Healthy Habits to Cultivate after Giving Birth
Pregnancy and childbirth can be a great experience that at the end presents you with a bundle of joy.
Getting to this point can be hard on your body though, but some simple exercises can help it on the road to recovery.
However, you should always get the OK from your doctor or midwife before doing anything that is strenuous.
Your body will have changed while you were pregnant. Muscles will have stretched and ligaments will have softened and when you start to feel better you may want to get them back to how they were before you knew you were to become a mom.
Your Tummy
Your tummy will have taken the brunt of the stretching that happens with pregnancy and the muscles may need some help to recover. However, you have to take special care that your c section recovery is complete, if your baby was delivered in this way. There are some stomach exercises, such as sit-ups that you should not do for at least 8 weeks after a normal birth, and longer if the baby was delivered by c-section.
However, you can do things such as abdominal bracing. For this you can lie, sit or stand. You gently draw your belly button towards your spine and hold it there for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat this 5 time to start with, but increase it to 10 times as your tummy muscles start to feel a bit stronger.
Your Back
You may not realise just how much extra use your back will get after you have given birth, and you need to take care of it to avoid back problems. New mothers are always at risk of injuring their backs because of the amount of extra use caused by lifting the baby and bending down more often. There are ways to help your back stay in good condition though, and to help it regain its strength after the birth of your child.
You should avoid lifting anything heavy for a couple of months at least. Use chairs that have good back support and avoid the habit of carrying your baby on one of your hips. Try to work at waist height when you are cooking, preparing bottles or doing any other job, and try to keep a good posture when you are walking about.
Your Pelvic Floor
You should do pelvic floor exercises through your pregnancy to help keep the muscles strong. You just have to remember to tighten the muscles around your vagina and hold them that way for 5 seconds. Relax for 5 seconds, and repeat 10 times.
After a normal birth you can restart these after 2 days, but if you have had birthing problems or a c-section you should wait 5 days. However long you have to wait. If you experience any pain at all from them, you need to wait a few more days before trying again. If you still experience some discomfort, you should let your doctor know in case there is something that is not healing properly.
