For those of you who know me well, you will know that I just love doing exercise. Whether that be running, dancing, skiing or going to the gym, I adore it.

I worked out right up to my due date, doing exercise videos in my spare room, swimming lengths daily at the local pool and also doing my Zumba Bump. I think it really helped with my birth to be honest and allowed me to have a much more active labour.

However since I had Amelia, I have of course been very sedentary, and rightly so, I am recovering from childbirth. Plus the constant feeding around the clock doesn’t really allow for much energetic activity. Short of a walk or two with the pram (and a disastrous jaunt around Blenheim Palace that included lifting prams over electric fences – don’t ask!!) I haven’t really moved much.

But over the last two days, two exciting things have happened… 1) Amelia slept in the day, she never usually likes to do this as she is usually so alert and 2) I have managed to get her in the Ergo Baby Sling.

As such I have had my first little foray into postpartum exercise routines and so far I am liking it.

There is a wealth of post pregnancy videos online, so you don’t even need to leave your baby, or your house for that matter to work out. Plus there is nothing better to get those endorphins going and make you feel a little more like ‘you’ again. This is key for me, because, as you know, I was so worried about losing my identity being mum – but today has reminded me that I am still me and I can still do things I love. Tomorrow may be a different story of course if she is having a bad day, but for today, it’s all good!

I have been experimenting with these two videos so far:

Firstly a video to work on my pelvic floor and deep inner tummy muscles – a must after childbirth I am told. This one looks easy, but if you do it right you can really feel it and hopefully the long term results will be well worth it. A link to the video can be found here.

Secondly I have been experimenting with the baby sling and working out with Amelia attached to me (facing me). Woweee she is heavy and means there is no real need for weights. This workout, linked here, is awesome and involves loads of squats and lunges. It’s tough, but you really feel like you are achieving something.

And before you ask, no I am not six weeks yet, and yes I have read all the literature that says don’t work out before your six week check, but I think you have to do what your body tells you and go with your instinct (after all that’s all I have been doing over the last four weeks parenting anyway). Plus a lovely midwife friend of mine said that if I felt up to it then crack on. So that’s what I am doing, albeit taking it easy and taking lots of breaks.

And a tip if you are using the Ergo Baby sling; make sure you purchase the newborn insert and wear it correctly. You don’t want baby slipping down or worse falling out on those squats!

And now, after all that hard work I am off to eat some yummy fajitas, with lots and lots of cheese and soured cream. Well I deserve it after all that exercise right..?

Until next time…