VF moms: working out with your baby or kids? - Page 2

Christine S. · 05-22-02, 02:26 PM

And congrats on squeezing in *any* exercise. Whew!

At this stage, remember that every little bit of exercise counts. You never know what a 2 month old will do from one moment to the next, so you just squeeze it in where you can. And BTW, don't fret about the short naps; they *will* lengthen. At 2 months my daughter didn't nap for more that 20 minutes at a stretch-- *and* sometimes she needed to be held in order to sleep, at that! At that time, I swore by my "10 minute solution" and "Quick Fix" workouts. And honestly, they really did give me some results. We got over that eventually, and now she takes an AM nap as well as a PM nap, each for at least 1/2 hour, and more or less sleeps through the night (unless she's teething, but that's another story

), so most days I can get a fairly decent (30 min. or so) workout in.

You also want to make sure you balance exercise with rest-- still crucial for you. I once read some good advice for new moms: "if you have a choice between exercise and sleep, choose sleep." Exercise is definitely good for your mind as well as your body, and you are wise to keep up the habit. But remember that your baby is relying on you for everything and you need to be as well-rested as possible.

I agree that walking is fabulous. There's nothing like a little fresh air to clear your head--especially if you've been cooped up with the baby all day. It's good for you and for baby, too...my daughter was *soooooo* colicky her first few months and the only thing that even remotely calmed her was a long walk. But you also need some time for yourself, and I second the notion of having DH watch baby while you work out. Baby needs to bond with his daddy, and you need a break to do something you enjoy.

And as far as when the weight comes off; don't worry too much about it. I think that many women experience a new body appreciation after having a child: you appreciate all that your body has done in carrying, birthing and (if applicable) breastfeeding your child. That said, I'll tell you that I gained 37 pounds when I was pregnant; by the time my baby was 5 months old 32 of them were gone. She's 9 months now, and I still have those extra 5 lbs-- which I think can be attributed to the fact that I'm still breastfeeding her a few times a day (hormones not back to normal, extra breast tissue, etc.etc.). But ultimately, I'm not sweating it. I feel healthy, I can more or less fit into my old clothes, and I know that one of these days I'll be back at my ideal weight. You will, too.

My last words of unsolicited advice: Your workouts will always be there, but your baby will only be a baby for a short time. Enjoy him as much as possible!!!!

MelissaPC · 05-22-02, 05:01 PM

So much great advice! Thanks everyone!
I am looking at my body in a new light now; giving birth is amazing!
If I can do that then I can get back in shape eventually!
He's growing so fast I can't believe it!

ljones7715 · 08-23-02, 10:03 PM

My son Grant started crawling at 5 months (he is 7 months now)! I put toys in the bathroom and make a trail of toys and pillows for him to climb over leading into the bedroom where I work out. With a detour into my closet to remove my shoes from the shoe racks this keeps him quite occupied. By the time he reaches the bedroom he finds my husbands sock drawer pulled out and gets all of the socks out. Next it's on to my night gowns. By the time I get to abs he sometimes climbs on top of me and I just try to keep going. Somehow I manage to fit those hour long workouts in and I am seeing results. I get the added benifit of burning extra calories just cleaning up the mess he makes. Yes my room and bathroom are child proofed! He doesn't nap much so this is my only chance!!

ckirkpat · 05-01-04, 12:02 PM

My children are now 5 and 3 years and bring their own new set of challeges. They certainly have grown up with both their parents exercising and I believe understand when I say 'Mommy wants to have a workout'. My concern whenever I am working out and when they are QUIET is what are they doing? My husband is an avid cyclist and understands my devotion to staying fit and working out. Thus we negotiate in the AM who will workout first and when during the day. Ideally, if I was a morning riser I could complete a workout every AM before everyone else rises but alas I am a night hawk. I usually complete my workouts around 7-8PM at night while hubby watches the kids. I know I am very fortunate. One trick that has worked for me is doing a short workout on my lunch hour in my office at work. I usually throw a DVD into my office computer or laptop and complete a workout then. Of course this depends on the priorities that work demands upon my schedule.
I commend anyone who is attempting to workout while their wee ones are under a year. I know I was only able to do so because my husband watched both children. Of course as well it boils down to your childrens' temperments. My children both tend to command attention and won't play independently for a period of time beyond 10 minutes. On the other hand my sister can complete a hour workout each AM with both kids playing happily in another room. It does get better and keep perservering.

