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The Most Important Exercise To Start Postpartum Recovery

Aug 08, 2023

Where To Start With Your Postpartum Exercising:

What is the first thing to do to kickstart your postpartum recovery?

 

At our office in Huntington Beach we get a lot of questions about what postpartum recovery looks like. Did you know that it is common practice in the United States to go SIX WEEKS from giving birth until your first doctor appointment?! Post-partum care needs a reboot, and that’s where Thrive Family Chiropractic comes in.

 

The first thing we teach our momma’s after giving birth is how to breath again. That’s because when baby is growing in the womb, all of the internal organs get displaced. Breathing get’s labored - just ask any pregnant momma after they walk up a set of stairs. The diaphragm (your breathing muscle) can no longer function as it’s designed to. It doesn’t have the room to drop into the belly to expand the lungs. Now, the intercostal and neck muscles must work overtime to supply enough oxygen to enter the body.

 

This is why it is so common for new moms to complain of rib pain and lower neck stiffness after birth. The problem lies within the recovery process. You must learn how to breath properly again! This is why we start with simple breathing exercises. It goes like this:

 

  • Lay facing up on the ground or the bed.
  • Put one hand on your belly, one hand on your chest.
  • Take a small breath and watch your BELLY hand lift first.
  • Your chest hand may lift slightly after the belly.
  • The most important thing is to NOT let your neck muscles work at all.
  • Start with small breaths focusing on the belly moving.

 

This allows the diaphragm muscle to lengthen, stretch, and contract. It’s like you’re turning the lights to your diaphragm back on. Start small with 8 easy repetitions a few times a day.

 

It may seem overly simple, because it is. Often times the most important thing to recovery, is the most simple. As you get stronger and feel your neck tension melting away, you can advance this breathing exercise by:

 

  • Start the same as before.
  • At the end of the exhale, suck your belly button towards your spine.
  • As all the air is pushed out, and your belly sucked in, gently tuck the pelvis and do a small kegel.

 

A few weeks after starting these breathing exercises you will experience less headaches, less rib pain, less rib flaring, less neck tension. You will also experience more oxygen exchange, more abdominal strength, more neck mobility, and more comfort all around.

 

If you’re not finding the relief you need, then it’s time to seek help. Luckily, we are here to help you every step of your recovery. No matter your birth experience, your postpartum recovery is crucial to living the motherhood journey you deserve.

Give Thrive Family Chiropractic a call to begin your healing process from a pregnancy and postpartum expert.

 

562-386-1415


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