Lactation is the process by which milk is produced in the breast after childbirth, allowing mothers to breastfeed their babies. Breastfeeding has numerous benefits, and mothers may be concerned that lifestyle choices such as exercise may adversely affect their milk production. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise fives times per week for a healthy adult. Healthy mothers can meet this recommendation, and be confident that exercise alone will not keep you from having enough milk to satisfy your baby's needs.
Normal Milk Production
You can tell if your baby is getting enough milk by being observant. Your new baby should nurse between eight and 12 times in a 24 hour period and, by the fourth day, be generating six to eight wet diapers. If you can hear your baby suck and swallow and there is an observable weight gain of about 15 to 30 g per day, your baby is likely getting enough.
Effect of Exercise on Milk Production
A 1994 report published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" detailed a study of 33 inactive nursing mothers. Eight weeks after giving birth, the women were divided into two groups: an exercise group and a control group. The exercise group engaged in 45 minutes of aerobic exercise five days per week for 12 weeks. The study results showed that exercise increased the cardiovascular fitness of the mothers but had no effect on the amount or quality of milk they produced.
Clinical Studies
A 2001 article reported in the "Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology" indicated that both experimental studies in animals and human clinical studies upheld the established idea that exercise does not inhibit lactation. The paper stated that exercise did not affect the mothers' health, the babies' growth and development, or the mothers' milk production.
Consideration
No recent evidence has refuted earlier scientific reports of exercise neither slowing nor stopping milk production. The evidence is clear, however, that exercise benefited the mothers. The study in the "Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology" indicated that exercising mothers returned to prebirth body weight faster than sedentary ones, along with the elevated level of fitness that benefited their hearts. You can remain fit while nursing, but talk to your doctor before you begin an exercise program.
References
- "Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health": Lactation; L. Bennington; 2006
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Public Health Guidelines
- "New England Journal of Medicine": Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Milk Volume; K. Dewey; February 1994
- "Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology": Exercise and Lactation; G. Cary; February 2001
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