Congratulation, you’re a mom! Being a new mom means riding the emotional roller coaster or postpartum hormones, dealing with sleep deprivation, adjusting to your changing body, and recovery from childbirth and all while caring for your newborn. Integration of maternal bodywork may add welcome value to your healing journey and transition to motherhood.
The goal is to prepare your body for postpartum recovery and health by addressing posture, muscular dysfunction and pelvic floor facilitation to resolve pelvic and/or low back pain with NMT. Postpartum bodywork is an effective and holistic approach for the many adjustments to motherhood.
During the nine months of pregnancy your body slowly grows through extraordinary physical and chemical changes. Shortly after delivery there is an immediate shift toward the non-pregnant state. For most women this involves frequent urination and perspiration, continued uterine contractions, production of lochia (vaginal discharge), and general soreness and fatigue from the hard work of labor. Many women also go through a period of “postpartum blues” as the body deals with rapid hormone shifts and as you adjust emotionally to post-pregnancy life with a very needy newborn.
During these months we commonly see new postpartum aches and pains, as breastfeeding women develop aching shoulders, necks and upper backs from all those hours holding, nursing and loving that newborn and sleeping (or not sleeping!) in unusual positions while nursing in bed. To schedule post partum care is usually safe immediately to 24-hours after you’ve given birth.
Exactly when to schedule depends on how you feel and your individual situation, some women want it within the first week, and others want to wait a few weeks so they can adjust a bit more to the changes. Most new moms need to balance major schedule changes including breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, and childcare before they can make it in for a massage. Whenever you are able to get in for your first postpartum session – it’ll be well needed and deserved!
The benefits you gain
Pain Relief
Treat muscle dysfunction with NMT
Musculoskeletal alignment with NMT
Hormone Regulation
Decreased Swelling
Better Sleep
Improved Breastfeeding
Relaxation and Stress Reduction
Before you start exercising
One of the big question is when can I start exercising? The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say it’s okay to gradually resume exercising as soon as you feel up to it. But your doctor may want you to wait until your 6 week postpartum checkup to see how your doing first.
What about a musculoskeletal balance check up? You also want to consider before you start exercising to find and decrease dysfunctional movement patterns that may have developed during and even after pregnancy.
A smart choice to prepare your body and prevent injury.