Postpartum Expectations Part Two
C-Section Considerations
Welcome to part two of our managing postpartum expectations. We are focusing on C-section considerations and what the difference is in the recovery timeline and what we can do to aid our recovery.
There are few things that get my goat as much as the generic 6 weeks post c-section check-in with the Dr and you all of a sudden you have the all clear to get back into doing everything you did before.
Do we send sports people back out to play 6 weeks after ACL surgery with no rehab? No.
Why would a 6 week recovery timeline for major abdominal surgery be viewed as enough time to recover?
Ok I may go off on a rant so I’ll settle down but hopefully you see my point?
Managing Expectations
You may need help in setting new expectations. There is a difference between a planned and emergency c-section so talking to someone who understands that increasing the length of your exercise timeline might be advisable.
Like with any postpartum period, patience and consistency is the key to a great recovery.
Where to start our rebuilding journey post c-section?
Focus on breathing as a perfect starting point.
Always roll to the side to get up and down.
Consider a supportive wrap for those first few weeks, the goal is to support your core, not flatten it. Talk to your women's health physiotherapist as to whether this would be a good option for you.
Pelvic floor recovery considerations are often needed due to postural changes and the weight of the baby during pregnancy.
Our pelvic floor shuts down without motion so aim for short, frequent walks to help recovery but make sure you are ready and can move comfortably.
Start scar massage once healing has occurred >6 weeks. Find a massage therapist that can show you how.
How to breath
The diaphragm and pelvic floor move together with each breath so breathing helps to promote natural core and PF recovery postpartum.
360 breathing
As we breathe in we want to aim to breathe into our back, sides and belly (hence the 360 degrees).
We are trying to not use our shoulders and neck to breath so if you face a mirror and take an inhale we are looking to see no shoulder movement up, it’s a lot harder than it sounds due to your diaphragm being squished up for so long during pregnancy.
Aim to expand your rib cage on your inhale and allow your rib cage to move back in on your exhale (without jamming it down).
Although we think that proper breathing is simple, it can be tricky to re-establish so ask for help. Talk to your physio, talk to a PT that specializes in postpartum recovery.
If we can establish breathing well it reduces tension on back muscles, pelvic floor muscles and it can naturally reduce neck, low back and sacroiliac pain. It also helps with diastasis recti recovery and pelvic floor strengthening by encouraging natural movement.
Things to take into consideration
I know we all want to think that we are superwoman and can bounce right back into where we left off but our core is going to be weak for a long time afterwards and this is ok.
Any surgery into the abdominal wall shuts down muscles. Scar tissue and stretched muscles contribute to recovery time so time to reiterate patience and consistency.
Recovery timeframes
Think about the first 3-4 months as rebuilding our base. We lay a strong foundation to then build upon it.
Main goal is always: A great base of strength and our core and pelvic floor working well.
Exercises potentially to avoid until you’ve established a strong foundation
Jumping, running, burpees, most hard plyometric exercises.
Front ab exercises: Planks, sit ups, push ups, v-sits, leg lifts, roll downs. Anything that causes the abs to bulge in the front.
Maxing out or pushing above 80%. If it requires lots of pressure it’s a no-go until you can strengthen and stabilize that core effectively.
If this blog post has thrown up more questions than answers then feel free to fire an email to lynneallenpt@gmail.com to ask any further questions, helping in that postpartum time is one of the many things that lights me up!
