Postnatal Tips

Birth can be beautiful, but it is a huge change. Your body is suddenly very different. Lack of sleep and stress can add to the trauma. Taking a little time for yourself, or coming in for a massage, even for 30 minutes, can help reduce stress, reduce aches, and loosen those well-used muscles. Mimicking the restful state of sleep can be extremely beneficial.

When you have a new baby, you spend most of your time looking down. This goes for both men and women. For most of us, this can cause discomfort, not due to the posture, but due to the change in frequency of the posture. For some of us, this position might also lead to headaches and neck pain. We encourage you to switch sides while you’re holding the baby so that you are not always looking one direction. Take time to stretch both arms and neck. If you are already experiencing symptoms, massage, stretching, heat, and yoga can be very helpful in getting you on the right track. Ask us to go over home care with you so that you can self-manage.

Holding a baby is full of joy, but sitting with rounded shoulders can mimic the posture you have when you’re depressed. Take time to pillow yourself so that you can sit comfortably with your shoulders rolled back. Stretch by holding your arms out wide and pulling your shoulders back. Touch can be very helpful if you feeling a bit blue. Massage from a partner or a professional who cares can make a difference, but remember, if your feelings are long-lasting or out of the ordinary, seek medical assistance. Taking time for yourself at this point is an important step in providing for your baby.

Carpal tunnel or nerve entrapment can cause numbness, tingling, and cold feelings in the hands. You used both hands to do things before, and now you are limited to one hand, and it is sore and overused! One hand holds the baby, and the other takes up the slack. Be sure to switch sides when you hold the baby so that one arm and hand are not doing the same task over and over. It may be uncomfortable and awkward at first, but you may save yourself a lot of aggravation in the end. If you already have symptoms, stretching the whole arm can be an effective way to relieve symptoms. Carpal tunnel and nerve entrapment are highly treatable with massage and stretching. There is no reason to suffer; we would be happy to review the stretching with you or book an appointment for you to have someone do it for you.

You are carrying around an extra 10 to 20 pounds of baby every day, and your body is not used to it. Now that she /he gets older and heavier, you have started hold him/her on your hip, since it’s a lot easier than holding a baby with just one arm. Make sure to switch sides often. holding the baby on your hip can take a lot of the stress off your upper back, but raising one hip all the time can be hard on the back. Try to stay balanced and stretch both your back and your legs. A hot shower or bath goes a long way to loosening things up. Over time, this overfatigue of the muscles can result in pain in the leg and tingling in the toes, so be sure to seek help if the feeling does not improve. Remember, this goes for both men and women.

Sometimes things are not perfect. A C-section can leave you laid up for a little while. After six weeks, you can seek treatment for any aches and pains you may have. There are a number of things you can do to get moving again. There are a number of places in the city that specialize in postnatal and prenatal fitness, or one of our therapists would be happy to review them with you and get you on a program that moves you toward your old self.