Description

Everyone has their own thoughts on this, but I would say go by how your birth experience was and how you’re feeling now. Some people have perfect easy pregnancies and then get postnatal depression afterwards. You might have had complications with your baby so you know when it’s right for you and when you have time.

Tip 1

The early days
To speed up your recovery from pregnancy, if possible relax and try nursing your baby. Bonding with your baby is the only important thing. Also allow your body to naturally heal. Giving birth is very hard on the body so it needs time to adjust and naturally accommodate you. Don’t think of getting back to dancing yet and just focus on the baby and your full recovery. Take all the help given and try to sleep if you can.

Tip 2

Get back in shape
Don’t get back to your normal routine yet. If you had bumpy delivery or had a C-section, getting back in pre-pregnancy state may take a while longer. Simple movement might leave you gasping. When you return to the dance floor, try to assess yourself and feel what your body’s trying to tell you. Your mind might try to tell you to get on with dancing, but the body just can’t do that yet. Your body has just gone through a rough experience and is currently healing, so be patient in giving it time.

Tip 3

Take it from the pros
Go to postnatal classes or get help from professional trainers. They will know how to test body’s flexibility, strength, endurance and stamina. Knowing your body’s condition will make it easier for the trainers know where to start, target which body part and planning the right routine you need for speedy recovery. I had someone help train me, but it turned out it was not the correct exercises for postnatal and I was doing too much. I was also told wear a waist trainer everyday but it’s just not me, I don’t care enough and I had too much on with my newborn, business and trying to get 2 hours sleep. It turned out that would have been dangerous as well. Thank you for sharing!!

Tip 4

Time to flex
Now your body is ready to start taking on a little more and your recovery and checkup are all good with doctors sign off, it’s time to flex those tight joint and ligaments. Slowly stretch your body parts and hold for a couple of seconds. Always taking deep and controlled breaths with each stretch. Remember, not to push your body to its limit, be very gentle with yourself and more importantly, be patient. You’ll eventually get back to where you want to be. All in good time, just make it fun as this is your time away from your loved one.

Tip 5

Breastfeeding
Keep in mind that after pregnancy your breasts will be larger and fuller due to the milk you’re supplying, so you’ll need maternity support bras and pads for leakage. You might think going back to dancing might have a bad effect on the milk production. No worries, studies shows that there’ll be no bad effects or decrease in milk production, in fact an increase in production in some studies. Remember, always drink enough water if you’re planning to dance again to help you in milk production and replenish body fluids. If you’re pumping, you’ll need to arrange your timetable to produce this as you know.

Tip 6

The right dance
If you don’t actually dance, choosing the right kind of dance is important. First, you start off with a low level dance like contemporary or just stick to body conditioning. Then, you can move on to styles that targets the mid sections, where you tend to have loose skin. To get the fat burning and stamina back, do Zumba and street classes. These style targets all areas of the body which can speed up your progress. When your body is stronger you can then go back to or try pole dancing and reformed Pilates to bring back the strength and endurance you’ve lost. Now that you have restored your pre-pregnancy body, you can dance till you drop but remember, some people dance shortly after birth some takes months so this is something you access, even the doctors get it wrong sometimes. Remember, your body has now changed and you need to work with your new body. Be patient and love yourself and listen to your inner guidance.