Body After Baby

Post-Natal Symptoms

Motherhood is full of wonderful surprises, but it sure can put your body through the ringer — especially after giving birth. Yup, postpartum recovery is tough, not to mention having to look after your new bub at the same time! And when you have a baby, you’re always doing something. Between work and cleaning and cooking and playing and researching, we’re always left wondering how we can spare the time to get back into it.

As with pregnancy, postnatal recovery comes with its own set of challenges. In this article, we break down 4 common post-pregnancy symptoms to keep an eye out for.

The first weeks are crucial. As you ease your way back into the hustle and bustle of your daily routine, listen to your body for any feelings of discomfort or soreness. Brushing them aside could lead to more serious complications later on. Let’s explore 4 common postnatal symptoms to keep an eye out for as you embark on your journey to recovery.

Back Pain

The back pain you are experiencing post-pregnancy may be due to postural misalignment and extra weight from the growing baby. During pregnancy, there are several postural changes that occur. Most commonly, there is an increase in the woman’s lower back curve due to less support from the abdominal muscles along with the increased weight of the baby. The lower back muscles tend to become tighter from trying to counterbalance the weight of the growing baby and this change usually affects the alignment and stability of the pelvis and the upper body as well.

The Mummy Tummy

If there is still a noticeable bulge in your tummy even months after delivery, you may be experiencing  diastasic recti which is abdominal separation. This occurs when the connective tissue along the midline of your abdomen, and in fact the whole abdominal wall, becomes thinner and weaker and therefore stretched due to the growing uterus. This results in the space between the muscle bellies of your rectus abdominis to widen resulting in a “gap.” The widened gap between the left and right muscles of your stomach may result in the “mummy pouch.”

This is very common and most new mums experience this. One study shows that about two-thirds of women experience abdominal separation during or after pregnancy. Diastasis recti does improve naturally after birth, but depending on the severity of your diastasis recti along with other factors such as lifestyle and genetics, it may not always resolve itself but Pilates exercises may be able to help. Remember, always talk to your medical health professional about any concerns you have before starting any new exercise programme.

Loss Of Muscle Strength 

Loss of muscle strength and connection in the abdominals and pelvic area is extremely common post-pregnancy. It is important to be patient with yourself and to be kind to yourself. In particular, mums that have undergone C-sections may feel this loss of abdominal connection a little more due to scar tissue and fascial adhesions. Having scar tissue greatly affects muscle function, range of motion and connection. But regardless of whether you’ve had a vaginal birth or cesarean birth, there is generally always a disconnect within the whole core unit (from the diaphragm to the pelvic floor).

Altered Breathing Patterns

New mums may find that the shortness of breath they started to experience during pregnancy carries on even after childbirth. As the baby grows the organs of the body tend to get displaced into the thoracic cavity to allow space for the baby. The diaphragm is then restricted and unable to function optimally resulting in shortness of breath or discomfort while breathing.
Postnatally, the ribs will tend to get stuck in a flared position due to the above occurrences. Therefore it’s important to realign and retrain the muscles and organs of breathing so they can return to their functional capacity.

New mum? Breathe Pilates has a range of Post Natal small group classes in Singapore to help you reconnect with your body and to stay strong beyond your pregnancy. To learn more, send us an email on info@breathepilates.com.sg