Breastfeeding and Exercise

Someone once asked me, can I exercise while I am breastfeeding? Well, the answer was yes. However, there are a few things to consider and take into account when you are exercising and feeding a little one. (Some I’ve learnt the hard way 😬)

* Feed before you exercise to make it more comfortable, particularly in the early days when you’re more likely to feel engorged when a feed a due. Also your exercise session will less likely be stopped by a hungry baby (Or you have to get off the exercise bike mid sprint and feel pretty dizzy, and sweaty, sorry Ida...)

* Wear breast pads if needed to avoid leaks

* Wear a supportive bra, that fits - shock absorber bras are ideal (good price on wiggle.com)

* Drink plenty of water before, during and after the session as when you are BF you need to take on more fluid anyway, even more so when sweating

* Keep your calories up with healthy snacks.Your body needs energy to make milk to feed your little one

* When breastfeeding you will have the hormone relaxin which can make your joints and ligaments less stable, consider this during exercise

🤱🏼 Remember, exercise itself doesn’t affect milk supply, but apparently it can change the taste of your milk - this is because of the lactic in blood. Milk is made from blood. Now that is pretty cool.