Leela · 05-01-04, 02:01 PM

You are so early in the post-partum game... babies need alot of time and attention at this age.

Kalina slept for 20-30 minutes at atime til she was 9 mos old.

Now. Finally. With a 2.5 and 5yo, I get to workout almost every day for at least 45 minutes.

Then,when I get hoime, I go outside and play with them in nice weather, and spend a lot of energy doing this. I feel like I never sit down (good!)

It's hard going through this - but mom will regain some of her personal time!

youngfrankenste · 03-02-05, 02:12 PM

I'm glad to see I'm not alone either. I have 2 boys, 5 and 4 and a 5-month-old baby girl. She was born at the end of Sept and at the first of the year I was determined to get back to my precious exercise! I just told myself to do "something" 6 days a week. It is still hard but I have to let go of the "all or nothing" mentality. I got some WATP videos from the library and off I went. Now that she is a bit older, I am back to my Firm videos and the like. If only I could get her to sleep through the night, I'd get up before the kids and workout!

rainbowbrite · 04-27-05, 03:33 PM

Thanks for a great post, ladies! I am due in July with my 5th and it sure helps.

I made a post a while back about how I was having anxiety and posts like this just makes it so much more comforting for me as I'm sure for others, too.

wantfit · 11-17-05, 01:53 PM

AnnaMarie,

Could you let me know what motivated you to workout after your fulltime job outside home during the day and put kids to the bed? I have one 17 mon and 8 yr old. I used to be able to workout really early AM. (normally, I got up around 4:30am). But recently, my little guy got flu, then he got the habit to wake up around that time. I also had to drive my DD to ice arena at 6:00am 3 days during the weekday. I could no longer w/o at my normal am period. I tried to move to PM. But like you, after long day, I felt I would rather lie down than working out. But I really want to get rid of my last 20 lbs of baby fat. I need aerobic badly. How can you re energize yourself and motivate yourself to workout at 9:00pm, or sometimes at 10:00pm?

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnnaMarie

Hi Melissa:

It sure is tough to find time to work out with little babies. Fortunately (at least in my case), when they get older their schedule settles down a bit and when that is a little more regular, hopefully you can find some more solid workout time.

I've always exercised late at night after the kids are in bed. I work full time outside the home during the day, and I'm not willing to give up my evenings with my kids, so I do it after they are in bed. Sometimes I don't get started until 9:30 or 10:00 and it makes a very late night. Especially if the little ones get up during the night still. But this way I know that I can do my full workout without getting interrupted.

Another possibility others do, I know, is to get up really early and do it before the kids wake up. For me, I never know when the kids will wake up, so I can't plan my workout schedule very well.

I hope that helps. As far as your clothes go, it takes a while. Remember - nine months up, nine months down! Just be patient, and you'll get there.

Good luck!
Anna

joyfirst · 12-18-09, 06:32 PM

When my son was 2 months, I was just lucky to survive at all and my only form of exercise was carrying him in the carrier every night around the neighbourhood, because he would scream every night, unless I would carry him or drive without traffic lights(on the freeway). Good luck!

Cerulea · 08-18-10, 07:30 PM

Just echoing what others have already said, I guess, but I wanted to chime in. When both of mine (now 2.5 and nearly 6) were tiny, I used the swing to get in as much of a workout as I could -- as others have said, you learn to be very flexible and embrace imperfect workouts

Also, with my second child I lost nearly all of the baby weight from walking. Not power walking, just plain old walking. In fact, since having children in general I've found that in a way "less is more" when it comes to working out for me -- when I tried to go back to intense workouts like Cathe, P90X, etc. it just wiped me out too much. But if I consistently do less intense stuff, like walks, barre DVDs, Ellen Barrett, etc, I get better results in the long run because I end up getting in more movement overall (both because i am not wiped out and am more likely to move more throughout the day, and because it is easier to fit in things like walks so I log more exercise time). My default workout when the little one is at my heels is a long walk with him in the jogging stroller, weather permitting. I used to walk during his morning nap time when he was a baby.

