Embracing Postpartum Physical Recovery: The Journey That Never Ends

Postpartum physical recovery is a lifelong journey, requiring the same steps whether you had your baby 3 weeks or 30 years ago! It's never too late!

Embracing Postpartum Physical Recovery: The Journey That Never Ends

Becoming a parent is an extraordinary experience that brings joy, love, and a whole new meaning to our lives. From the moment we hold our little ones in our arms, we embark on a journey of growth, learning, and immense transformation.

As we navigate this path, it's important to acknowledge the physical changes that occur in our bodies, especially during the postpartum period.

Postpartum physical recovery is a topic that often goes undiscussed or receives inadequate attention. Society tends to focus on the beauty and bliss of pregnancy and childbirth, inadvertently overlooking the profound changes a woman's body goes through during and after delivering a baby.

However, it's crucial to recognize that once you've had a baby, you are forever "postpartum."

Please join me as I unravel the layers of postpartum physical recovery so you can discover the strength and resilience that lies within you.

Let's shatter the myth of bouncing back and instead embrace the concept of embracing our bodies' post-birth journey with love, acceptance, and gratitude. Remember, postpartum is not a fleeting moment but a lifelong commitment to nurturing ourselves and celebrating the incredible journey of motherhood.

Steps to Recovery

After birth (no matter how long ago that was!) there is a hierarchy of steps to take in order to recover from the monumental physical and mental events of pregnancy and childbirth.

Note: always get clearance from your doctor before you begin any recovery program.

Develop Proper Breathing Techniques
Strengthen Your Core
Fix Your Posture
Assess For Other Pregnancy-Related Imbalances

Monumental physical changes that occur during pregnancy/childbirth

During pregnancy our bodies’ change to accommodate the growing baby, some of which result in movement limitations or health problems:

Organs are compressed and moved around.
The diaphragm is pushed up.
Ribs are spread out.
Abdominal muscles are stretched.
Back muscles overcompensate and tighten.
Ligaments become lax.
Sleep cycles are interrupted.
There is a tremendous amount of pressure on the pelvic floor (PF)

Step 1: Develop Proper Breathing Techniques

This really is the most important step and it is perfect for those bleary-eyed days after birth.

Mastering proper breathing techniques takes time, practice and a strong muscular foundation, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

Centuries ago practitioners of the Indian system of yoga observed the positive and negative effects associated with different types of breathing. As such, targeted breathing techniques are an integral part of any Yoga method. Modern science has since confirmed the validity of these ancient practices and discovered exactly how our breath impacts vital bodily functions. This additional knowledge can facilitate even greater control over our health than ever before.

The first most important thing to do is ensure the diaphragm is working properly. This will help to ensure that the organs move back in place, abdominal muscles will begin firing (to take pressure off the back) and strengthen the weakened pelvic floor. It will also will help restore an overall sense of calm and happiness during a stressful time, achieve a higher pain threshold, a stronger immune response and increased focus and attentiveness.

At the cellular level the brain constantly monitors breath speed, then sends signals to the central nervous system accordingly. Anger or fear causes faster breath. Faster breath signals a release of stress hormones that cause the heart to beat faster and the body temperature to rise (among other things). In times of danger, this is extremely useful. However, fast breathing means distress signals are being sent even if there are no obvious threats to confront. This continued state of red alert is very detrimental over the long run.

Studies have shown the power of awareness and visualization. When subjects in a study mimicked an emotional breathing pattern, or when they looked at a picture of a face depicting that emotion - they immediately felt it. But in most cases awareness alone is not enough to slow breathing down below red alert level. This is where the fitness professional comes in to teach and practice focused breathing techniques.

We know the brain needs a physical body to act on messages it receives. Breath speed is determined by the muscles used as well as their strength. The larger the area available to hold air, the slower the breath will be. Unfortunately, most people don’t have adequate body awareness (to target the right muscles to create the space) or core strength to build a large enough area to hold air. The average person can only expand the front of the chest, which is insufficient to allow a constant level of slow breathing.

Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing, on the other hand, is a more complicated process that starts with a downward contraction of the diaphragm. The ribs then expand out in all directions (front and back) creating a large enough space to facilitate slow breathing.

Step 2: Strengthen Your Core

While breathing practice helps with body awareness and creating space, core strength is required to keep the space open during inhalation. Ideally it will come at a time where your physical body is sufficiently healed to allow the commencement of core strength building.

THIS IS CRUCIAL to avoid common postpartum injuries or their exacerbation. A comprehensive postpartum core strength building program will insure that the abdominal muscles are contracting correctly to:

decrease rib flare,
bring the abdomen back to its rightful size, and
decrease tension in the low back muscles.

Step 3: Strengthen Your Postural Muscles

As mentioned above, pregnancy can cause many postural imbalances including:

stretched and weakened abdominal muscles
overactive and tightened back muscles
rounded upper back and shoulders

Once the diaphragm has been trained and core training has begun, increasing strength in the postural muscles can be introduced. These muscles include the head and neck, upper and lower back, and shoulders and chest.

Step 4: Assess for Other Pregnancy Related Issues

We’ve discussed the many possible imbalances created by pregnancy. But what if you had other pregnancy-related conditions? After the above steps have been taken it is then time to assess the rest and begin to correct it.

These conditions can vary in severity and duration, and it's important to be aware of them to ensure proper care and support. Here are some common ones:

Perineal Tears or Episiotomy: During childbirth, the perineum (the area between the vagina and anus) may tear or be intentionally cut (episiotomy) to facilitate delivery. These tears require stitches and can cause discomfort and pain during the healing process.
Cesarean Section (C-section) Incision: Women who undergo a C-section delivery will have an large incision in their abdomen covering a large area. This incision cuts through muscle, fascia and nerves. Recovery timelines will be different both in length and in steps to take. One major aspect not often addressed by doctors is scar care, but there are many other factors to be aware of.
Constipation/Hemorrhoids: The strain of pushing during childbirth or the pressure on the pelvic area can lead to swollen veins in the rectal area, resulting in hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids can cause pain, itching, and discomfort.
Diastasis Recti: a condition where the abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy, leaving a gap between the muscles. While this condition is not usually dangerous, it is physically obvious and can also be a contributing factor to various pain conditions.
Urinary Incontinence: The pressure exerted on the bladder during pregnancy and childbirth can weaken the pelvic floor muscles, leading to urinary incontinence or the inability to control urination.
Pubic Symphysis Pain: caused by a separation or misalignment of the pubic symphysis joint. It can cause pain and discomfort in the pelvic area and may require physical therapy for healing.
SI Joint Pain: caused by a separation or misalignment of the sacro-iliac (SI) joint causing pain and discomfort in the back of the hip (where it meets the low back).

It's important to remember that every woman's postpartum experience is unique, and not everyone will experience all of these conditions. However, being aware of these possibilities can help women recognize and address any physical challenges that arise during their postpartum recovery journey.

It is never too late to address these issues!

If you’re worried that you’re 'too old' to fix anything now, nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, the further out you go after the birth of a baby, the easier it can be from a number of perspectives including:

more time available
more rested
less ligament laxity
hormones closer to normal

So, you still CAN get your old body back and return to activities you thought you'd never do again!

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Still confused or overwhelmed?

Book a call with me and let's create a plan to get your health and fitness on track together.

Categories: Move