r/FitPostpartumJourney

I was prepared for having to build my actual abilities back up after pregnancy. Running distance, max lifts, things like that. While I stayed very active during pregnancy, it simply wasn't feasible to expect to pick right back up where I left off, and I was comfortable with that.

What I did not expect was that 8 months postpartum, the biggest challenge is being absolutely wiped out after exercise of any kind. In the moment of exercise, I feel fine. I can go for a run, go for a hike, ride my bike, lift weights, etc. without issue. But it takes me days to recover from even moderate exercise, and up to a week to feel recovered from more intense exercise. Things that would previously require me to take a day or two off and be back at it.

I'm sure part of this is hormones, and I have to assume that my body is partitioning resources to producing milk instead of recovery. But it feels extreme. Has anyone else experienced this specifically? Exercise itself being fine but feeling crazy fatigue, stiff joints, and tight muscles that don't seem to match the level of intensity exerted during the workout? If so, please tell me it eventually gets better!

I’m currently 36 weeks pregnant and I’ve developed a LOT of pigmentation/darkening in certain areas during pregnancy. And when I say darkening, I mean really dark — almost black in some places. 😭
The areas I’ve noticed it most are my neck, underarms, groin/private area, inner folds, buttocks, feet, and of course my nipples/areolas. Some areas are dramatically darker than my normal skin tone, and honestly sometimes it looks like I’m dirty even though it’s literally just the pigmentation.
For the mums who’ve already given birth:
Did you experience something similar during pregnancy?
How dark did yours get?
How much did it fade after delivery?
How long did it take to start noticeably fading?
Did most of it return close to your pre-pregnancy skin tone?
Did any areas stay permanently darker?
Did you do anything postpartum that actually helped?

I have a mildly prolapsed bladder. I’m so upset- I tried exercising at 5 weeks and may have made it worse. Going to start physical therapy soon. I have a little lump where it is and it’s freaking me out and I’m so worried it’s gonna be messed up forever. Has anyone here successfully PTd their way back from a prolapsed organ?

Many of my friends commented I look younger and fresher after giving birth.

I'm curious if anyone had extremely different postpartum experiences between their children. My first I had significant PPD, I was soooo smelly, I bled for 6 weeks straight, I was so sore vaginally, and overall had a really hard time. I was DREADING postpartum this time because it was such a rough experience I felt like I didn't enjoy my newborn at all. I mourn that period.

Cut to two yeArs later, I had a very similar delivery, the only difference is I had a first degree tear the first time, no tear this time. But everything else was the same. And my pregnancy was pretty identical too- continued strength training throughout my pregnancy. This postpartum night and day different (granted only 16 days in).

This time, no ppd so far (THANK GAWD), no sundown scaries, no bad BO, breastfeeding is going wayyy better, almost complete stopped bleeding at 14 days, barely sore at all vaginally at this point, even interested in being physically intimate with my husband (I know no actually physical stuff but at least kissing and holding each other. I didn't want anything to do with that last time so months).

Anyone else experience this? Is it different hormone drops or something? Is it delayed? Should I be prepared to have all those things come just later?

literally just gave birth what feels like an oh so short 5 months ago… (lol) and as the title states, I’m in unfamiliar terrain with this postpartum…

Idk even know how to explain without sounding completely shallow ? But faaaaaq.

I’m 33, 5’7 & pre weight was 155-165 (would easily fluctuate), limber/flexible af, never experienced real muscle or bone aches and pains, although my joint would crack all the time, esp my hips/knees/ankles. Mobility was never an issue, I stayed on the go but was not a gym rat by any means…

Postpartum bod was almost looking a little too skinny/ill due to breastfeeding but my consistent 99th percentile babes was so gassy all the time, I opted to pump but give formula to see if it helped - and it did - so I made the decision to just stick with the formula as it seemed to be better for my big little fella.

But then woof, wham! Seemed like overnight I went from 165 to 180 and I’ve been hanging out here for almost 2 months? I am SO sore, like feel so stiff despite my constant movement either babes. Like I said, 99% so he is already 25 lbs and counting at 5 months… so my left elbow is literally fucked- I know I have tendinitis or tennis elbow. My left lower back is killing me, sharp shooting pain and it’s getting so bad I can barely get up and down from sitting on the fucking floor, I move like molasses.

Have I been using proper body mechanics when lifting this big little fart? No, not always but not never. Damn, it caught me quick and I’m starting to worry about not being able to pick him up soon to do the basic shit… I am a single mother, so I do not have extra hands in my home to assist.

My legs are constantly throbbing with a lot of pain behind my knees? Ik, weird…

I used body oil in my belly 2x/day when I was pregnant so my stretch marks are minimal and I almost had a flat stomach like prepreg when I was breastfeeding but now I got me a little lower belly fat ʀᴏʟʟ.

