Yes! It Is That Serious
In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
I want to try something a little different today and take a more artistic approach. Bear with me please, as I’d like to paint a picture for you…
Most of us hear how pregnancy, labor and childbirth (especially giving birth) are some of the most transformational experiences of a woman’s life. From the beginning of pregnancy, a woman enters the chrysalis period of motherhood. She is living, growing – forming for 40 weeks. The Mother is officially born as her baby is. Her body transforms. It is for her and also for her child. Her body is nourishing a life that is blooming. Growing, stretching, and giving.
For those 40 weeks or so, she is a being with 2 heartbeats.
As her baby is ready to come out and greet the world, her body transforms once again. Ripening, widening, pushing forth the life that has been growing within. No matter what form your birth story takes – vaginal birth, cesarean birth, and no matter if you have chosen to go natural, with medication, at home or in hospital or anything in between, it is YOUR birth story. It is the story of you becoming a Mother. Your baby is out of your womb and into your arms.
You will now need time to heal. Physically, emotionally, spiritually.
Beautiful as it is, most of our healing comes from within. Allowing ourselves to take the time, giving ourselves grace and an open mind. Tuning into our bodies, what we may need. Honoring what our body tells us.
Some of what we need is from allowing others in. Building our village and allowing them to be. Trusting the ones we love who love us in return. Hearing the stories and hearing the encouragement. Processing. Leaning on shoulders.
Sometimes we have to extend even further though… We may need external resources to help us in facilitating our optimal healing journey. This doesn’t negate our own abilities. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with us. In fact, it means that we are willing to push past our comfort zone and we are prioritizing our well-being.
Some things we hear about and because they seem to be so common, we accept that they must be normal. We accept that maybe we just have to deal with it and push through. For most things, this is not the case. It is not expected of you, nor is it normal for you to have to deal with constant pain.
We, especially as women, have to get out of the mindset that pain is normal. We have to stop normalizing suffering. And we have to make use of our gift of intuition and start tuning into our body. And we have to start speaking up when things do not seem normal.
There are so many resources. We have to become more comfortable using what we have available to us. Postpartum healing is a big deal and it requires focused intention and hard work. It requires being well-prepared and being open to a variety of resources.
If you’ve been around a while, you’ll know that I ended up having an emergency cesarean birth with my son. Over a year later, I was still experiencing pain around my scar and in my lower abdomen and through my pelvic floor. I was also still not feeling very confident in my body either – as far as movement and exercise goes.
As time continued to pass and my symptoms did not seem to be going away, especially as I was starting to think of what it might be like when I want to have more children…I decided I better get things checked out.
I made my appointment and got a check-up with my OB/GYN. When everything checked out with her, thankfully rather than dismissing my concerns, she recommended I go to a physical therapist that specializes in pelvic floor health! I went to my PT for about 6 weeks and not only is my pain gone but also, I feel stronger and more confident in my body. I felt rejuvenated in a way.
There are so many factors that change our muscular structure and affect our posture throughout pregnancy, birth and taking care of our precious newborn. Taking the time to focus on correcting our form and building our muscle to allow our body to heal in an optimal way is so important. It can be very empowering.
Physical therapy can be useful in healing a diastasis recti, urinary incontinence, back and pelvic pain and even painful sex. It can help with healing and/or preventing a prolapse. A physical therapist can even help you work through your scar tissue. Everyone’s experience will be a little different but most of the time, you’ll find a combination of breathwork, core building and pelvic floor stabilization.
Physical therapy for postpartum recovery has a number of benefits, whether you have a vaginal birth or cesarean. PT can be helpful in rebuilding your core, your pelvic floor and your confidence. It is a great resource for correcting small issues that come up from all the changes our bodies underwent in such a short period of time. Also, it can help us with being proactive in preventing major issues later on down the line.
With all of that said, I encourage you to consider physical therapy as a part of your postpartum healing plan! It can make a world of difference to your health, happiness and well-being. You can gain the knowledge and tools to work from within your body so that you won’t have to settle for pain and discomfort. Maybe it will be your step to feeling empowered and confident inside and out!
Question for the comments: What is your first thought when you hear about physical therapy as a tool for optimal postpartum healing?
Thank you for stopping by ‘Nourishing Our Home’. Please be sure to pop in every Thursday for new posts. Also, if you found this to be relatable and beneficial, please help me out by sharing with your family and friends.