Another thing I wanted to add: My kids are at the point now where Mommy exercising is something they are very used to seeing and being around, and as a result it's much easier for me to work out with them around. So it gets better, and you are modeling a good habit!

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05-22-02, 02:26 PM
Christine S. VF Supporter Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: New Hampshire	Melissa, congrats on your baby.... And congrats on squeezing in any exercise. Whew! At this stage, remember that every little bit of exercise counts. You never know what a 2 month old will do from one moment to the next, so you just squeeze it in where you can. And BTW, don't fret about the short naps; they will lengthen. At 2 months my daughter didn't nap for more that 20 minutes at a stretch-- and sometimes she needed to be held in order to sleep, at that! At that time, I swore by my "10 minute solution" and "Quick Fix" workouts. And honestly, they really did give me some results. We got over that eventually, and now she takes an AM nap as well as a PM nap, each for at least 1/2 hour, and more or less sleeps through the night (unless she's teething, but that's another story ), so most days I can get a fairly decent (30 min. or so) workout in. You also want to make sure you balance exercise with rest-- still crucial for you. I once read some good advice for new moms: "if you have a choice between exercise and sleep, choose sleep." Exercise is definitely good for your mind as well as your body, and you are wise to keep up the habit. But remember that your baby is relying on you for everything and you need to be as well-rested as possible. I agree that walking is fabulous. There's nothing like a little fresh air to clear your head--especially if you've been cooped up with the baby all day. It's good for you and for baby, too...my daughter was soooooo colicky her first few months and the only thing that even remotely calmed her was a long walk. But you also need some time for yourself, and I second the notion of having DH watch baby while you work out. Baby needs to bond with his daddy, and you need a break to do something you enjoy. And as far as when the weight comes off; don't worry too much about it. I think that many women experience a new body appreciation after having a child: you appreciate all that your body has done in carrying, birthing and (if applicable) breastfeeding your child. That said, I'll tell you that I gained 37 pounds when I was pregnant; by the time my baby was 5 months old 32 of them were gone. She's 9 months now, and I still have those extra 5 lbs-- which I think can be attributed to the fact that I'm still breastfeeding her a few times a day (hormones not back to normal, extra breast tissue, etc.etc.). But ultimately, I'm not sweating it. I feel healthy, I can more or less fit into my old clothes, and I know that one of these days I'll be back at my ideal weight. You will, too. My last words of unsolicited advice: Your workouts will always be there, but your baby will only be a baby for a short time. Enjoy him as much as possible!!!! __________________ Second Degree Black Belt in Muay Thai 11/2/13

05-22-02, 05:01 PM
MelissaPC Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Massachusetts	Wow! So much great advice! Thanks everyone! I am looking at my body in a new light now; giving birth is amazing! If I can do that then I can get back in shape eventually! He's growing so fast I can't believe it!

08-23-02, 10:03 PM
ljones7715 Join Date: Aug 2002	what I have to go through! My son Grant started crawling at 5 months (he is 7 months now)! I put toys in the bathroom and make a trail of toys and pillows for him to climb over leading into the bedroom where I work out. With a detour into my closet to remove my shoes from the shoe racks this keeps him quite occupied. By the time he reaches the bedroom he finds my husbands sock drawer pulled out and gets all of the socks out. Next it's on to my night gowns. By the time I get to abs he sometimes climbs on top of me and I just try to keep going. Somehow I manage to fit those hour long workouts in and I am seeing results. I get the added benifit of burning extra calories just cleaning up the mess he makes. Yes my room and bathroom are child proofed! He doesn't nap much so this is my only chance!!

