WHEN TO INVOLVE IN POSTPARTUM EXERCISE AS A NEW MOTHER:
Benefits of postpartum exercises for a new mother:
Starting with immediate exercises post-delivery will help the mother in the following ways:
* It helps to elevate the mood
* It helps to improve energy levels
* Maintains and improves strength of abdominal muscles, back muscles, pelvic floor muscles
* Aids in reducing extra weight gained during pregnancy
* It helps to improve cardio-respiratory fitness
* Helps to cope with postpartum depression and anxiety
* Helps to get sound sleep.
When should you begin postpartum exercises?
If you have delivered vaginally or you have under gone cesarean section, according to American College of Obstetrics and gynecology (ACOG), you can start doing exercises post-delivery as soon as possible. Once you start feeling stable, around the second or third day of delivery, you can start doing the exercises. That will include basic movements of your body to maintain overall mobility of your body.
* Post delivery, after 2 weeks, you should have a consultation with a women’s health expert physiotherapist You will undergo a check for abdominal muscle separation and strength of pelvic floor muscle.
As throughout a pregnancy, a baby keeps growing inside the mother’s belly. it can cause stretching of abdominal muscles. They can get separated from each other. This condition is called diastasis recti. These muscles gives stability to your spine. But due to muscle separation, spinal stability gets compromised, and you may experience back pain, looseness around abdomen and difficulties in daily activities due to lack of support around abdominal and lower back area.
Pelvic floor muscles are around your waist or pelvic area. These help to have optimal urine function, motion function and is important for sexual health also. Throughout pregnancy, in order to hold the baby in its position, these muscles undergo a lot of strain. So after delivery, you may experience urine leak with strenuous activities, difficulties in controlling urine or motion once you get urge.
You may experience upper or middle back pain due to a long time of sitting or being in a wrong posture for breastfeeding. So, it is important for you to visit a physiotherapist to have overall assessment. Based on that, they will teach you exercises that will be focusing on core activation, pelvic floor strengthening and strengthening of back extensor muscles, stretching and strengthening of muscles in and around your upper back.
Along with the exercises, it is important to have awareness about your body posture. Maintaining optimal posture while breastfeeding will again help to prevent aches and pains of your upper back and lower back.
A combination of deep breathing exercises, stretching and strengthening exercises along with postural correction will help the newly delivered mother to have optimal physical health which in turn helps to have fast and healthy recovery.
