POSTPARTUM PROGRAM DESIGN - INTRODUCTION AND RECONNECTION (Weeks 1-6)
Postpartum Rehab is a suggestion of exercises that can feel good (and did for me!) during the postpartum period. And ideal program should incorporate both therapy and fitness tailored to YOUR specific situation. What this means is that some of the foundational movements for postpartum rehab may not be what your body needs. So paying attention, listening to the discomfort, and seeking diagnosis from healthcare professionals is super important.
I had a vaginal birth with Bastian after being induced and getting an epidural. It was beautiful to be able to watch Bastian enter the world but I also was able to see just what was happening to my body. What resulted was second degree tears that took a long time to heal. There were issues with the fusing of the tears and so I ended up being in quite a bit of pain for much longer than expected. At week 5 I was assessed by my pelvic floor physio and the great news was that that the exercises and breathwork that I was already incorporating were really helping to resestablishih that core connection. I did not have any significant diastasis recti and my pelvic floor showed signs of regaining both endurance and strength. However, my right side was extremely tight (hypertonic) which meant I needed to shift a bit of my focus to more relaxing techniques rather than contracting - I began to focus on my relaxing INHALE rather than the contracting EXHALE. What I realized is that my pelvic floor was likely doing too much work and I needed to focus on strengthening everything around it - core, diaghragm, adductors, glutes.
The first few weeks (Week 1-6) should really be about RECONNECTING to your core (your PF, diaphragm, glutes, abdominals….all of it!). It is a delicate time that is comprised of a lot of rest and a lot of breathwork. The goal of reconnecting to your core should be coupled with decreasing stress, focussing on posture and alignment, gentle movement (like walking, leg slides, marches etc) and encouraging the right muscles to be fire in the day to day movements (getting out of bed etc). Any sets should be kept to a minimum (1-2) and reps dont need to be counted and should instead be rhythmic and coupled with your breathwork. You shouldn’t need to strain through he motion, it should feel fluid and full of rest.
** For anyone who notices any diastasis recti please ensure you are NOT adding any flexion of extension of the torso. Breathwork should also not be fully belly breathing - you don’t want to add more pressure and push outwards to an already aggravated situation.
