“I am Esther Leal, mom of Iria, 31 months old, whom I breastfed very happily until she was 28 months old, and triathlete of 11 years. Although this has not been my profession, triathlon is part of my life, and adapting it to my new life as a mother has not been easy. Still, by learning and listening to my body, I have achieved the best results of my life, including first place in the women’s amateur category in the Ironman Wales Race last September. Ironman is a triathlon in which you have to swim 3.8km, cycle 180km, and run a marathon of 42.2km, all without the clock stopping. And I did all of this while breastfeeding Iria, who was about to turn 2 years old at the time.

I would like to share with you some things I have learned on this trip to see if I can smooth the way for you because sometimes they don’t make it easy for us.

– The first thing I’m going to say is not specific to breastfeeding mothers, but it applies to all mothers, and it is key: get checked out, care for and work your pelvic floor and transverse. If it could be from pregnancy onward, even better. If it doesn’t feel right, once the 6 weeks postpartum is over, find a specialized center as soon as possible for an evaluation and prescription for pelvic floor rehab. And I am not talking about Kegel exercises that only work at a superficial level; you need to work at a deep level. Unfortunately, gynecologists are as outdated on this as pediatricians on the topic of breastfeeding (in general and with respect, sorry but not sorry).

– And the next most important thing: there is no exercise or sport that’s not safe or not recommended during breastfeeding. With the exception of those in which there may be a direct impact on the breasts, all others are totally safe to practice. It won’t change the composition of the milk, nor will it make breastmilk less fatty (I’ve heard that myth so many times: my daughter was born with a low percentile <10, and she still is, even if she eats a lot), or anyhow else different.

– In the beginning, it is very important to respect 6 weeks of rest (6 weeks in vaginal births and a little longer in C-sections, whatever the gynecologist recommends). In addition, during this time, you will most likely have the baby at your breast for about 15 hours a day, so you are lucky if you can take a shower, let alone think about doing sport ;-).

– Once that time has passed, start with something gentle. Swimming is very good because it works the whole body without any impact. But it can also be pilates, stationary bikes, or cross-trainers. For impact activities such as running, let a minimum of 12 weeks pass and then start alternating light jogging with walking.

– For the first few months, my advice is to do activities that you can do any time and independently, as you will depend on the rhythms of your baby, so trying to get to the 7:15 pm Zumba class or meeting your friend at 5 pm to play tennis can go wrong. Many times, because you are in the middle of a feed, which can generate frustration, and then you will end up doing nothing. In the beginning, you will barely have a maximum of 1-hour “break,” but catch it when you can and try to adapt. Swimming for 30 minutes is certainly better than nothing.

– Keep some daily time for yourself and generate endorphins that come in handy when you are exhausted from taking care of your baby day and night; this helps a lot to better manage those months that are so beautiful but so hard.

– Until a few months pass, there is the additional discomfort of the full breasts, as soon as some time has passed. So always empty your breasts before going out to do your activity (and, if you do not have your baby nearby, as it can happen, for example, in a competition, use a breast pump). Always make it the last thing you do before going out. Then it will be less uncomfortable. Buy a pair of sports bras that fit your new size (and it may even be more comfortable at first to wear two, one on top of the other). I used to find that in the pool, with the cold water and my nipples so sensitive, it was very uncomfortable, and I solved this problem by wearing a bikini top under my swimsuit.

– And as much as you may hear this: no, lactic acid you may generate from exercising, no matter how intense, will not cause your baby to reject your breast. It is possible that the taste of your breast milk may change, I don’t know, but many things change the taste of your milk, and that does not mean that your baby will reject it. Maybe it is even tastier; who knows. Iria has never refused my breast, even after competing.

– What is not a myth, and you have to be careful, is that prolactin generates hyperlaxity (over-flexibility) in the joints, so if you do impact exercise, be careful not to injure yourself. Doing some strengthening exercises and not overstretching helps. Be very careful with this.

– And, above all, lots of patience. In the beginning, our babies are totally dependent on us, especially if they do not accept a pacifier or bottle, as was my case. Still, before you know it, they will be 9-12 months old and will be much more independent, so you can take advantage of longer workouts without impacting your little one.

I hope this will help you to fight the myths and fears around moms wanting to do their sports. Remember that not long ago, women were forbidden to run marathons because they said that their uterus would fall and they would grow a mustache! So enjoy your new sports stage, where everything is enjoyed even more by knowing that your little one is growing up in a healthy environment and in a culture of effort to fight for their dreams and not to give up, which is very positive for all things in life.