First off your body just “ran a marathon” or had a major surgery. At least that is what I like you compare it to. Any person who just had surgery or some sort of major injury would be referred to PT right? How come us Mommas aren’t told to go see a PT to recover? WE ALL SHOULD! And we have to treat it like a process. Your body will heal on its own to some extent, but a Pelvic Floor PT will help to jumpstart the recovery process and to make you aware of those abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles that need assistance.
Let’s begin by reflecting on and appreciating the changes your body just went through.
- Organs being squished and pushed up
- Diaphragm (breathing muscle) pushed up and not working correctly
- Ribs spread or flared (also effects diaphragm function)
- Pelvic floor was under a lot of pressure with vaginal birth AND c-section
- Abs stretched out (most likely causing diastasis recti)
- Back muscles strained due to handling extra weight in front
- Posture changes
- HORMONES = ligament laxity throughout the whole body
- Sleep deprivation = stress
Does that put things more into perspective? Do you think your body can naturally recover from all that without help?
You need to figure out how to let YOUR body heal and recover all while taking care of baby. You don’t want to overdo it, but there are definitely some exercises and daily tasks you can modify to help with recovery.
In the first stage, the 6-8 weeks until you are cleared by your OBGYN (which that is another soap box), you should be doing these 3 things. First, resting and mobilizing your body. You should really work on your neck and upper back mobility, especially since you will be in strange positions either feeding, holding, or carrying your baby. Mobility and stretching is key to prevent soreness and tightness. The second exercise to work on, is 360 breathing. 360 breathing helps to work on quite a few of the body changes listed above. It will help restore intra-abdominal pressure and move the organs back in place, assist with getting the diaphragm working properly, and assist with healing your over stretched abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. 360 breathing also helps to get the abs firing to decrease rib flare, shrink the abdomen back to proper size, and help to decrease tension in the low back muscles. Third is to learn tips/tricks that we can use in our normal daily tasks while caring for baby that can help with recovery and decrease complaints of pain and improve sleep. The only item on that list we haven’t addressed yet is hormones, but a pelvic floor PT can assess for other imbalances that may have been exaggerated during pregnancy (from hormone changes) and treat as needed. We can also help with setting and managing your expectations of recovery. Remember it is a process!
As far as recovery, there is not a one size fits all even though some programs will suggest that. Someone who is dealing with a diastisis recti will have a different focus than someone who is dealing with tearing of the pelvic floor.
Alright, now I would like to talk about the OBGYN. They are mostly concerned with how baby is doing while growing inside you. They don’t educate you on YOUR body during pregnancy or how YOU can recover after baby. Heck, when you go in for your 6 or 8 week check-up, do they even have you undress and look at your abdominal muscles or pelvic floor muscles to see how they are healing. Mine did not! Mine asked me a couple questions and said ok you are good to return to normal tasks. I can tell you from a tissue healing perspective your body is not 100% healed. Pelvic floor PTs are aware of many issues in postpartum as well as how everything is connected to your WHOLE body. In my opinion, all OBGYNs should be referring every momma to a pelvic floor PT. OK, I will step off my soap box.
Let’s get back to the 2nd stage of recovery, the stage AFTER you are cleared by your OBGYN. You can now return to running, exercise, life, or whatever your goals are, but your body has changed. Your abdominals are stretched and weak, your posture has changed, your pelvic floor isn’t able to handle the pressure. You may get frustrated by not being able to do what you were doing pre-baby. I am here to remind you that your body is not the same and in a sense has to be re-trained to meet your goals. You need to remember to be patient and consistent. It took 9 months to grow your baby and you need to give your body at least 9 months to recover. A pelvic floor therapist can educate and guide you through the recovery process to return to your goals. You will learn to be conscious and aware of how your body moves and learn to correct it. A pelvic floor therapist can help you set expectations for the new normal.
Comments