Pregnancy, birth & the early stages of motherhood are truly momentous in a woman's life, each woman's experience as diverse as the women themselves. One commonality is the huge bodily changes she will go through during & after the pregnancy: hormonally, emotionally, physically & posturally. The rigours of motherhood are also hugely taxing: sleep deprevation, hours flexed forward to feed, carrying baby around the clock, and recovering from the birth. This is a time that requires a new mother to be patient, gentle, nurturing, kind and accepting of themselves.
Every woman will experience birth, pregnancy & the recovery differently. My advice to any new mother or practitioner working with a new mother, is to work slowly and gently. Take the pressure off! Allow a good 12-18 months to get back your fitness. You have the rest of your life to be as physically active as you like. This early baby time is short & precious and your body needs to be honoured & nurtured, not pushed.
NEW MUMMA EXERCISE TIPS
- There ARE parcels of time that you can make valuable use of! A few times a week, or once a day, set aside one of baby's naps to GIVE YOUR BODY SOME LOVING.
- I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF, especially in the first 3-6 months.
- KEEP IT SIMPLE. You will be amazed the benefits you will reap from just 30 mins of breathing, one or two simple exercises or a few stretches and you will notice over time that you can do more & more.
- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. It will tell you when you have overdone it. Trust your instincts, some days you will feel like doing more than others.
- WALK!! Spending time in nature, breathing fresh air and getting out of the house is invaluable. Walking is also one of the best forms of exercise you can undertake in the early months, and you can start almost immediately after the birth. Wear baby in a carrier or take the pram and walk for an hour each day.
- CONGRATULATE YOURSELF when you find time to re-connect with your body.
- Abdominal work in the first 6 months should be very gentle, many people are ill informed as to the correct abdominal exercises that are safe. KEEP YOUR HEAD ON THE FLOOR (no crunches or sit ups!). Single knee floats are great, as are, knee drops and Pelvic Tilts or Bridging. You can progress to double knee floats when your deep abdominals are strong enough that you can keep your belly flat to lift the second leg!! (this will feel light & easy, not a strain through the front of your body)
- FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO! There is so much you can do to strengthen your legs, arms, glutes & calves in first post natal months without putting pressure on your abdominals. Enjoy feeling these muscles strengthening!
EXERCISE GUIDELINES
- You are able to resume GENTLE EXERCISE at 6 weeks post vaginal birth, & 12 weeks.post Cesarean.
- Find a reputable PILATES Instructor with post natal experience & you will need a letter of clearance from your GP.
- Have someone CHECK FOR A DIASTASIS (separation in the rectus abdominis). This is very common & just means you will have to be more gentle & patient with yourself. IT WILL HEAL and close and you WILL be able to do all your favourite exercises, just not yet!
- AVOID: Any exercise that puts strain on your rectus abdominis, such as the plank (push up position), crunches or sit ups, roll ups etc. (especially with a diastasis) I would avoid these for 6 months minimum, as long as you are breast feeding your ligaments & connective tissue are subject to the hormone relaxin, so be mindful.
- AVOID: Any big back extensions till you are sure your deep abdominals can support these movements. Large back extensions stretch the front of your body and can push your rectus abdominis apart. (especially with a diastasis). Avoid for at least 3 months.
- DO gentle Transversus Abdominis strengthening. Pilates is great for this, but make sure you aren't overloading your abdominals, LESS is MORE to begin with.
Pelvic Floor is a very hot topic & I am currently putting together an article with some great links, so I won't go into it too much here. Pregnancy puts a lot of strain on the Pelvic Floor, just carrying the baby to term is a big task! Birth itself can of course dammage the pelvic floor too. Many women have pelvic floor issues before the pregnancy also. If you know you have or have developed a problem in this area it's important to get rehabilitation of some sort. I do not advicate surgery and would try all other avenues first. Pilates is a great start (but make sure it's studio classes, rather than matwork, as there isn't the time or personal attention here to make sure you are working correctly), if you still don't notice an improvement, you may need more specialist help through a pelvic floor specialist or pelvic physiotherapist (physical therapist).
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
"Essence and energy, body and breath, are indivisable: when the body does not move, essence cannot flow, energy becomes stagnant." Sun Ssu Mo
MOVEMENT OF THE DAY
CAT STRETCH
This is a great stretch pre & post natally. Draw your belly into your spine and feel your tailbone hang down to your knees as you flex your spine. Keep your glutes (butt muscles) soft and your shoulders relaxed. As you lengthen your spine and lift your chest forward, be sure to keep your lower back soft and your belly gently drawn towards your spine. You can hold each position for several breaths, or move from one to the other each time you exhale.
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