When is it safe to return to exercise after a baby?
Pregnancy is one of the biggest changes that your body goes through in your entire lifetime- with approximately 48% of women experiencing lasting physical change after birth. So it is no wonder that you are searching for answers as to when it is safe to get back to the exercises you love.
The bottom line is… that there is no definite answer, everyone is different. It is so important that as health care professionals and for you as a woman to acknowledge that pregnancy and childbirth is a completely unique experience and no one has had the same journey.
In your post- natal period it is so important to look at the whole picture. Firstly, your pregnancy: how was it? What exercise where you able to do/if any? Did you get new aches and pains during your pregnancy? Secondly, childbirth itself. What sort of birth did you have? How big was your baby? And of course thirdly the post- natal period. Are you experiencing pain or leaking? Are you still healing from your C-section or any tears?
So, as you can already start to see there are so many factors that will influence your return to activity. Social Media is flooded with pictures, blogs and programs to ‘Get your pre-baby body back’ it can be so hard to know what is the right thing for you to do. Firstly I think it is important to tune into your body and how it is feeling. Again everyone will be different.
It is important to understand that a lot of the pregnancy hormones do not completely clear until about 10 weeks postpartum. Not only has your body gone through huge physical changes, but hormonal ones too! It is these hormones that allow pelvic muscles to stretch during pregnancy and birth. And then in turn in the postnatal period the muscles and tissues need time to return to their normal length and build up their strength again. (Ps. Interesting fact. Everyone says it is relaxin that allows the pelvic muscles to ‘relax’ and lengthen during pregnancy, however evidence shows that we do not actually know exactly which hormone is responsible for this process during pregnancy!)
For safe return to exercise and activity we need these Pelvic tissues and muscles to be able to withstand the loading that exercise places on them. This includes the correct coordination of things such as the Pelvic floor muscles, the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. As well as no symptoms of prolapse (a feeling of heaviness), pain or incontinence.
This is where we come in! We can provide a post-natal check to guide your safe return to exercise. As discussed before it is important to look at the whole picture. This is why the assessment will involve a discussion about your pregnancy, and pregnancy history, your birth and how you’ve been tracking since. It is then important to have a physical assessment which includes:
Internal pelvic floor and prolapse check
Real time ultrasound to assess deep abdominal activation
Abdominal separation assessment
Assessment of scar healing/ C section healing (as required)
A look at your pelvic girdle control, and general postural assessment.
Everyone has had a different journey so far, and everyone is wanting to get back to different things- whether it is yoga, swimming or weight lifting! What ever your story is- we are here to help. Even if you feel fine, it is so important that you get a thorough assessment to protect yourself for the future.