Postpartum walking/exercise

[Csara]

How soon is it ok to start going on light walks? What about more aggressive exercise? How about swimming?

[RedBedHead]

I would think that it would be OK as soon as you feel like you can handle it. Swimming may be a different story if you have stitches though.

[KeelyKay]

You can start light exercise whenever you feel up to it. Moderate exercise should wait until your 6 week PP check-up, but your OB should clear you for everything by then. Swimming, falls into that whenever you feel up to it thing. My OB did say no baths for a week, but I'm not sure why (no tears/stitches), so I'd assume the same applies to swimming.

[shan]

KK~ My doctor told me that you shouldn't sit in water for a week because of bacteria. With the uterus open like it is right after birth you can get really bad infections by submerging yourself in water.

[Deana]

I started walking about 2 weeks pp with both of them. It wasn't a super "power" walk, but enough to get some fresh air and feel like I was doing something. Then the weather got foul (too hot w/N, too cold w/E) and I stopped walking. I started sporadically going to the gym when N was 8 weeks old but waited 6 months to even attempt the gym with Ella (and I didn't get consistant with the gym until she was 14 months old!!!!!!). But I did start walking (with the girls in the double jog stroller) on a pretty regular basis when Ella was 6 mo old.

So the short answer is that I didn't start any consistant activity until they were around 6 months old. Yeah, I know, pathetic!!!