Bodies are stunning! Giving birth and cooking a baby is one of the real miracles of life. But no matter how amazing, it can cause significant stress and strain on the muscles and skeletal systems. One common issue is undervaluing how much change your body deals with during pregnancy and post-partum. But every parent has gone through it, haven’t they? Yes and no, every pregnancy is different as are our bodies.
Lower back pain, the core, and the pelvic floor are all areas that require particular care when recovering from childbirth and pregnancy. We hear a lot of reports of people who’ve sought advice on how to deal with this issue from their friends or family members, or in some cases medical experts and were advised, “what do you expect after having a child?” Lifelong changes to your body’s structure are not unavoidable, and you shouldn’t take incontinence or prolapse as normal. The consequences of this could be life-changing but it’s not widely discussed.
Statistics indicate that after the birth of babies, parents can suffer with all sorts of issues. Here are some facts and figures so you know you are not alone.
Despite these numbers and the well-known commonality of these ailments, it’s surprising that we’re not having conversations about how the birth process and pregnancy impact a their body. After the birth of a baby, it’s not normal to let a little urine leak out or for sex to be painful, or for you to experience persistent pelvic or back discomfort. These issues may arise immediately after birth and some can continue years into the future.
In the course of the hour-long examination, there’s ample opportunity to discuss your concerns about your overall physical healing and goals for returning to normal activities or fitness. This is vitally important because the postnatal period is (quite correctly) all about the baby or children’s demands. The result though is that mothers are often left at the back of the line when it comes to health and wellness.
A Mummy MOT can be described as a highly specialised test that is specifically created to detect all of the common postpartum ailments and is performed at any time after delivery without a time limit. We can help you decide if you think a Mummy MOT is appropriate, even several years later. It’s important to keep in mind is that this test is entirely dependent on you as we take into account all factors that you have experienced prior to your pregnancy and including both the pregnancy and birth experience which could contribute to your health and recovery. We examine your pelvic alignment and posture, do functional testing to evaluate the condition of your “core”, and an internal exam to evaluate the health and functioning of the pelvic floor.
The test examines the muscles and postures on the pelvis, lower back and hips, but it can also include the entire body all the way to your feet! Any previous aches and discomforts are considered and also how your body has adjusted to the expanding bump and dealing with things post birth. There is a thorough examination of abdominal muscles to determine if there is any separation (diastasis) which could impact the spinal stability as well as the pelvic floor and core function. Then, there’s an examination of how pelvic floor muscles work through an internal vaginal examination. It may sound intimidating and is usually the last thing women would like to do following the birth. But, it’s a very gentle procedure and we always respect your personal preferences and pace.
The vaginal exam provides us with crucial information on how the pelvic floor muscles are performing, and this provides you with essential feedback that will help make sure that you contract your muscles properly.
Whatever your goal is; get back to running, begin an exercise program or leaving your home to shop without incontinence pads; we can assist you in achieving them with the right treatment and rehabilitation programs. Maintaining your body and health is essential to ensure that you are able to be there for your family. And this requires putting yourself first, which is what many new mothers struggle with.
A tailored rehabilitation plan will be provided following the evaluation. It may be just advice regarding the safe return to exercise as well as daily activities and first exercises for strengthening the core. Additional “hands on” physiotherapy treatment as well as a more extensive exercise program may be needed. Each rehabilitation program is designed specifically for each woman and is based on your fitness and lifestyle and is designed to maximise the efficiency of your body
OSTEOPATH & WELLNESS
