WHAT NEW MUMS WISH
WHAT NEW MUMS WISH To know…
“After birth, how are my abdominals and pelvic floor going to recover?”
The Myth
I have a confession to make. This is what I was thinking, before my first baby was born:
“I will go back and do my exercise with the same routine as I was before, I will have time to go to the gym, work and keep the house clean. I will return to my pre-baby body, park run, rock climbing, mountain biking, cross fit, pretty quickly. There is no reason I can’t do it all: work, keep my leisure activities and exercise routine the way it is, even if we have a baby.”
The Reality
I found out: having a baby is a lot of work!
You breastfeed every 2 hours, change nappy, entertain baby for a few hours or hold them because the baby can’t be put down. When baby is finally asleep, for a ‘mandatary 25 minutes’, you have a quick moment to yourself.
Well, not really, because you use this time to fold the washing, cook, clean the dishes and wipe the floor to keep the house to an acceptable level of cleanliness. Until baby wakes again. This goes on, and by 5pm when your spouse returns home, you are beyond tired. Hopefully, you managed to get dinner under way, and then the evening duties start, with cluster feeding, bath, change, and bedtime cuddles.
Tell me: When is there time to do any of the exercises you were given by the hospital physio you saw after birth?
After baby’s bedtime. Only thing is, that it is also your ‘me time’, when you probably have lost all your motivation to do much more for yourself. You probably want to scroll on your phone (and yes, you know it is not a good habit, but you are tired). Or, you indulge in a few chocolate Tim tams, because you deserve it.
This story is so common…
How do I start doing something for myself when I have a newborn?
How do I start recovering and get a stronger core, lose weight, stop fearing that my pelvic floor is going to fail me, return to the activities I love, that make me feel like myself?
The Solution
There is no magic wand. Women must carve out some ‘me’ time. They must come to the realisation that not everything has to be ‘right’ for them to start doing a little something for their own wellbeing.
The facts are real, research has shown that men continue their hobbies, their sport, gym and team sports after being a dad. For women, there is a change, and they start thinking of the family and the household before committing to exercise or leisure. And even then, they commit to different types of activities where they can work around the baby’s napping schedule, the husband’s work or other activities, mealtime and bed time. It is not even a question, it is assumed.
Women need support for their own recovery. The most important factor to start recovering from birth is to allow yourself to take action for your recovery!
First thing to ask yourself: What are your goals? If you feel like your abdominals are like jelly, your bladder is weak when you cough, your perineal scar is still sensitive, your body will need 3 to 6 months of continuous and mindful steps to strengthen and heal.
Here are my 6 tips for making your recovery part of your new life.
1. Mindset change
Allow yourself. Make a physical and mental space for your recovery. Make yourself an area in your house that is just for you, where you can do some stretches, core exercises, weights, yoga moves. Let your partner know that you will be taking this time for yourself. Let your extended family and friends know that you will rely on them at times to look after bub while you are taking time for yourself.
2. Find your tribe:
Find a class, a walking group, where you can meet other mums and exercise together, enjoying company in a supportive and motivating environment.
3. A little bit often:
You don’t need to allocate an hour every time to exercise. Take 5 or 10 minutes, when the baby is happy and fed, doing tummy time, or at the start of baby’s nap time. Your pelvic floor exercises are the perfect example. Have some landmarks to remind yourself to do them: when you turn on the tap, when you breastfeed baby, when you finish going to the toilet. Stacking habits decreases the mental overload and improves your chance of success.
4. Some is better than none.
Doing some exercise, whatever small amount, is better then doing nothing. Don’t give yourself grief, give yourself a pat on the back when you succeeded at doing a few minutes of stretches, core work, weights. Going to the park? Do your lunges while holding your bub, squats when getting up from the bench, use your baby as your weightlifting excuse.
5. Write down what you are eating.
As a breastfeeding mum, you were told by every health professional to look after your diet. But what about those moments where you reach out in the cupboard at 4pm when you are desperately looking to stay awake before the evening rush? When you write down what you eat, you become more mindful of what you consume. You may find out that eating more protein, dairy and veggies fill you up for longer. And gets you in a better mood.
6. Sleep.
Well, this is obvious, you will say. The time you finally go to bed at night is important! You may have noticed, when you stay awake longer, you miss out on the best quality sleep you can have, before midnight. Even when baby wakes several times a night, team tagging with your spouse is super valuable. A short nap in the afternoon makes the day so much better. Sleep has been shown to improve recovery and mood. Try your best to get rest when nights are short!
And, because I beleive in what we do: see a women’s health physio. They will set you up on the right track for your inner core, pelvic floor recovery, and take you on your journey to your strongest self.
You are invited!
We are having an exciting free morning tea event on the 20th August at 10AM in our clinic.
We are so happy to be able to invite new mums to learn more about Post-natal Recovery and Strength Beyond Birth.
Sign up by clicking on the link.
We are looking forward to seeing you and share morning tea.
This is a special event to bring awareness to women’s health and recovery after birth.
Bring a friend, your partner, your baby, your mum.
See you there,
Annie and the team
