Postnatal Recovery & Fitness
Taking you through your Postnatal recovery and back to activity and fitness!
My biggest top tip is not to compare yourself to anyone else. Everyone will have had an individual pregnancy and birth, so recovery is also individual. You may have prepared yourself as well as you could but your body may not be responding in the way you had expected.
Your first step might be to check out when my next ‘Your Postnatal Recovery’ talk is so you can get some general information on recovery but also have the opportunity to ask specific questions relating to your individual recovery.
If you feel you need further input, get your body checked out or talk about any concerns further, for example returning to activities and exercise then you can book a 1-2-1 appointment with me. I can visit you at home or you can make an appointment to see me on a Thursday morning at Olive Chiropractic. If it’s a specific pelvic floor query you have, and you feel you need an internal examination of the pelvic floor, then I recommend you contact Louise Rahmanou, www.physiotherapyforwomen.co.uk Louise can examine you first, get you started with some input and then I can rehab you further.
Before you return to active exercise, you need to have had your GP check up and be 12 weeks post c section. Up to this point, building up your walking distance is a good way to increase your exercise tolerance and there is a FREE monthly Buggywalk in Pittville Park that you can join in with and meet other new mums. In all situations you still need to return to activity gradually and while returning to exercise to consider your posture, reconnecting to some deep breathing again and taking note of how your body feels before progressing on further.
If you’re doing OK with the walking and you have had the necessary checks and waited long enough post c section, then Buggyfit would be the next option for you to consider regaining your fitness back and getting strong again. The class concentrates on activating all the stability muscles around the pelvis and core along with upper body strengthening that all helps you cope with looking after a new baby and the extra stresses and strains that might put on your body as well as getting your body to return to further activity. Classes run every Monday, Wednesday and Friday all at 10.30am in Pittville Park and there are always options to do less or more of an exercise so suitable for all levels of fitness.
If you had a c section, it is advisable that you start some massage around the scar and eventually on the scar once full healing has occurred to help with the healing and prevent tightness/tugging locally and all surrounding areas. I can advise on local massage and also offer more specific c section recovery massage to help your body recover fully. Discomfort and tugging to the scar area is not normal and you can do something about this.
If you are experiencing any heaviness/discomfort in the pelvic floor region or if you had stitches and it just doesn’t feel right, then do please discuss this further with me and I may recommend again you see a Women’s Health Physio for an internal examination. An internal examination can put your mind at rest as to what exactly is happening and what you need to start doing to get you on the road to recovery.
To help get a real connection back with your pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles, ideal to help with feelings of heaviness in the pelvic floor and any leaks and to reassure yourself your body is going to be able to withstand any increased activity you return to, then the 6 week Holistic Core Restore ® programme is ideal and can be done either as a class or 1-2-1 on zoom or in person 1-2-1 or a small group in your home. You must still consider your pelvic floor rehab/recovery even with a c section.
Another area that can cause some concern for new mums is the abdominals. The abdominals have to stretch for everyone’s baby to grow but sometimes they don’t always return to how we would like them to. A gap and a softness in the midline of your tummy muscles is called a diastasis and if this persists it means you’re lacking part of your stability system in the body so some extra input with specific exercise may be required. One size does not fit all when it comes to a diastasis so it’s best to get this checked out individually, so you know what areas of recovery to focus on.
If you’ve done the 6 week Holistic Core Restore ® course or been doing specific exercise for Diastasis then the Heat class (run over zoom 8pm on Thursdays) is a great follow on or stepping stone to other things. It is also a great stand-alone class focussing on core exercise and stability muscle activity. It’s also great if you can’t get out in the week to exercise and you will also receive a recording.
Ask a Question
If you would like to ask me a question about Your Postnatal Recovery or your return to fitness, simply complete the form opposite and submit. I will reply directly to you!
Thanks
Joan
