Exercise After Pregnancy..

I assume you had vaginal delivery which makes a big difference in what you can and should do before 6 month mark post partum. Most of us are extremely out of shape after having a baby. I wouldn't focus on weigh loss or abb exercises in the first 3-5 months. Give your body a chance to go back to normal on its own, then when you see what you're left with, go to town! I say this because you need to be focused on baby and enjoying baby. Your body is going to let go a lot of that extra fat (assuming you eat within reason) all on its own especially if you're BF. So for now I'd focus on getting your body fit, and building some stamina. Get a good baby carrier or jogging stroller and start with brisk walks. I found the gym impossible after kids, so I invested in a nice piece of home exercise equipment (elliptical) if you have the $$ and space for one. Also home exercise DVD's are a god send for moms. When you have built up a little stamina, I recommend the Jillian Micheals 3-2-1 method (30 day Shred, Ripped in 30). They are 20 min work outs that do 3 circuits of 3 min strength, 2 min cardio, 1 min abs, which is all a nursing mother of a baby can really hope to accomplish. Don't underestimate how out of shape you are after pregnancy, and just start out slow (15 min walk) and add to it. Don't try to get your body back in 3 months. Its not realistic for most woman. Know that your body will improve greatly on its own with reasonable eating and moderate excersise. Accept that most woman still look pregnant in the months following birth. I did for 5 months. I have found that once my baby eats finger foods (8 months). I am freed up to work really hard at my diet and exercise regime. Then I really push it and try to get back to pre preg weight before babies 1st bday. Its normal to still look pregnant at this stage. Try not to stress about it and enjoy your baby.

If you didn't have much of a regimine before, baby step it. If you're nursing, you need to be sure you up the water intake when you do start training. Excercise increase will decrease your body's ability to produce milk.

As others have stated, focus on recovery from the pregnancy. Three weeks is definitely too soon. I understand your exercise enthusiasm and went through the same thing. Between nursing and long, stroller walks the weight came off without me even focusing on one ounce. But I would ask your doctor. If you exercised during pregnancy and before that will make a difference, as well as how you delivered. Good luck! My daughter spent the first year of her life in a jogging stroller with me and now says "mommy runs!"

I would say 3 weeks is too early to start with abdominal exercises. I think you should be good to start daily walks with the baby or even running if you feel up to it. Everyone is different and your body will tell you if you overdid it. If your bleeding has not stopped you will notice that the flow gets heavier and you may have large clots if you do too much. I would just start with walks to help take some of the weight off and keep you motivated until your 6 week appointment. At that point your doctor will check for separation of your abdominal muscles and should be able to tell you if it is safe to start more or if your body needs more time to heal. If you work your abs too soon you can do more harm than good. Just enjoy your time with your newborn!