Are you ever free from Post Natal Depression?

As I write this I am not sure whether I will actually post this on the blog or just use it as a personal vent.

As someone who has suffered with infertility, having a family of my own is something I have fought long and hard for.  I even quit my dream job for something that paid better so I could save enough to be able to give up work and look after my children full time.

The majority of people I have seen in this position savour every minute of motherhood when they are finally blessed with a family.  Every sleepless night, every long day, every milestone, they take in their stride.

But what if it doesn’t happen like that for you?

Post Natal Exercise

Following on from yesterday's post on eating well when you have a newborn, today's post is about exercise when you have a baby (or a toddler for that matter).

Before I fell pregnant with C I worked out that exercise was the key to me staying reasonably slim.  For me personally, as long as I exercised regularly, then I could pretty much eat what I wanted (in moderation).  It was swimming that really helped keep me in shape.  I have been a strong swimmer since childhood and have found half an hour speed swimming twice a week could do me wonders.

After C's birth I wanted to get back into exercising as soon as possible before I lost momentum but waited until after the 6 week check to be given the all clear by the doctor (waste of time in my opinion).  I then ran in to a problem.  First I tried exercising in the evening (my original exercising time) but found I was too tired after a day of looking after a baby on my own.  I then switched to trying to exercise first thing in the morning when I was most awake.  This worked great for the exercise but meant I was too exhausted for the rest of the day to effectively parent C.  I needed sleep!

Nearly 18 months later and the same problem is still an issue.  How does anyone have the energy to exercise and look after a child full time?  I seriously would like to hear all sensible suggestions or your own experiences!!!