runners?

[nald1]

any runners out there?  Do you worry about producing enough milk with the extra strain on your body?

[anjsmama]

I am a runner . I worried some when I first got started but I gained a lot of confidence through research and practice.  My DD is 8.5 months and I ran til 30 weeks of pregnancy and then started again (albeit slowly) when she was 6 weeks. I trained quite hard through this spring and summer and ran a half marathon when she was 6 months. I've maintained some training and will do so in the winter, cause I'm running a full marathon in the spring.

Some key points to remember:

- Exercise, in and of itself, does not reduce milk supply or sour milk in anyway. My DD didn't have anything but breastmilk until nearly 7 months and has had maybe 10 bottles in her life (also breastmilk). 

- Don't overdo it on the water! Drink to hydrate. When you feel thirsty during your run, get some water, but don't kill a bottle. Excessive drinking  overloads your body with fluid it isn't sure what to do with and slows down milk production - therefore causing the commonly noted "supply dip" around workouts. 

- EAT. If you're running to lose weight, I assure you, you will. The combination  of running and nursing makes you burn calories  faster than you take them in. If you lose too much weight too quickly that could interfere with your milk supply so be sure to eat eat eat and keep a balance - fat/carbs/protein. I am 110 lbs soaking wet and when I'm in full swing training take in about 3500 calories/day. (Right now I'm only going about 12-15 miles a week, so I'm somewhere around 2800). 

- If for any reason you start to struggle with low supply, you can take your baby with you! Some running mamas I know who started to go some pretty far distances and got very worried about missing nursing sessions just take babe in a running stroller and stop to nurse them as needed. Milk supply kept, worrying reduced.

All of that said - Running IS hard. AND so is nursing. And so is being a Mom. Don't forget to take excellent care of yourself ... if you feel your body is being strained, take a day off. Or 3. Take a nap. Have your partner/friend/nanny hang with your baby for 2 hours so you can soak in a hot bath and sleep. 

Side note ..... recently discovered The Moving Comfort sports bras..... SOOOOOOOOO nice. Very supportive, allow for the changing size of breasts depending on how long it's been since you nursed, and the one I have has velcro straps, so I can just unstrap one side like a nursing bra if babe is hungry out with me or right when I get back. HTH!

[nald1]

THANK YOU for all the feedback>  I am definetly not running to lose weight - Im only 107 lbs at  6 weeks postpartum.  I have a harder time keeping weight on vs off.  I also ran to my 30th week and started up at 5 weeks. That's interesting about fluid intake.  I drink a ton...hmmmmm.  The way I look at running is that it helps me mentally and emotionally - and that's a good thing in these sleep-deprived days.  I am not running daily yet - although I could- and am trying to keep it at 45 minutes tops when I do.  We shall see.....