Looking for Post-Baby/Partum Running Advice

[cath2284]

I am 9 weeks out from a C-section and starting to train for my fourth marathon that will be in about 3 months.  Because I have high risk pregnancies, I was on bed-rest with no running or any kind of exercise at all for 9 months.  Advice on how to start back in and things to make sure to do or to make sure and avoid?

[Burt McCumber]

My biggest piece of advice would be not to get pregnant again anytime soon.  Other than that, it sounds like question for Sasha.

[Josse]

Personally I would not do a marathon so soon after going through what you have.  I would wait until next year to run a marathon.  After having a baby your body needs along time to recover and repair (I believe it takes a full 3 years, after my last child I still felt pain in my pubic bone for a couple of years when I would do long runs).  I would just ease back into running, esp. where you where on bed rest.  Maybe change your expectaions to a half in the fall insted of a marathon.  I just think it is to muc strain on the body to train for a marathon and repair the body from child birth.
I would just start back with a couple of miles 6 days a week and see how your body handles that.  If you feel good, meaning you are not dead tired and falling into any sort of depression.  You can build on that.  Just remeber you have the rest of your life to train for marathons.  Don't put you recovery and mental health in jepordy just to trian for a marathon.  Recovering form a baby, taking care of a baby and training for a marathon are all very taxing on the body.
I waited until my son was over a year before I ran another marathon.  I suggest you do the same.

[seesuerun]

I have had this exact problem. I have high risk pregnancies and always have to stop exercising and go on bed rest while I am pregnant. My only advice is that is comes back. It takes a while but the body soon remembers and after time and a few rough runs you are sailing again. Just avoid injuries in the recovery period!! If you are like me I go too fast too soon. I got a lower back injury as I started my training after my baby. So easing into it is best. I would say three months wouldn't have been enough time for me after my bedrest but you be the judge. I also had c-sections with my babies and the cuts get deeper into the tissue with each c-section. Recovery with the first c-sections are different then the recoveries with following pregnancies. Just take it easy as the body is getting back into shape.

[Michelle Lowry]

I would agree with Josse that you might want to consider no more than 1/2 marathons in the first year, then tackle the marathon.   Part of the reason is the natural training cycle.  If you don't have time to build a base, run some 1/2 marathons, before the marathon, then that is evidence you don't have time to build up to the marathon. 
After my kids, it seems like it took me quite a while to transition from jogging a couple of miles a day to actually training.  The late nights with the baby, the nursing (if you nurse) all make long runs, or setting up consistent training times so hard.  Just get out there every day even if the timing can't be consistent.
Best of luck to you!