And on top of all that, I have been completely neglecting myself in order to take the best care of bubs… plus, I don’t have the funds (or time) (or energy) to get my hair & nails & lashes done.

I look so dingey and crusty since becoming a mother, it’s been a very humbling experience to say the least

love my baby sm and completely understand that these moments (both good & not so good) won’t last forever plus him & I, we are both new to our roles and we are figuring it out together… :o)

sorry to long. thanks for coming to auntkel’s tedtalk. thanks for reading ❥

Hi, I am 3.5 months post partum. When I was on maternity leave, I was able to go a couple times a week. But now that I'm back at work, I cannot find time to go at all! When I was pregnant I was going to barre3 5 days a week, before I was pregnant I was going 7 days a week.

I'm realizing going to a workout class isn't just 45 minutes, it's almost 2 hours if you count the drive there and back and shower. Most of the childcare services gyms offer start later in the day, and that would eat into more of my time, preparing and packing the baby sounds like so much work and I'm intimidated by it. And all of this has to be calculated with his feeding time for breast feeding or I have to account time for pumping.

How is everyone managing to fit working out in their schedule? Do you use the childcare services? Do you workout at home instead? Or do you skip a shower?

Has anyone experienced this?

I feel like im going crazy. I dont act on my anger towards anyone, and especially not my precious baby, but I just feel such an intensity of it.

I worked out throughout my pregnancy and was very fit before pregnancy. I’m currently eight weeks postpartum and sleep deprived, stressed, you know, the basics 🤣 I’ve been working out with strength training since week six clearance and taking walks before then. I will admit that I have not been eating that well, though I’ve made sure to keep my protein intake up this whole time. But I feel like total mush and don’t recognize my body. I know that it is to be expected for a while postpartum, but it’s a little destabilizing to the identity that I knew before and even during pregnancy. Other breast-feeding mamas out there, how long did it take you to start feeling less mushy? I’m not interested in doing anything extreme and I am very against over-exercise or restriction, so I understand that this is a slow and steady game, I just want a projection into the future because right now it’s hard to imagine feeling like myself again.

I would love to hear from other moms over 40 what your recovery was like after natural birth. My OB has been vaguely helpful at best, pessimistic at worst. I suppose I have a variety of questions and concerns, but before I get into those I’ll give you all some backstory.
I (41f) am 9 days postpartum. I conceived spontaneously and am overall healthy and fit. I’m pretty petite (5’4” and 117 lbs pre-pregnancy) and gained about 35 lbs during pregnancy. This is my second pregnancy, but my first was 20 years ago, so this felt very much like a “first time mom” experience for me physically. The labor and birth were relatively uncomplicated, and my beautiful, healthy LO was 8 lbs, 2 oz and 21” long. Due to several preexisting large fibroids (roughly 5-6cm each), I developed postpartum hemorrhage that required a manual sweep, the use of a Jada balloon and pitocin for 24 hours and 2 blood transfusions. After all was said and done I had lost over 3.5 liters of blood and almost died. I have to say, the combination of the Jada balloon and the pitocin drip were more painful than the actual labor, and they tried several pain meds that didn’t even touch the pain before resorting to Dilaudid, which finally knocked the pain -and me- out. After the Jada was removed, I developed a fever and spent 2 additional days in the hospital on IV antibiotics and fluids.
I have a 2nd degree perineal tear and an assortment of 1st degree vaginal/labial tears. 9 days postpartum I’m having trouble controlling urine flow and bowels (have pooped myself twice since being home, possibly due to IV antibiotics and stool softeners and laxatives to combat severe constipation from pain meds during my hospital stay). To say that I’m utterly humiliated is an understatement. My curiosity got the best of me and I made the mistake of looking “down there” with a mirror, and everything looks a mess. I discovered tears that I wasn’t informed about, probably because they didn’t deem it necessary because they didn’t require stitches. The opening sort of looks like it’s gaping a bit, like maybe the size of a nickel or quarter, and I can see vaginal tissue. At the risk of sounding frivolous and superficial, I’m used to things being pretty snug down there, having overall good pelvic floor and core health and have enjoyed a very satisfying sex life with my husband. I’ve had loads of conversations with my husband about my concerns involving my sexual function. He has been wonderfully supportive through this whole journey on all levels, and assures me that whether or not things go “back to normal” down there doesn’t make any difference to him whatsoever. While that is very reassuring to hear, I guess I AM worried about whether or not things will go back to being at least somewhat close to the way they were before pregnancy/birth.
So I guess my questions and concerns are three-fold:

For those who gave birth naturally in your 40s, how long did your postpartum recovery take? Should I expect things to take longer to recover than, say, a woman in her 30s or have you found it to be about the same?
Have you had any long term issues with incontinence, and if so, what can be done about it?
How are things for you sexually? Did things go back to normal, or was it just never the same?
I’m feeling very emotionally raw and just trying to prepare myself for what to expect, as finding any info on my exact situation has been a challenge.

