet and the recommended 500 more calories you should eat while breastfeeding and I still feel like a million dollars :-) Mommy is happy and baby is, too.

My daily routine is hectic but who says mommies don't have the hardest/best jobs? I wake up before everyone and drink a big glass of water, baby usually wakes up soon after. I had asked my friend Pauline (pictured above) what to do with all the leakage during exercise and she had told me she pumps first.

I must say breast pumps and I have issues, for some reason they hurt for me (my nipples to be precise), so what works for me is that I nurse the baby on both sides and when he goes to bed, which is usually soon after, I use some breast pads and I hit the floor and start my exercise routine. I make my healthy shake for breakfast, make coffee for hubby and get Nina ready for homeschool(brush teeth, bathing, breakfast etc)I do a marathon shower before baby wakes up and then my busy day really begins. Now I am accustomed to the schedule and it works just great.

I would like to know about your experiences with breastfeeding and exercise and how you make it work for you.


Mother of 3, Pauline Thomas, looking like she's just 16! BTW, the picture to your right was taken barely three months after she had her third baby, and she's a full-time working mom too, wao!

Thank you Pauline for your love and support and Merry Christmas to you, Rere and your beautiful children, Cynthia, Chris and baby Ntu :-)

For more on Breastfeeding visit lalecheleague.com they are just wonderful.

Drink & eat to your health, you'll thank me later!

B