When a Mama asks me what movement she can do postpartum, my answer is…
💥 It depends 💥
Soo specific right!? 😊
It depends on a bunch of things:
Your energy Your time Your pelvic floor function Your abdominals Your mental health Your expectations If you’re breastfeeding Your stress levels Your birth experience Your physical recovery Your sleep patterns How you’re feeling about yourself & your body The support systems you have in place.
Notice I say ‘yours’ not someone elses. This is your body & your experience.
Where to start then? 👇
💫 Take a big deep beautiful breath, there’s no rush here.
💫 See a Women’s Health Physio. They’ll give you a baseline to work from safely. (Especially in regards to pelvic floor & abdominals) they will give you information about what movement is best for the stage you’re in. Your 6 week check at the doctors often doesn’t provide all the info you need to know about safe return to movement.
💫 Aim to find a PT that is qualified to work with Mamas.
💫 Start to get to know your body again (or know it for the first time) and notice how you feel during and after movement. Are you energised by it or feeling depleted? Do you have symptoms of pain, leaking, bulging etc in your pelvic floor*, do your abs dome when you perform certain movements? Do you feel pain or discomfort? We want to support you with exercise not deplete you.
💫 Find a village and build a support team. This might be friends, family & a mother’s group but could also include professionals like a Physio, GP, Psychologist etc.
💫 Always always be kind to yourself. This is a huge life changing time (whether it’s bubba #1 or #4). It can be exciting and challenging and all the things in between.
💫 Postpartum is forever, we have time to figure things out, to heal & to discover what the next version of ourselves will be. This is an evolution that takes time.
What has getting back into movement postpartum been like for you?
*worth noting, pelvic floor dysfunction may not come with any symptoms until later in life – this is why a women’s health physio and building strength from the inside out is so important.
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