Be Good to Yourself After Pregnancy

Having a baby can bring a lot of surprises. I was shocked the first time I was changing my daughter and poop flew across the room. I also was surprised with how my body moved and felt after pregnancy. I felt unstable, mushy, weak, and just not in control. For being active all of my life, it was a big change. After my first baby, I felt an internal pressure to try to get back to my old self as quickly as possible and I quickly learned there was a better way.

There are a few things helped me keep sane and feel like I would someday feel like myself. These movements were especially helpful after I put my baby down for her evening sleep.

1. Breathing: Lay on the ground/bed with your knees bent and feet on the ground. Take a big breath in and release. Belly moves out as you breath in and moves in as you breath out. Place hands on stomach and feel your belly move under your hands. No need to force your abdominal muscles to pull in. Can you let the rest of your body release its tension as you focus on your breathing? 1-2 minutes

2. Chest stretch: Carrying and feeding your new little one can affect our posture and movement. Stay in the same position as for breathing exercise above and bring arms out to your side, hands reaching away from body. Not enough stretch? Bend elbows to make a goal post. Hold for 60 sec and take some relaxed breaths.

3. Knee Rock side to Side: bring arms to your side or back on your belly. Let knees gently rock side to side a few inches. This movement gently releases our lower back. 1-2 minutes

4. Knee to Chest: same position, gently pull one knee to chest. You can add a stirring motion, circling your thigh with your hands. Switch sides. 5 times each side

5. Bonus Movement: can be done separately: neck stretches. Relax your shoulders and jaw and let your head drop to the side, bringing ear towards shoulder. Release and bring your chin towards your collar bone to get a stretch in the back and side of your neck. 30-60 sec

I hope these movements help you on your movement journey. You are doing great! Please reach out to me with any questions, I'm here to help.