Please be gentle with me, I’m feeling very raw and vulnerable emotionally and physically, as I have just been through a lot. I’ve seen other women post on Reddit with concerns about sexual function/vaginal tightness after birth and get chastised for being “superficial” or “misogynistic,” which I am neither. These are just concerns I have about MY body, MY future pleasure and MY health, and I’m just trying to mentally prepare myself for the possibility of different outcomes.

Thank you to those of you who have read this far, and thank you in advance for helpful, honest, compassionate responses. ❤️

Hi Postpartum friends!

Background: I'm 30 and have been working harder than I'd like to be lately to love my body and enjoy leaving the house with her. I'm 6.5 months pregnant postpartum and am grappling with an 85lb weight gain from my pregnancy. I have found myself looking through old photos and reminiscing about how I used to look and being so angry at myself for not appreciating it at the time as well as "letting it go" with pregnancy. Not to mention, like I'm sure many of you do, I see the posts online from new moms who look fantastic shortly after giving birth and hating myself even more for not being more like them. I'm sick of hating myself so I'm doing something about it.

Currently I'm on week #2 of my fitness journey with a goal weight of 145lbs. My hope is that by sharing my journey with you all that I can hold myself accountable to these changes and maybe even inspire someone in a similar position. IThis will probably read more like a journal-type entry than anything else because I'm far from a professional, please feel free to offer advice! I'd love to hear any suggestions.

Ideally I'm trying to focus on sustainable lifestyle changes. More than wanting to lose weight for my own self confidence, I also want to be able to demonstrate a healthy lifestyle for my daughter. I don't want to project my own insecurities and negative self talk on to her and perpetuate a cycle.

So this morning, at the end of week #2, I started off by going to the gym at the ass crack of dawn - 5am. Thankfully I'm blessed with a baby who sleeps through the night otherwise I don't think this would be sustainable but right now waking up an hour and a half earlier to get some time to focus on my self is doable. So I go and do about 10 minutes of cardio followed by weight training. Mondays are usually arm day, Wednesdays are legs, and then I tie it all together with Full-Body-Fridays. Realistically I know that I need to work my core a bit more but that's my weakest point and I haven't figured out a way to be brave enough to do that at the gym yet.

My usual breakfast is plain greek yogurt, raspberries, ground flax seeds, and some granola. Lunch is brown rice, mixed veggies, and chicken breast, and then dinner lately has been roasted sweet potatoes, and ground chicken mixed with spinach and onions. This all usually amounts to 1600 calories and 140g of protein. I try to drink 2L of water but I'm happy if I end up with 1.5L.

For Week 3 my goal is to keep moving forward with my gym plan and go 3x per week. I also want to get out on more walks. The area I live on can be quite hilly so walks tend to be nice in one direction and hellish on the way back but going out more would be good for the baby anyways. I also hope that when I weigh myself next week I can report a weight of 229lbs!

Thank you to everyone who has joined me to the end of the post! If you have any suggestions please leave them, otherwise I'll be back in a week! Ciao.

I'm dying to go on hikes, go back to the gym and to be able to run and jump with my toddler in the playground, but truly I don't think my body is ready...

Yesterday I went on a gentle walk with my partner and newborn (toddler was in nursery) around a local park and today my bleeding increased like mad and is bright red 🙃

I just want to vent a little bit because I feel like this birth was a lot easier (no tearing and pretty fast).

Thank you all

I’m in my first trimester with my first. I’ve learned through research that there is basically nothing to prevent stretch marks, and it is strongly genetic. My mother had profound stretch marks, skin laxity, crepey skin, cellulite, etc. after pregnancy, and I’m now terrified of the same.

Can anyone share some success stories of having such issues and being able to fix them postpartum with surgical or non-surgical treatments, and what you did?

(I know in an ideal world I would be more sanguine about this and not care about my stomach skin and appearance. That is not where I’m at right now. So—respectfully—I’m not interested in those takes at the moment, or being told I’ll come to feel that way once baby is here.)

I’ve gained so much muscle the past couple months, along with endurance. I’ve been training for a half marathon and have made a lot of improvements. I’m afraid I’ll lose my endurance and all the muscle I worked so hard for during pregnancy and/or post partum. I’ve been reading a lot, and it seems like most can maintained muscle through pregnancy, but lose a lot postpartum due to major changes body mechanics and not being able to lift as heavy. What have been your experiences with this?? Is it possible to keep all your muscle throughout pregnancy and postpartum? What about endurance or speed? Thanks!

Hello. I am currently 4weeks post partum after a C-section delivery. My c-section scar has started hurting since the last 2 weeks, and I can feel a thick and hard ridge just underneath the scar.. which didn't really exist maybe 1 week back. Any clue what this is, will it go?

If I want to check this out with a doctor, who do I meet? My gynecologist said everything was fine and there is no need for a further follow up at my 2 week checkup.