Jennifer with her son Isaac, who was five months old when she started racing in triathlons again. Photo: Jennifer Pinarski
Before my son, Isaac, was born, I was a very active runner and triathlete, continuing to work out during my pregnancy. Naturally, I thought that I’d be able to get back to my exercise routine easily after my baby was born?but I was wrong. Balancing breastfeeding and a workout schedule was challenging and I made a lot of mistakes (with a painful case of mastitis to go along with the finisher’s medal from my first postpartum triathlon). Here’s what I wished someone had told me about breastfeeding and exercise.
1. Keep your calories?and your water bottle?topped up

On the surface, running and breastfeeding might look like the magic solution to losing the baby weight. Nursing burns 500 calories a day and a 5-kilometer run burns another 500 calories, so it would be easy to conclude you’re on the fast track to your old skinny jeans. But don’t cut back on your food intake too much. I found that I needed to replace the calories I burned on a run just to keep my milk supply stable. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. 2. Invest in a good sports bra

If you think your breasts change during pregnancy, it’s nothing compared to the changes you’ll experience during breastfeeding! My pre-pregnancy A-cup bras were laughable compared to the E-cup bras I needed after my children were born. A supportive sports bra wi...