Before talking about a c-section, I feel it is more important to talk about my experience with c-sections. As a man, I have never and will never have to experience childbirth, and thus the aftermath of a procedure like a c-section, but as a husband it was one of the most pivotal times in my life. I vividly remember my wife being told she wasn’t dilated enough and the nurses and doctor telling us that we were going to have to do a cesarean. I remember the sterile gown, bluebonnet-like hat, the smell of my rank breath as I had been in the hospital for 16+ hours, and most of all the involuntary shaking of my wife’s arms and torso as the sedative took hold and the surgeon made his first pivotal cut. It was a beautiful, amazing, scary, and life changing experience that brought our Camryn Gene into our lives. It was just like the movies- minus the fainting!

But unlike the movies, they immediately tell your wife that they just cut through 7 layers of tissue and that the recovery is going to be hard. They also go on about the risk of postpartum hemorrhage, pulmonary embolisms, and the importance of walking post surgery, but they never go into what to do after that. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, only 15% of women have reported being talked to by their doctors about the importance of exercise after giving birth, and it wasn’t something that our doctors and nurses had talked to us about. Enter my analytical, detail and research obsessed mind.

This is where my wife and I began her weight loss journey. Now, I’m not going to bore you with the details of her program, but I am going to give you all the 3 most important things I found for those who want to exercise after a c-section. 

1. First and foremost, there is an increased risk of bleeding immediately after having a cesarean procedure (a fact that was stressed during one of my favorite blogs to read-Blissful Birthing). So make sure you keep track of your pad count, the amount you're bleeding, and any abnormal clots that may be present on your way to the desired 6 week mark

2. Before doing any exercise, try and move your baby station, and see how that works out. This is often a good challenge physically, as you’ll still be weaker than normal, but can also be a great test for how your core and lower body musculature has recovered. Just make sure your stitches have dissolved and your physician has cleared you. 

3. Start with things that don’t cause too much stress on the joints. Activities like water aerobics, walking, biking, and even body weight exercises. But don’t neglect to do your pelvic floor exercise as well (more to come on that subject). 

Starting a fitness journey is never easy, especially when you have a brand new baby and are fresh off surgery. Meet your body where it is, but always make sure that recovery from your surgery is at the top of the list! And if you need help be sure to find a professional that can help you and understands what the postpartum process looks like.

-Coach Khalil Harrison