How and Why We Prepare for Postpartum
Your birth bag is packed, your car seat is in, your bassinet is prepped and you’re feeling as ready as one can be for childbirth. Done, right? Not yet.
This is also the time to start preparing for your postpartum recovery! Not sure how? Or why? We’ve got you covered.
First, the why. It may seem like all the stuff for your new family member’s needs is enough to be overwhelming - and it is - but you will have new needs of your own after delivery and we can help you anticipate some of those, as well as pass on some of our favorite early postpartum tips and tricks to make this transition a bit smoother.
Now, the how. These action items are some of our favorites for preparing for postpartum.
Take some time to breathe
Breathing is one of the most gentle and mindful ways to connect to our pelvic floor and deep core. The pelvic floor and diaphragm move together and impact each other. In pregnancy, this relationship is altered and we need to reconnect the two for our postpartum body. Breathwork is something gentle enough that we can start right away after delivery.
Find a water bottle you LOVE (or two, or three)
Staying hydrated is really critical for tissue healing, so water, water, everywhere. You may need to have stashes of water bottles around the house so each place you move already has water waiting for you. Make it a partner or family member’s job to refill them!
Not only does water help with tissue healing, it can also help decrease constipation and support breast milk production if you are feeding your little one that way.
Get your bathroom supplies ready
Postpartum trips to the bathroom will look a little different than they did prior to birthing and we want you to have all the goodies ready should you need them. Squatty potty for improved potty posture, tucks pads or something similar with witch hazel for pain, peri bottles to dilute urine, and cotton pads for postpartum bleeding are all helpful in the early days.
Set up your feeding stations
Whether you are feeding your baby with a bottle or from the breast/chest you are going to want to have some support to keep you and baby comfortable. That may mean a supporter like the breast friend or lots of support props like different sized pillows and blankets to ensure that your body stays comfortable while holding and feeding your baby. They feed a lot, so keeping your body in an optimal position will help with aches and pains in the shoulders and back.
Connect with your support team
It is great to have a team ready to support you in the postpartum period and that can include a pelvic floor therapist. Hopefully you have already amassed some of these supports in your pregnancy - like your birth worker, doula, mental health therapist, family, friends etc. We encourage appointments during pregnancy for pelvic therapy, especially when there are symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction such as urinary incontinence or pelvic pain. If you’ve done that then we know your history and can adapt our recommendations postpartum taking those into account. When it comes to postpartum time your providers will have a time table of when they want to talk to you or see you in person following your delivery. For example, we do a 2 week postpartum virtual visit to learn about how delivery went, and provide some specific exercises and ideas for your unique recovery.Then we are on better footing for our first in-person follow up. Having these in the calendar or at least an idea of when they will occur helps you plan and provides support for those early days.
While the above tips are great for a start we know that there are many aspects to labor and delivery that are unpredictable and having questions is normal and appropriate. This is part of why we stress getting a team in place beforehand so you feel like you can reach out with specific needs that crop up for you around your delivery.
Here are a few of the common questions and responses that we see in those early stages of healing.
How do I know if I am ready to return to my usual yoga, bootcamp, barre, spin class, surfing? Can I do planks, or sit ups?
The answer is: it depends!
It depends on how well your system and body is working to manage pressure and achieve adequate support for that particular activity. It’s a good idea to have a pelvic floor specialist assess your individual strategy and help you create a plan to help you get back to the activities you love as you are ready for them.
How do I know if I am ready to return to high impact exercise such as running postpartum?
You will find a lot of conflicting information out there about returning to run. And the reason for this is that it varies widely per individual.
What we know is that tissue healing takes time and running is a high impact sport placing a lot of demand on the body. During running, there is a sudden rise in intra-abdominal pressure and ground reaction forces of up to 2.5x bodyweight and that is likely transferred through the lower limbs including pelvic floor. To handle running the pelvic floor needs a range of motion, power, endurance, and a high level of coordination locally and with its teammates.Being ready to run happens on a different timeline for everyone.
Dr. Jenn treating a pretnatal patient at Root To Rise in Scarborough, Maine
What should I look for postpartum that may indicate I need pelvic floor therapy?
We are big believers in everyone seeking pelvic floor support because labor and delivery is a big event for your pelvic floor and body in general, that said the big symptoms to watch out for are as follows:
Urinary incontinence, frequency or urgency
Fecal incontinence, frequency or urgency
Difficulty holding back gas
Need to strain with urination, feeling of not completely emptying bladder
Feeling of incomplete emptying of bowels
Constipation
“Pressure” sensation “feeling of falling out”, “heaviness” in pelvis that can change during times of the day, or with activities
Pain with intercourse/intimacy
Low back or hip pain
Abdominal bulging (Diastasis recti)
Tailbone pain
At Root to Rise Physical Therapy & Pelvic Health, we believe in a holistic approach to physical therapy. Our Doctors of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapists are specialized in treating both orthopedic and pelvic health conditions. Our practice also integrates acupuncture and yoga and we are always excited to be a resource for the community we practice in. We are located in Scarborough, Saco, and Bath, and are here to support you!
~Dr. Jenn & The Root To Rise Team
