Returning to exercise postpartum can be overwhelming! We are caring for this tiny person, and also trying to support our own healing and rehabilitation from pregnancy and birth.
Generally, we can return to fitness around 4-10 weeks postpartum.
Our recommendation is:
- Your postpartum bleeding has ceased (and no increased or new bleeding with increased activity or exercise)
- Your provider has cleared you for exercise
- If you can also work with a pelvic floor physical therapist to aid in any scar mobilization and pelvic floor rehab alongside your postpartum recovery fitness program, that would be ideal, as well!
But, how can we manage a return to fitness while also balancing maintaining a milk supply to nourish our baby? Especially in the first six months postpartum when breastmilk could be our baby’s only source of nutrition.
Let’s explore three ways to maintain our milk supply as we return to exercise postpartum!
3 Ways to Exercise Postpartum AND Maintain Your Milk Supply
Moderate-intensity postpartum exercise does NOT decrease breastmilk supply or alter breastmilk composition, nor affect your baby’s growth. In fact, exercising during pregnancy could even make your breastmilk less pro-inflammatory which can support neurodevelopment and neuroprotection in your baby!
But not eating enough food and hydrating COULD reduce your breastmilk supply.
Three things that we want to focus on to maintain our breastmilk supply with postnatal exercise:
- Eating enough food & avoiding too large of a caloric deficit
- Hydration + Electrolytes
- Nursing Friendly Workout Clothes
There are numerous benefits to exercising postpartum, including:
- Increased bone mineral density (which can be affected by breastfeeding)
- Improved overall health
- Recovery from common prenatal/postpartum issues, such as diastasis recti, prolapse symptoms, and pelvic floor dysfunction
Exercising postpartum is too important to avoid due to fear of decreasing our milk supply!
Explore our postpartum fitness programs to find a program that supports your return to your preferred sport and fitness goals!
1. Eat Enough Food!!
Exercising does not decrease your milk supply, but not eating enough food or having too low of a caloric intake can decrease your milk supply!
Breastfeeding may increase our caloric needs by 500 calories a day! Then add on the calories burned during your workout, and you can see why eating enough is important postpartum.
When caloric intake fell below 1500 kcals, then breastmilk supply decreased. We do NOT recommend anything below a 2000-calorie diet (you likely need much more than this as a breastfeeding mother and athlete). But this is the BARE MINIMUM before you may notice a drop in your supply.
In addition, if the caloric deficit is greater than 25-30%, then you may see a drop in your supply. This means that if you are burning more calories than you take in, and this deficit is more than 25-30%, you will see a drop in your supply.
So, you may see a decrease in your milk supply with a caloric intake higher than 1500 (which we do not recommend trying to maintain for any adult).
Tips to eat enough food:
- Focus on nutrient-dense foods! It may be hard to eat frequently (or to even remember to eat with a newborn, baby, and then throw in a few toddlers), so focusing on eating foods that are dense in calories and nutrition can help ensure we are eating enough!
- Smoothies or protein shakes can be a quick snack on the go (not recommended as a meal replacement though)
- Meal plan or prep with your partner so you have an idea of WHAT to even cook or eat throughout the week, This is not a recommendation for meal planning in a way to restrict your calories or diet, but rather to take the mental task of figuring out what to eat off your plate.
2. Hydration
Next up, drink enough fluids!! I like to just carry a water bottle that is easy to drink with me throughout the day to make it easier for me to stay hydrated.
I’ve seen the running trend on IG and TikTok to be that moms have 40 water bottles, and this is true for me! Hydration is key!
In addition, we may want to supplement our fluid intake with electrolytes, as well! I like to drink an electrolyte drink during and after my workouts.
Sodium can benefit our breast milk supply! We are a big fan of the LMNT electrolyte salts and Liquid IV (use code MAMASTEFIT for 25% off Liquid IV).
I find LMNT to be saltier, and Liquid IV to be sweeter. So depending on your taste preferences, you may prefer one brand over the other!
3. Nursing Friendly Workout Clothes
And finally, nursing on demand can support our breast milk supply. Wearing workout clothes that allow us to nurse either right before, during, and/or immediately after our workouts can support our milk supply.
The good news is that you do NOT need to invest in really expensive maternity or nursing-friendly workout clothes either!
We can wear everyday clothes that are easy to nurse in, such as muscle tanks with large openings at the sleeve that make it easy to pull over (see image).
I do find it helpful to have some nursing-friendly sports bras as something to invest in for workout clothes. I found a great nursing sports bra on Amazon for only around $20 a pair!
Having nursing-friendly clothes make it easier to nurse either before, during, or immediately after your workouts to support your milk supply!
Bonus: What about high intensity or vigorous activity & lactic acid??
But, what about lactic acid? Does it change the composition or taste of your milk?
Lactic acid concentrations seem to be increased ONLY after maximal-intensity exercise. So, think of 100% effort levels.
In easy to moderate intensity exercise there is NO change in lactic acid concentrations in breast milk!
The thought is that lactic acid makes milk taste sourer, so infants may reject the milk. However, studies support that babies seem to have no preference and do NOT reject milk after maximal efforts.
If anything, they may have a preference over the salty taste from the sweat which can be easily fixed by just wiping off your breast before nursing!
In summary, high-intensity exercise may increase lactic acid levels in breastmilk, but it does not seem to affect baby or make baby reject breast milk.
Support Your Return to Fitness Postpartum AND Nourish Your Baby
We can exercise postpartum to return to fitness without compromising our milk supply. In order to protect our milk supply, we need to ensure that we are eating enough food and drinking enough water and electrolytes.
It can also be helpful to have clothing that supports nursing on-demand either right before, during, or shortly after our workouts!
Recover After Birth: Postpartum Courses
References:
- Aparicio VA, Ocón O, Diaz-Castro J, et al. Influence of a Concurrent Exercise Training Program During Pregnancy on Colostrum and Mature Human Milk Inflammatory Markers: Findings From the GESTAFIT Project. Journal of Human Lactation. 2018;34(4):789-798. doi:10.1177/0890334418759261
- Carey, G. B., & Quinn, T. J. (2003). Effects of Exercise on Lactation in Women: Review
Article. International SportsMed Journal, 4(6), 1-9. - Sakuyama H, Katoh M, Wakabayashi H, Zulli A, Kruzliak P, Uehara Y. Influence of gestational salt restriction in fetal growth and in development of diseases in adulthood. J Biomed Sci. 2016 Jan 20;23:12. doi: 10.1186/s12929-016-0233-8. PMID: 26787358; PMCID: PMC4719732.
- Wright, K. S., Quinn, T. J., & Carey, G. B. (2002). Infant Acceptance of Breast Milk
After Maternal Exercise. Pediatrics, 109(4), 585-589.
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.109.4.585