As a Pilates instructor and the owner of a health and wellness company for over a decade, I’ve helped many clients recover from a myriad of issues and injuries, some so severe they required surgery. As you’d expect in these cases, my clients were kept informed before, during, and after a procedure by their doctors, were prescribed physical therapy, and were given an abundance of information on how to properly build back strength.
The one exception was when a client would give birth. Even in the best-case scenario, a woman might face stretching, swelling, tearing, and cutting, yet two to six weeks later she can be cleared for exercise with little to no guidance on how to properly rehabilitate postpartum.
We don’t expect the body to “self-heal” after any other major surgery or physical event, so why do we assume this should happen after birth?
Mothers face many physical issues during recovery from birth. Hormonal changes, like elevated levels of relaxin, a hormone that loosens ligaments and joints to aid in delivery, can cause balance issues and an overall clumsy feeling for moms. Gestational weight gain and increased breast size leave many women hunched over, leading to poor posture and balance and muscle aches and pains.
Plus, most moms will also suffer from weakened or damaged abdominal, lower-back, and pelvic muscles, which can play a role in incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. It’s obvious that giving birth is a major life and medical event, and recovering from it should be addressed as seriously as recovering from trauma.
Mistakes to Avoid During Postpartum Recovery
Jumping back into intense exercise too quickly. Many moms return to high-impact cardio and heavy lifting without thinking about what their new bodies can handle. New mothers who were avid runners or even CrossFit enthusiasts prepregnancy are more susceptible to joint injury during these exercises due to elevated levels of relaxin.
Building abdominal pressure. Traditional crunches, planks, and intense core exercises can worsen diastasis recti, increasing the likelihood of lower-back and bladder issues postpartum.
Poor diet. Nutrition plays a role not only in weight gain or loss, but also in energy, mood, sleep, and muscle recovery. Too often, busy new moms go for the fast and easy food choice, without thinking about the nutritional content and consequences.
Doing nothing. Immediately after birth, your…
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