Short answer - In my opinion, yes.

I have posted my story before, but in brief, I was completely sedentary. I work a full-time job and take between 4 and 6 classes a semester at night for my first Bachelor's (one more semester to go - yay!). I'm a 36 year old woman that started at approximately 220 lbs, about 80 lbs overweight. I will admit, I have not seen my weight go down and yes, mentally it's very disappointing, but in two months I lost 3.5 lbs and 3 DRESS/PANT SIZES. That is change, and it is very obvious to people who I see both daily and infrequently. My story may not be typical, but my answer is an emphatic yes - Crossfit will work for somebody who is starting totally from scratch.

It wasn't easy, and there are days I did not want to go back, but I have seen consistent, positive progression both in my performance and in my body composition. This past month, my 3rd month, I have lost an additional 5 lbs so I know my weight will drop to where I want it eventually, but the body that is emerging is even better than the number I have stuck in my head (which may help with your postpartum question, but I'm not a mother so I can't positively help you there). Good luck!

I started crossfit about 9 months before conceiving my child. I was just on the path of feeling and looking the best ever in my life. I had a complicated pregnancy (extreme morning sickness for 25 weeks coupled with placenta previa - which meant absolutely no working out). So I had to wait to get back. When I started back I attacked the WODs with the same intensity that I had pre-pregnancy. 3rd WOD back I had an epic fail - my hand strength was no what it was before, and I missed the bar on the way down on an assisted kip - and fell - elbow meets floor = broken arm. EPIC FAIL. So in my opinon - take it easy and watch yourself - carting around an infant that is exclusively bf'ing with a broken arm is both hard and stupid. Be carfeul, listen to your body and really impress upon the coaches that you are post-partum which can mean that your body is not cooperating the way it used to.

I was intimidated at first too, and started paleo & crossfit in March. I was eating a lot of carbs at the time and really didn't do much for exercise except walking. I'm 44 with 3 kids, and since I started I've lost 10 lbs. and definitely gained muscle, and feel great! I even added 30lbs to my deadlift 1 rep max. I'm pretty sure I'm one of the oldest, slowest there but I'm making headway and everyone is very supportive, as I'm sure they are at all boxes. Besides for all we know, some of the people there may have started out "from scratch" as well. Go for it!

I'm not a woman, and I don't have kids, so I'm REALLY not qualified to answer, BUT, my CF gym is probably 75% moms.

What I've noticed (from watching the ladies at my box, and my own experience) is that CF is all about what you put into it. We have some ladies that come in, glide through the WOD and don't really push themselves and they don't see results like the ladies who come in and work their tails off!

So, in my humble opinion (mucho respect to mothers!), whatever workout program you decide to try, you'll get out only as much as you put in! Good luck!!

I started CrossFit over a year ago at nearly 260lbs, I'm now at 185lbs eating Paleo and chasing 170 lbs or so. It's a process, it's supposed to be scaled, and any trainer that lets you jump in, 0 to 60, shouldn't be trusted if you are coming into this sedentary.

Just about every box has a beginner or on ramp program, find one near you, check out their website and call for your freeintro. Any gym worth their salt has at least one class for free.

I have just started doing crossfit two weeks ago and I was terrified! I'm a 25 year old mum with two kids under 3! I'm trying to get my body better than pre-baby shape so I have alot of work to do( I want to lose about 7 or 8 pounds). I am lucky that everyone at the box I go to is so supportive and full of encouragement! I can't recommend it enough!! It's worth it!! :)

I started at 200lbs and 25% body fat.I couldn't do any pull ups and could only run about 5k. Year and a half later I am 13% body fat and have run a marathon, 50k, and 50 Miler

From what I've seen and heard around, most Crossfits have a decent amount of women clientele. You shouldn't be surrounded by a bunch of superfit hard bodies. They are a nice cross section of age and ability. A good coach manages to alter the WODs to fit each persons ability.

You should be able to try out at least one class for free, so make sure you do that. If you love it, then it will totally be worth it.

I love it...39 yo mom of two here. Not much change on the scale overall 146 to 142, but boy am I harder and stronger!

