Hi friends! I hope you are all well and ready for a new dose of information!
Today we are going to go over some easy tips for recovering AFTER having a baby! Everyone talks about what pregnancy is like, how to make it better and how to help during labor (RPT is included in that). Less people talk about the physical toll it takes and how to help your body after delivery!
You’ve Just Had a Baby- Yay! … Now What??
Birth is Trauma
When you, your baby and your pelvic floor go through labor and delivery- IT IS HARD! It is legitimately a trauma for everyone involved. If you were in a car wreck, rolled your ankle or had surgery- no one would expect you to be completely fine 2 days later. Yet, this is the expectation after birth. And on top of healing, you now have to care for this tiny human who doesn’t understand what sleep is! This is hard for a lot of reasons:
During Birth, we kick our bodies into a “fight or flight” state- because it is TRAUMATIC AND HARD for us to go through. It takes time for our bodies and minds to re-set after this.
You are experiencing pushing watermelon through a small hole or you have a brand new c-section wound/scar. This is hard on the body, the pelvic floor, the mind, your digestive system, your cardiovascular system, your emotions… literally the whole body.
Your EXHAUSTED. It was hard to go through the MARATHON of birth and now you are expected to operate on very little sleep. Plus. your body is now producing milk which requires more energy/effort that is new to your body.
Your hormones are EVERYWHERE. After delivery, your pregnancy hormones drop off (like all the way to zero) because you are no longer pregnant. But your body was used to operating with those in your system. Now other hormones are occurring to allow for bonding and breastfeeding. This is a lot to ask your body to do after just running the marathon of labor.
These are just a few reasons why it is hard to recover after birth on top of the tissue healing that has to occur.
Tips and Tricks for Recovering- (other than going to pelvic floor physical therapy)
R.I.C.E (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)
Everyone has heard at some point in time that if you hurt something, you should put an ace bandage around it, ice, and elevate it. The same types of principals apply for your pelvis after giving birth.
Rest
You SHOULD BE resting- “laying low”- for the first two weeks. Try not to put too much on your plate. Have family come to you, and don’t worry about going a ton of places to show little one off. I promise, there will be plenty of time for that later! IF you can get family/friends to come over and help clean/cook or provide a meal train- LET THEM! That’s how they can show love to you, and you need things taken off of your plate.
I also suggest putting Doula/PT visits (for after delivery) on your BABY SHOWER REGISTRY. Then you can get a birth professional in who can help with baby, help YOUR BODY heal, and you can ask any potential questions that you might have.
Ice
Yes- you can ice your “nether region” and C-Section site! It can and will help numb any pain or discomfort that has occurred from delivery. The numbing cycle only takes about 60-90 seconds and this could help you manage any pain. Sitting on ice or placing it directly on top of your perineum can help give a little bit of compression as well.
Compression
Often times, when we have swelling- it is helpful to use compression to push any excess fluid/swelling from the area. Some really smart people have created compression underwear to help with this area! You just place your maternity pad inside the compression underwear and pull them up. Many women appreciate the compression and support that is afforded to you when wearing these. Here is a link to a pair that you can get on amazon (click here). You can start using compression immediately after delivery as long as your OBGYN/Midwife/Birth Team is cool with it.
Elevation
Okay.. Elevation is hard for your pelvic floor. BUT, if you are resting and getting adequate sleep (like 2+ hours) you should be able to check this one off the list! Or you can elevate your feet and get a whole body effect!
Calming the Nervous System
Birth often times sends us into that “fight or flight” state that I talked about earlier. If we don’t allow our bodies to come out of that state, we tend to have a harder time getting fully recovered. The “fight or flight” state triggers our nervous system to think that we are in danger and must operate in such a manner to “fight” for our health or run to make sure we stay safe. This makes it hard for you to rest, your digestive system to operate, you to think clearly, you to regulate emotions… the list can go on and on.
So how do I fix that?
Try to eat really nutritious foods so that your body has all the nutrients it needs to operate at its best.
CHEW YOUR FOOD: as Americans, we tend to chew until food is JUST small enough to swallow. This decreases the amount of stomach acid and movement throughout the digestive tract. Try to chew each bite 15 times to stimulate your digestive tract and to help REDUCE CONSTIPATION.
Meditate or Relax the mind daily: this can be for 30 seconds or 5 minutes. Take a second for you, and allow your brain a time to relax and recharge.
Deep Breathing: good breathing patterns and diaphragmatic breathing can help calm the mind, reset the nervous system AND ASSIST WITH DIGESTION/CONSTIPATION (get on a virtual visit with me to learn how to breathe correctly!).
Ask for help when you need it: no one expects you to be a perfect parent or have it all covered right now. If you need something or just need a break, ask for it. Your friends and family are here to help you through this transition.
There are LOTS OF OTHER ways to achieve nervous system relaxation. We need to design a plan that is best for your body so that we can help you heal and recover!
You’ve got this, Momma.
Now you know that it is important to take a second and realize that you aren’t going to bounce back right away- AND THAT IS OKAY AND NORMAL. Birth is hard and you need to give your body the time, space, and opportunities to heal.
Try RICE or some of the Nervous System techniques to allow your body to begin to heal. When you feel good, baby feels better. When you are nervous and exhausted, baby can tell. Help care for yourself so that you can give your baby the best care possible.
If you have any questions or need help with recovery, we are here for you! Give us a call/text/email today!
Dr. Paige Hubert, PT, DPT
Paige@RechargedPeformanceTherapy.com
(321) 802-1630
www.RechargedPerformanceTherapy.com