Exercise Rehab to Support Mama’s in Healing
Exercise Rehab to Support Mama’s in Healing
Firstly, Congratulations on the arrival or soon to be arrival of your little one. Throughout pregnancy and delivery you are surrounded by doctors and professionals constantly checking in on the health of you and babe. Then after delivery and labour the focus shifts to baby and mom is sent home with a peri bottle and instructions to rest. As you navigate life with your new addition, you also have to navigate through your recovery and what impacts pregnancy and delivery had on your body and health.
Your body has gone through incredible changes to carry and deliver your babe. Those changes do not go away or heal as soon as baby arrives. We want to prevent and/or resolve symptoms some women have begun to believe are the inevitable side effects of giving birth. These symptoms can include pain with exercise or not feeling strong with certain movements, and incontinence with laughing/running/sneezing. We want to support you in your healing past your 6 week clearance, to ensure you can return to the things you love without fear of pain or peeing your pants.
Every pregnancy is different and every delivery is different. There are things every mama can start to do hours after delivery to dip your toes into healing. However, to really start a rehabilitation program that focusses on breath work, core muscles, pelvic floor muscles and whole body strengthening it depends on the type of delivery you had. Vaginal birth that was uncomplicated with 2 stitches or less, no forceps or vacuum assistance can start a rehabilitation program 2 weeks postpartum. Vaginal birth that was more complicated with 2+ stitches, tearing beyond the skin (2,3 or 4th degree tearing or episiotomy) or had forceps or vacuum assistance can start 4-6 weeks postpartum. Mamas who had a cesarian can start 6 weeks postpartum if there were no complications with your incision healing.
How a Chiropractor Can be a Support to you?
Whether you were seeing a chiropractor during pregnancy or not they can be a great resource postpartum. Not only for healing but adapting to the new stresses on your body as you care for a newborn.
Some common complaints seen in new moms are:
- Upper back and neck pain– you are now carrying and feeding a growing baby in all new positions for your body. These are stresses that were not on your body before and your muscles need to adapt and strengthen. Chiropractors can be there to help find better positions, treat the aches and pains, and help you strengthen.
- Mommy wrist– As mentioned above you are now carrying a babe in new and wonderful positions. This puts extra strain on your wrist and doesn’t give you time to rest it. Fluid retention from pregnancy can also play a role in these symptoms.
- Low back pain– You may have suffered from some low back pain during pregnancy as your body adapted to being loaded in a new way. Core muscles may need some help “waking up” and engaging as they did before to help support your body.
- Diastasis Recti– Some moms are warned about this during pregnancy, but know it is normal and something almost all moms have to some degree by 35 weeks. If you haven’t been told, a diastasis is a separation in your rectus abdominis muscle (six pack muscle). It is usually not the cause of symptoms, and more a sign of core weakness and can usually be addressed with exercise and breath work.
These are examples of a few complaints commonly seen in new moms but as said above all pregnancies and deliveries are different, so are all recoveries. Treatment for these and other complaints can include adjustments, soft tissue techniques, position advice, therapeutic tape and more to help with pain complaints. We can also prescribe exercises to help you regain and reconnect with muscles as you navigate this new stage of your body. We can meet you where you are and slowly and safely help you regain strength so you can return to the activities you love without pain or risk of further injury. We are here to fill the gap between delivering, your 6 week check and returning to the activities or exercise you love.
Welcome to AltaVie Health
At AltaVie, we are committed to delivering the highest level of musculoskeletal care to our patients in all stages of life. Depending if you have visited us before, your first visit will be 30 mins or a full hour. Your chiropractor will take a full history, do a full exam, explain any findings, likely provide the first treatment and teach you some beginning exercises during that time.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give us a call to book a no pressure free 15 minute chat with one of our chiropractors 778-484-4414.