Echoing some of earlier posts...judging by your profile name, you're already familiar with ancestral eating (primal, paleo, etc.), which is 80% of the solution. Crossfit is a great way to work the fitness side efficiently; the teamwork, camraderie, friendly rivalries, etc. are tremendously motivating, and can help you get the body you want faster than nutrition alone. It's also a huge confidence booster - breaking 200lbs on deadlift, getting your first kipping pullup, etc. are great for the spirit. As mentioned in other cases, they key is to find a good box with a good coach - someone who teaches safety first, via good technique, and stays on your case about doing it right!

Personal testimonial: I started with a personal trainer 2 mos postpartum after #2 when I stalled out, and knocked off the last stubborn 5 lbs or so in the next few mos (gained a lot of muscle too), but my performance REALLY took off when I started doing kettlebells regularly, and then Crossfit. The next big jump was when I finally kicked grains to the curb. 2.5 years into CF now and still making strength gains, and have my best body EVER at 37!

You can get similar great effects from kettlebells, or a mix of CF and KB; try 'em and figure out what you enjoy and where the people/community makes you happy and motivated, and go for it. Good luck!

Go for it! I dabbled for a few months, and finally invested in a one month package at my nearest affiliate (about 40 mins from my home). It was pricey (there was a free assessment and then 1 free class), but it was worth getting help with my form, learning some new stuff, and the motivation of doing WODs with a group. Just take it easy and stay in your comfort zone; soon you'll be amazed by what you're capable of!

My wife is 9 months past our second child, she's been eating paleo dinners (and lunch for leftovers, both thanks to me) for a couple of years now. I'd say she's got her rockin' body back, without crossfit, and without 'dieting'. (For the record, she's not paleo, so still eats SAD occasionally, but she's probably about 75% paleo thanks to my cooking).

She didn't workout at all the first 3-4 months postpartum, she just concentrated on healing, and being able to provide nutrition for our child. Then she's gone back to her every-other-day-or-so calisthenics. Basically the first 10 minutes of a Shaun T 'Insanity' workout.

So do you need crossfit? No. If you'll enjoy it? Sure, why not? 100% recovery? I think it depends on your genes, but it's certainly within the realm of possibilities.

I think the more out of shape, the faster and more results you'll see with Crossfit. Every gym has a wide variety of people who all started somewhere. Don't discriminate against the Rx-ers…they're nice people too who will encourage and help you along the way, you may want to go try a workout and talk to them…ask them where they were when they started.

I'm just starting so I can't comment on results yet (5 months post partum) but I'm taking a boot camp class that is supposedly designed to get you ready for cross fit. Have you considered that? I had a c-section and I'm finding it manageable.

If you are disciplined enough, you can crossfit at home for little to no cost. If you're not familiar with lifting in general, I recommend you at least do an intro class. Most boxes have like a CrossFit 101 where they introduce you to the program and the basics and they will evaluate your form. Once you're comfortable with it, you can start working out from home. If you dig around a little on the CrossFit forums and the internet you can find lots of DIY equipment that's pretty cheap to make. You can CrossFit for very little cash, but some people work better in the gym environment... like the community keeps them coming back when they would normally quit. If that's you, the definitely make room in your budget!

Also, I've heard that CrossFit works very well in helping break up the fat stores in a woman's thighs (caused by estrogen problems). I heard this on Robb Wolf's Paleo solution podcast... one of the early episodes. He didn't get really into the science about it, but you can find some more information on the web... you just have to dig. Abdominal fat is Cortisol... get your sleep lined out (Standard Light Out! recommendations, if you haven't read the book, then I would do so!). Insulin issues caused by SAD also cause belly fat storage (fixed by Paleo diet).

Visual proof that Crossfit can work wonders for some moms - see the banner photo of this mom with three kids here: http://everydaypaleo.com/about/

You can see a "before" picture of her a few months after the birth of her third son in Robb Wolf's book. She also describes how quickly she saw changes after starting Crossfitting and eating paleo. Wow. What a difference.

Not that every mother will experience the same results she did, but she essentially went from zero to sixty and did very well.

Crossfit changes people's lives. I went from couch potato to Xfitter in 2 weeks.