Postpartum Fourteeners!!

[bfoxdog]

Hello everyone! I just had my sweet baby girl 8 weeks ago and am eyeing Mt Huron this weekend. I am curious if any other ladies out there have experience getting back into fourteeners postpartum and if so, when did you start? My biggest concern is doing too much too soon and damaging my pelvic floor. I’m not planning on bringing baby (she’ll hang out with dad) - doing this one with a girl friend and planning on pumping before and after the hike. I’ve gone on quite a few hikes with baby the last few weeks and have been feeling great overall. Would love to hear any postpartum thoughts and experiences

[Hungry Jack]

Congrats! Welcome to parenthood. It is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Have a great hike!

[NotTimid]

Everyone's different, etc etc... I had twin girls in April 2017 and didn't climb until July 2018. Had a boy in November 2020 and climbed in September 2021. So, about a year each time. In both cases, was done breastfeeding before going back to climbing.

[greenonion]

I can’t wait for certain 14er forum dudes’ expert opinions on this. We all know who they are

Super well done new and repeat moms on multiple accomplishments!

[susanjoypaul]

Hello everyone! I just had my sweet baby girl 8 weeks ago and am eyeing Mt Huron this weekend. I am curious if any other ladies out there have experience getting back into fourteeners postpartum and if so, when did you start? My biggest concern is doing too much too soon and damaging my pelvic floor. I’m not planning on bringing baby (she’ll hang out with dad) - doing this one with a girl friend and planning on pumping before and after the hike. I’ve gone on quite a few hikes with baby the last few weeks and have been feeling great overall. Would love to hear any postpartum thoughts and experiences

That's a great question for your gynecologist. How soon depends on whether you had a vaginal birth or a C-section (I've had both) and if you had an episiotomy (honestly, I had my kids so long ago I can't remember if I did or not - definitely not with the C-section, though, and the vaginal kid was so tiny, I kind of doubt it).

It's interesting that you mention pelvic floor health. That's another great question for your doc. I gave a presentation a few weeks ago at Mountain Chalet here in Colorado Springs about women and the outdoors, covering everything from trip planning to packing, and map-making to route-finding. Do you know what the women were *most* interested in? Pelvic floor health! Kind of surprised me. I had almost skipped that part, thinking no one would care. Apparently, they care a lot. They just don't talk about it. Ask your doctor when you can start doing Kegel exercises and how soon you can use Kegel weights. I prefer the non-techie, graduated weight kind versus the remote-controlled and app-driven ones, especially if you're using them in the shower. Start with the lightest weight for fifteen minutes a day and work your way up, going with a heavier weight each week. But again, check with your gyno first.

Congrats on the baby. Being a mom is awesome!

[emself]

Congratulations on baby! I have two girls (youngest is 2yrs) and "got back into" 14ers after both. I waited 7mo and 12mo respectively, but got back to rock climbing much sooner (3-4mo?). I don't believe that there's a "right" amount of time to wait. The important thing is making sure your pelvic floor is healed and your core & supporting muscles are adequately restrengthened before going too hard in any activity. 8wks would be considered early by many, but every individual and birth experience is different. *Highly* recommend seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist - they will be a much better assessor of your physical capabilities than a gynecologist. I can recommend several in the Colorado Springs area if that would be helpful. And if you need a mom hiking/climbing/mountain buddy or any further advice, hmu!

Edit: Just realized you may have attempted Huron last weekend! How did it go, if so?