What Does It Look Like to Rehabilitate One's Postpartum Body?

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What Does It Look Like to Rehabilitate One's Postpartum Body?

It dawned on me recently that I should view my pelvic floor injury from giving birth in a similar way: rehab the heck out of it, and do maintenance when it acts up!

Coming to this revelation took self-reflection. I resented the idea of perpetual maintenance of my pelvic floor. Why can't it just work? I also resisted viewing my experience giving birth as "traumatic" or that it injured me. Those words "injury" and "trauma" are so loaded, especially when it comes to the act of giving birth.

But, then I realized, I don't have to view giving birth as "either/or." Birthing my son was an intense, emotional, difficult, easy, magical, real, out-of-body, in-the-body experience. Regardless of what emotion I attach to the experience, the reality is that I did sustain a pelvic floor injury.

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Why Sex Hurts After Childbirth: Q & A With Jenna Perkins, MSN, WHNP-BC

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Why Sex Hurts After Childbirth: Q & A With Jenna Perkins, MSN, WHNP-BC

When women have pain for so long, society has said, that’s an expectation for women, and so many women feel guilty about it and don’t want to talk to their providers. Or when they do come into for their 6-week postpartum, or a couple months after, and things still don’t feel good, they can be “poo-pooed” on. The issue is not really addressed to their satisfaction and that can be discouraging.

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Find Your Postpartum Inner Unit: Q&A With Janna Young

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Find Your Postpartum Inner Unit: Q&A With Janna Young

Pregnancy and childbirth really changes our bodies. We literally move in different ways due to our center of gravity shifting, then it suddenly shifts again after the baby is out. For many of us, adjusting to these physical changes affects more than just our bodies.

Engaging your inner unit can help ground us physically and emotionally.

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4 Postpartum Poses to Ease Back into Exercise

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4 Postpartum Poses to Ease Back into Exercise

Doctors might give us the green light to exercise 4-6 weeks postpartum, but that often feels too soon. Parts are still jiggling, joints feel loose, muscles chronically ache, and fatigue is overwhelming.

It might take some time to work up to an exercise routine. But there’s a lot we can do to gently wake up some of our muscles. We can gradually and deliberately ease ourselves back into physical activities with these four Pilates exercises that engage our inner unit. 

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