So you've had a C-Section. You have a wonderful new baby and now have to heal your body. You need to keep moving, but you're sore. You can't imagine that in 6-8 weeks you can actually resume a "normal" exercise routine, let alone ever getting a full night's sleep again. You look at yourself and you're hunched over from the incision, have dark circles and bags under your eyes, and a sore back. But you look at your baby and forget all about those things. Your beautiful baby is your new world and worth everything that goes along with this new ride.
This scenario happens every day. C-Sections have become more and more common. Women typically recover well from the procedure and are able to resume normal activities in short term. All great news! However, there are often both short and long term outcomes that are not medical problems, but they impact the mother. These include postural impacts that cause daily discomfort and pelvic floor problems.
After the C-Section the woman is told to take it easy and not embark on any exercise for the typical 6-8 weeks. Realistically, the woman has to move and function each and every day to take care of her new baby, home, children, work, etc. Usually the incision is horizontal and cuts through many layers of muscle and connective tissues and takes some time to heal properly. Too much stretching or intense exercise can make the scar produce more collagen over the first 3-4 months and become thicker.
It is generally recommended that in the first 6-8 weeks after C-Section the new mother can do:
moderate walking
pelvic floor exercises
functional movement
These all sound like easy enough things to do. We all know what moderate walking is, and some of us have an idea about what pelvic floor exercise is (even if we don't know how to do it), but few of us know what functional movement is, or how to do it.
Pelvic floor exercise is important for women who have had both vaginal and C-Section deliveries. From a delivery standpoint, vaginal delivery can cause more trauma to the pelvic floor than C-Section in the delivery process. But, the process of being pregnant and carrying a baby itself often negatively impacts the pelvic floor muscles. The muscles of the pelvic floor support the bladder, uterus, and bowel (large intestine) and are challenged by the weight of the baby, postural deviations that occur during pregnancy, and hormonal changes that relax and ease the pelvic floor muscles and muscles surrounding the pelvis during pregnancy and the birthing process.
Functional alignment and movements are also impacted by pregnancy itself and then again during the postpartum period with carrying and feeding the baby and the recovery of an abdominal surgery that is C-Section (for those that have one). Functional movements are movements that are based on real-world situational biomechanics. They usually innvolve multi-planar, multi joint movements that place demand on the body's core musculature and innervation. These movements support the skeleton and organs of the body through the balance, strength, symmetry, and easy movement of the soft tissues that support the skeletal and organ positions. Functional exercise can follow the 'non-exercise' format or be a more intense experience. For the purpose of postpartum, especially after C-Section, functional movement 'non-exercise' is essential along with pelvic floor exercise.
For a new mother to take 10 - 20 minutes a day to keep herself aligned and mobile is underestimated. No one thinks that a short amount of time can have any positive impacts. They are all wrong. In fact, it is all that is necessary! There is an expression that "less is more". It is perfectly apt when it comes to immediate "non-exercise" movements that should be done by all new mothers, especially those who've had C-Section.
At The Lift Program (www.the-lift-pro.com) we consider, pelvic floor exercises and functional movement, powerful "non-exercise". The reason is that both are super simple to do, don't take a lot of time, feel like you aren't doing much, but pack a powerful punch in terms of improvements in strength, mobility, posture, and pain. Ideal for the new mother, especially after C-Section.
For helpful exercises that support overall pelvic floor health and function,
visit www.the-lift-pro.com 😁👍
Here you will find a complete on-line exercise program along with specialize mini programs.
We would love it if you join our on-line at-home training 🏠🏠🏠- we are here 24/7.
Click on this link to our special programs
Silvana and Celeste😉
"The Lift Program" was developed by Silvana Man and Celeste Zopich. The company offers a full program for pelvic floor health and specialized mini programs for C-Section, Athletes, Incontinence, Constipation, Diastasis-Recti, Prolapse, and Motherhood. Visit www.the-lift-pro.com for more information.
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