Post C-Section and Pole Dancing

Kristen PoleMonkey started this discussion · 1/15/2013

I recently had a baby (yaay!) and I am currently a 2 weeks and 4 days postpartum. I know they say wait 6-8 weeks to resume exercise, but I had a C-Section and I am wondering if it is the same. I was extremely active before baby (pole dancing, Pilates, HIIT training) and I was wondering how long other C-Section mamas waited to resume their normal exercise regimen? I am afraid of doing Pilates and pole dancing again because it puts so much strain on your abdomen, and I'm not sure at this point if the 6-8 weeks will be a long enough recovery for my abdominal area. I am already very active again and feel amazing, but I just wanted to hear other mams C-section stories, and if they were able to pole dance soon after. Thanks in advance!!

14 replies

CapFeb · 1/15/2013
Totally not on topic, but I just feel the need to say it, so pardon my outburst. FABULOUS FERNDALE!
Kristen PoleMonkey · 1/15/2013
hahaha yes!!! I love this city = )
Veena · 1/15/2013
Congrats! xoxo You should wait longer if you've had a c-section. Talk with your doctor and make sure you fully explain how demanding your workouts are. ❤️
Kristen PoleMonkey · 1/15/2013
Thank you sweetie <3. I agree with that! I figured most workouts weren't as demanding as pole, so I was afraid of starting at 8 weeks and damaging my abdominals even further.
Charley · 1/15/2013
YAY! Kristen and he's so adorable! I have heard 12 weeks on a C-section but I've never had one - just what i've heard. Can't wait to see you back in action!
polevixen83 · 1/16/2013
Hi there Charley, I am a labour & delivery nurse and so I scrub in and assist with c-sections and am a pole dancer too. Since I am intimately familiar with what all gets done in a c-section, I would say if it was me, I would stay off the pole for at least 12 weeks. Let yourself be good and healed before starting again, the last thing you want is to pull something and create a complication that will require additional healing time. Hope this is helpful. Congrats on the new bundle!
minicoopergrl · 1/16/2013
I am a 2 time c section-er. The second kid I was up and walking 11hrs post delivery - my nurse was proud of me since there were women who were in bed for days who just didnt want to get up. I was the one who also had the whopper baby on the floor too. Your OB will look at your Csect scar to see how its healing, then they will decide from there if you are cleared to workout again. Trust me, I couldnt wait to get back to pole!!! Hell I couldnt wait to go back to work and work out. I did really light stuff when I was on leave - walking mostly and very light cardio. I got the clearance at 6wks, plus having 2 of them I healed pretty nicely since the scars basically sit on top of each other. I had some pretty bad ass surgeons! Please remember, csect is a major surgery. They cut into your abdomen to get your child out. Its not going to heal overnight. Thats why you cant drive for 2wks, you use your abs when your driving more often than you think! Go very easy on the abs first! Pole was the hard part. I thought it was like riding a back and I could get back into it like nothing happened - NOPE! I really just started over and worked on basic moves and worked my way back up! By the time my son turned 1, I had dropped about 70 of the 80lbs I gained with him during pregnancy.
Karencanclimb · 1/16/2013
Congratulations on your new addition! From personal experience (three c-sections) you will never, ever forget the pain of pulling your c-section scar! I think it took longer to heal from that mishap than it did any of the actual c-sections. I think that the reasonable answer of 12 weeks makes a lot of sense (see polevixen83's resonse). It allows the extra time to ensure you are healed as well as the time for your body to adjust to not being pregnant any longer.
VirginiaD · 1/17/2013
Well first of all, congratulation!! I'm currently studying for my Vertical Dance Certification, and we have a topic about pole dancing after giving birth. Here is what I would suggest (I'm not a doctor, so please ask your doc before attempting any phisical activity) During pregnancy the abdominal wall have been stretched and parted, and the muscle weakened and lenghtened. Admominal exercises like crunches should ot be performed untill you regain your strenght. However, genle exercises like walking should start as soon as you feel ready. Extra care should be taken after a C Section when performing simple tasks The best exercises that helps to regain strenght are called SAHARMANN EXERCISES. They are a program that may takes week to perfect, but it's extremely important that you perfect one exercise at the time before proceding to the next level. When capable of performing all the program, you may be ready to go back on pole classes, but not before your doctor have checked your abdominal separation. Good luck! http://www.livestrong.com/article/145718-sahrmann-abdominal-exercises/
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VirginiaD · 1/17/2013
And with "week" I mean "weeks". :)
Kristen PoleMonkey · 1/19/2013
Thank you SO much for the advice and congratulations ladies!! This really helped me a lot!! I think I am going to start light yoga and cardio at six weeks and slowly work up to some more hardcore working out by 12 weeks! I can't wait to start pole dancing again, I will be sure to post my progress! So glad to be back on SV, I missed the pole community so much!
Ivyfay · 2/24/2015
I know this thread is a few years old, but I have to say this really helped me. I have to have a c-section and I think if I hadn't read this post I would have gone back to pole after 6 weeks, and possibly pulled something. Thanks, I'm going to wait 12 weeks now. It's going to be hard, but I want to be safe.
PlatinumATL · 2/26/2015
I was cleared to pole 6 weeks post c section. However, it took a while for my torso to "loosen" up again. I couldn't body roll, twist well etc for a while. I was very active during my pregnancy and started to dance 4 weeks after delivery (avoiding any ab work). It took a long long time for everything to feel normal again. just be patient with yourself as you get back to it. your body has to heal from the pregnancy and the trauma of the c section. it may take months to a year to get back to your previous pole self. follow your dr.s advice about when you can start resuming normal activity. if they say no at 6 weeks, I would listen. I know somone whose sister went back before being cleared and she gave herself a hernia and had to get more surgery. best of luck and best wishes on the baby
Ms Moxie · 3/4/2015
Just wanted to chime in on this to say: listen to your body and be cautious. I had a c-section in October and couldn't wait to get back on a pole. At my 6 week checkup, I was cleared to start gradually getting back into exercise, but when I did some light yoga, it was clear that my abs were not ready for anything as intense as pole. I took it slow and ended up back in a level 2 class at 10 weeks postpartum. It hasn't been exactly like starting over because things are coming back pretty quickly, but you definitely don't just pick up where you left off. It's disappointing but it makes sense after all your body has been through.