The Mother's Way

You are a brand new mother and couldn’t be happier for your little bundle of joy. Girl or boy, taking care of a new born baby is a physically exhausting task. If you feel that you do not have the same level of energy you once had before childbirth then you are not alone. Millions of new mothers experience the same physical and mental exhaustion associated with the care of a new born baby. Plus the months of sleepless nights attending to your baby’s needs only adds to your fatigue. Within the first few months after your child’s birth, things will only get more hectic. There is a solution though. New mothers found that setting sometime aside to perform simple exercises increases both their physical and mental health.

Ask your doctor first if it’s proper for you to join any postnatal exercise class. If approved, joining these classes is highly recommended. Not only will you be able to stay active, but you will start to make friends with new mothers. This is a great outcome because you can ask baby questions with other mothers and create a support group. Here are a few exercise tips that you can perform at home:

Lower Back Stretch

Stand upright with both feet flat against the ground. Place both hands on your lower back, just above your hips, so that your thumbs are touching the outer edge of your spine. Breathe out and push forward gently so that only your pelvis moves forward. Stretch to whatever comfortable point and then release. Do this three to four times. 

Leg Stretch

Stand upright with both feet flat against the ground. Breathe out and, with your finger tips, bend over and try to touch your toes. You don’t have to touch your toes. Just go as far as you feel comfortable. Once you are at that point, hold that position for 5 seconds then breathe in as you lift yourself back to your original position. Usually done once but you can do it a couple more times if you feel it necessary.

Leg Slide

Lie completely flat on your back and keep your knees bent, but feet should be flat on the floor. Place both hands flat underneath your lower back. Now you are ready to start. Breathe out slowly and slide your legs forward bringing your knees to the ground. Once completely flat out on the ground, breathe in and slowly slide your legs back to the starting positions. Repeat 10 – 15 times.

Pelvis Rock

Lie in the same position as in the legs slide with your back flat, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor. Breathe out and move your pelvis in a rocking motion so that your lower back is flat on the floor. Now, with your feet and upper back flat on the floor, in an upward motion lift your pelvis so your lower back is lifted from the ground. Hold for 3 – 5 seconds and breathe in as you bring your lower back flat on the ground. Repeat 5 – 10 times.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 9:26 am and is filed under General Parenting Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.