The Best Safe Movements For The First Few Weeks Postnatal/ Postpartum
For the first weeks, at least, after mums give birth their bodies are healing, unconsciously and consciously trying to regain function in their pelvic floor, and maybe bonding with their babies.
Not rushing through the natural process during this phase is important in reducing more dysfunctions. Remember slowly healing and regaining function are vital before returning to your daily tasks as normal, including exercising fully as you may have been before or trying to start movements that will not help you heal.
Being able to distinguish between many misconceptions surrounding postpartum exercises to make the steps in strengthening your bodies easier, with clarity and less confusion is how to build strength internally and externally before, during and after these stages.
Here are 3 gentle movement techniques for early postpartum:
1.The Connection Breath
This will help you intentionally connect your breathing with the gentle relaxation and contraction of your pelvic floor. Including improvement of the coordination of these muscles working together during exercises. This can help encourage you to become more aware of holding your breath or excessively gripping with your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.
2️.Gentle Walking
You will more than likely be walking small distances, taking small step to and from the toilet, etc throughout the day starting your daily activities again. But, don't rush yourself. Start with 10 minutes if you're going out walking. If you don't feel any pain or discomfort before or after, then go ahead and make that time a little longer. You don't want to regress and reduce your healing process. If you want to walk more, trying to break this down into smaller chunks throughout the day can help.
3️.Gentle Stretching & Mobility
Gentle stretching and mobility work (pelvic tilts, knee rolling, cat-cow stretch, neck stretches, shoulder circles, thoracic rotations) may help ease sore muscles or stiff joints. Intentional mild movements for short periods of time, 5–10 minutes before taking a break to get plenty of rest is a great way to avoid overexertion.
As I write this, I’m thinking to myself I don’t ever remember any pre or postnatal advice relating to me, to be quite honest!
Sis, are you currently in the first trimester stage or have been? Were you advised by any medical profession what mild movements you could incorporate after birth?
Please let me know as I would love to create some content that can help sisters more in shaa Allah. It gave me an advantage in knowing particular things about the body and being familiar and experienced in movements that assisted in faster healing of my body and mind after giving birth. To be honest, even ageing. Our natural makeup requires us to perform actions even if you haven’t had a child, but a woman’s physics causes us to share processes no matter what our experience or lifestyle.