Carrying a baby can stretch your body out of shape. It is important to gain weight with a pregnancy, but some of us gain more than we should. You want to get your body back in shape, but are you ready for that now?

Pregnancy can be stressful. It is hard on your body to carry another living being. While your muscles may be stretched and your frame carrying extra weight, the time to move on may not be right now.

What is the one thing you think about after the healthy delivery of your baby? It probably concerns when you can get back to exercising and losing the weight added during the pregnancy. However, before you do anything, get clearance from your doctor.

For a vaginal delivery, the first postpartum visit is at about six weeks. At this time your doctor will examine you and ask you how you are doing. If all goes well, he may clear you for exercise.

For a Caesarean delivery, you may have to wait longer. At your six-week postpartum visit, the doctor will examine you and see that your incision is healing properly as it may not be totally healed by then. He may restrict your lifting and exercise for several more weeks afterwards.

Once you are cleared, follow his instructions. Often, light walking or about fifteen minutes of exercise each day is good. There are several postpartum exercise videos on the market that you can try. Some local gyms or YMCAs offer postpartum classes so you are working out with other women in your same condition.

If you exercised throughout your pregnancy, your muscles will be in better shape than someone who did not. Your body may bounce back more easily. Still, restricting exercise to walking will help you ease back into a more challenging workout like the one you performed before you were pregnant.

Take it easy. Moving back into your old routine slowly is good in many ways. One, your body has time to adjust to the new movements. Two, you can help to speed your own recovery. Exercise increases circulation and cuts down on blood clots or the possibility of them.

Try some non-jarring exercises. Swimming and water aerobics works the entire body including those abs, without putting pressure on the joints.

Listen to your body. If you feel tired one day and don’t want to walk, then take a day off. Your body will let you know when it is strong enough for a more consistent workout.

Contraindications for postpartum exercise include:

* Pain
* Bloody discharge
* Fever
* Aching in joints
* Wound dehiscence (opening up)

You can lose those pregnancy pounds, but it takes time. Your body may not be ready right after delivery. Even if you’ve had a healthy pregnancy, take it slow in the beginning until you are ready for more.