Will postpartum exercise affect breast milk? Can I eat breast milk after postpartum exercise?

In order to regain their figure as quickly as possible, many postpartum mothers think about exercising to keep in shape during breastfeeding. But I also heard that exercise can make breast milk quality worse, so will postpartum exercise affect breast milk? Can you eat breast milk after postpartum exercise? Let's take a look~

Does postpartum exercise affect breast milk?

Many people will advise postpartum mothers to do appropriate exercise after delivery in order to recover faster and healthier. Although appropriate exercise can ensure good health, will exercise affect the quality of breast milk? Let's take a look.

Does postpartum exercise affect breast milk quality?

During the breastfeeding period, some mothers lack exercise, which leads to poor circulation of muscles, blood and meridians throughout the body, which can also lead to reduced breast milk secretion. When menstruation comes, milk will be further affected.

Moderate exercise helps improve physical health, accelerate blood circulation and relax bones and muscles. It is not only beneficial to the health of mothers, but also helps the secretion of breast milk, so the baby will not have to worry about having no milk to drink.

But mothers should be careful not to do strenuous exercise or over-exercise. Excessive exercise can lead to physical fatigue, affect the body's normal mechanism function, lead to a decrease in immunity, and be detrimental to the health of mother and baby.

It can be seen that postpartum exercise does not affect the quality of breast milk. On the contrary, proper postpartum exercise can make breast secretion smoother, stimulate lactation, and allow the baby to get more breast milk. Therefore, postpartum mothers should not worry and start exercising after the body recovers a little.

Does lactic acid produced after exercise during breastfeeding affect breast milk?

Lactic acid is an intermediate product in the biochemical reaction process of the human body. It is produced in general metabolism and activities, but the content is very small because lactic acid can continue to decompose and disappear. However, if the exercise is too intense, the minerals or vitamins needed to decompose lactic acid will not be replenished in time, which will easily cause lactic acid accumulation. However, if you stay still for a period of time after exercise, or supplement some coenzyme Q10, B vitamins or minerals appropriately, lactic acid can still continue to decompose. Generally speaking, half an hour to an hour is enough. In fact, some studies have studied this issue. Even if you feed the baby an hour after very intense exercise, there is no situation where the baby does not like to drink milk. Moreover, lactic acid will not have a physiological effect on the baby, at most it just tastes different. Therefore, mothers should not worry that the sour milk after exercise will affect the baby. A small amount of anaerobic exercise + appropriate aerobic exercise, not too intense, replenish water in time after exercise, feed the baby after 1 or 2 hours, and take a bath before feeding to wash off the sweat and salt.

Doctors advise that exercise must be moderate

At the same time, an international organization dedicated to promoting global breastfeeding baby programs believes that after exercise, mothers usually feel relaxed all over, which is good for both mothers and babies.

However, the organization also proposed on its official website that breastfeeding mothers should wait until the baby is at least 6 weeks old before starting to exercise and do some light aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking. In addition, water exercise is the most suitable form of exercise. Experts suggest that before mothers start exercising, it is best to seek the advice of a doctor and work with the doctor to develop a reasonable plan.

I am still breastfeeding, will it be uncomfortable to exercise?

Try to wear loose, sweat-wicking clothing. This will help your body cool down and recover as quickly as possible.

If you are still breastfeeding, it is best to breastfeed or express milk before exercise to avoid the discomfort caused by breast engorgement. And wear comfortable underwear that can provide support for the breasts during exercise.

After exercise, the body tends to produce more lactic acid, which will enter the blood and be further metabolized by the body. Lactic acid will enter breast milk. The increase in lactic acid concentration in breast milk will change the taste of breast milk and may cause the baby to spit up milk. However, current research believes that this has no effect on the child's health. You can rest for half an hour to an hour after exercise and wait for the lactic acid to return to the level before exercise before feeding the baby.