Postnatal Recovery ain’t linear

If there is one thing I’ve realised over the years is that Postnatal Recovery is far from a straight line. Before we had our baby we may have felt like we knew our bodies better, that what we put in we got back. And now we are dealing with a new and changed body and what’s more a new situation: not as much time to eat well and exercise.

The Hormone Effect:

No matter how fit you were during your pregnancy the hormone drops and the effort of labour, especially after your first baby can be significant. You will notice your muscle endurance will be less and you are certainly in a sort of limbo for the first few weeks as your posture adjusts.

Speed Bumps:

Almost experiences these; so please do not think you are alone. Post-delivery infections, mastitis, tongue tie, sleep deprivation, colic, reflux, coccyx pain. Sounds scary I know but I want you to know that some of this is avoidable and some it just is not. Your journey will be unique and will dictate how quickly you will return to exercise. Please do not rush through these bumps in the road- ride them like a wave and nurture yourself through them. Good food and rest are a priority and gentle movement that is non- painful and makes you feel good is essential.

Does Posture Matter?

I think posture does help recovery. Do try to elevate your baby on a few pillows so that your arms and elbows are supported so that you are not bending over baby but rather bringing them up to you. Choose a relatively supportive chair if you can and support your lumbar spine with a rolled up cushion. Roll up two towels like train tracks, pleac them lengthways, supporting each butt cheek so that your sit bones on on the towels and your coccyx is given some freedom. This will give the perineum breathing space and your coccyx less pressure. If you can choose lying down rest positions or bum up on three pillows to ease pressure on the perineum in the early stages.

Mini Goals first

Start small and manageable and when you have had a bad day, put it behind and start again. Begin with short walks around the house, then venture outside for short a frequent movement breaks. When baby settles or is with someone, try some gentle chair or bed stretches concentrating on your mid back, chest and shoulders and the lumbar region. Breathing and gentle pelvic floor are worth your time and attention even in small amounts first.

The Fourth trimester

Do not underestimate the importance of the first 3 months postnatal. The foundations you lay at this stage allowing ligaments to recover, early tissue healing to occur can lead to reduced incidence of longer term issues with prolapse and incontinence. Overloading in the early stages may not allow your tissues full reovery and you need to take this into account when returning to higher impact exercise. I know it doesn’t feel like it but there is no rush.

For more on this please do sign up for my Postnatal Recovery Workshop on May 23rd, 2024.