05-01-04, 12:02 PM
ckirkpat Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: ontario, canada	exercising with kids My children are now 5 and 3 years and bring their own new set of challeges. They certainly have grown up with both their parents exercising and I believe understand when I say 'Mommy wants to have a workout'. My concern whenever I am working out and when they are QUIET is what are they doing? My husband is an avid cyclist and understands my devotion to staying fit and working out. Thus we negotiate in the AM who will workout first and when during the day. Ideally, if I was a morning riser I could complete a workout every AM before everyone else rises but alas I am a night hawk. I usually complete my workouts around 7-8PM at night while hubby watches the kids. I know I am very fortunate. One trick that has worked for me is doing a short workout on my lunch hour in my office at work. I usually throw a DVD into my office computer or laptop and complete a workout then. Of course this depends on the priorities that work demands upon my schedule. I commend anyone who is attempting to workout while their wee ones are under a year. I know I was only able to do so because my husband watched both children. Of course as well it boils down to your childrens' temperments. My children both tend to command attention and won't play independently for a period of time beyond 10 minutes. On the other hand my sister can complete a hour workout each AM with both kids playing happily in another room. It does get better and keep perservering.

05-01-04, 02:01 PM
Leela VF Supporter Join Date: Nov 2001	The weight will come off You are so early in the post-partum game... babies need alot of time and attention at this age. Kalina slept for 20-30 minutes at atime til she was 9 mos old. Now. Finally. With a 2.5 and 5yo, I get to workout almost every day for at least 45 minutes. Then,when I get hoime, I go outside and play with them in nice weather, and spend a lot of energy doing this. I feel like I never sit down (good!) It's hard going through this - but mom will regain some of her personal time!

03-02-05, 02:12 PM
youngfrankenste Join Date: Feb 2005	I'm glad to see I'm not alone either. I have 2 boys, 5 and 4 and a 5-month-old baby girl. She was born at the end of Sept and at the first of the year I was determined to get back to my precious exercise! I just told myself to do "something" 6 days a week. It is still hard but I have to let go of the "all or nothing" mentality. I got some WATP videos from the library and off I went. Now that she is a bit older, I am back to my Firm videos and the like. If only I could get her to sleep through the night, I'd get up before the kids and workout!

04-27-05, 03:33 PM
rainbowbrite Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Virginia	Thanks for a great post, ladies! I am due in July with my 5th and it sure helps. I made a post a while back about how I was having anxiety and posts like this just makes it so much more comforting for me as I'm sure for others, too.

12-18-09, 06:32 PM
joyfirst Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Santa Monica, California	When my son was 2 months, I was just lucky to survive at all and my only form of exercise was carrying him in the carrier every night around the neighbourhood, because he would scream every night, unless I would carry him or drive without traffic lights(on the freeway). Good luck!

08-18-10, 07:30 PM
Cerulea Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denial	Just echoing what others have already said, I guess, but I wanted to chime in. When both of mine (now 2.5 and nearly 6) were tiny, I used the swing to get in as much of a workout as I could -- as others have said, you learn to be very flexible and embrace imperfect workouts Also, with my second child I lost nearly all of the baby weight from walking. Not power walking, just plain old walking. In fact, since having children in general I've found that in a way "less is more" when it comes to working out for me -- when I tried to go back to intense workouts like Cathe, P90X, etc. it just wiped me out too much. But if I consistently do less intense stuff, like walks, barre DVDs, Ellen Barrett, etc, I get better results in the long run because I end up getting in more movement overall (both because i am not wiped out and am more likely to move more throughout the day, and because it is easier to fit in things like walks so I log more exercise time). My default workout when the little one is at my heels is a long walk with him in the jogging stroller, weather permitting. I used to walk during his morning nap time when he was a baby. Another thing I wanted to add: My kids are at the point now where Mommy exercising is something they are very used to seeing and being around, and as a result it's much easier for me to work out with them around. So it gets better, and you are modeling a good habit!