Can we just talk about your body after you have a baby ... it is crazy the changes that it goes through. It takes 9 months to grow huge and serve as a home for this tiny human and then all of a sudden the baby is born and your body starts shifting/changing. I have been amazed at how quickly things started to shift back to normal, but then also how long it took for other things to return to "normal." Then can I just also say ... what is normal now? I don't feel like things will be exactly like they were before, but it is a work in progress.
So just to give you a timeline, William is 5 months and 3 weeks now and I feel like my body is finally starting to be like the "old Anna." I can fit into some of my pre-pregnancy pants again (not all of them, but some of them). I consider that progress.
I have noticed some things that weren't changing back quick enough for me. For example, I realized that my pelvic floor was a mess. Now you may be wondering, pelvic floor, what is that? Well women, this is very important for you, especially after having a baby because you want everything to tighten up and shift back into place appropriately and having a strong pelvic floor helps accomplish that goal.
I decided to seek out a Women's Health Physical Therapist, because I needed to address my pelvic floor issues and that would also help with my weak abdominal muscles. After your body has stretched out to accommodate a baby, it needs some help to regain that strength. If your abdominal wall and pelvic floor is weak it can have a negative impact on lots of things - difficulty moving/twisting, issues with urination, pain with sex and abdominal diastasis. Now what is abdominal diastasis?
Getting physical therapy to target this area is important in helping to fix these issues. I found a great therapist - I googled women's health physical therapist in Indianapolis - and just get up an appointment with Katrina. She has been great and the therapy has made a world of difference for me. My abdominal diastasis was 2cm in the upper abs, 3cm around my belly button and then 2cm in my lower abs. After a month and a half of therapy I have gotten that distance down to 1cm on the top, 2cm in the middle and 1cm at the bottom. I feel stronger, my posture is improved and I feel like my stomach is more flat.
I have also learned how better to do a kegel and how to relax my pelvic floor. Believe it or not, you can carry stress in your pelvic floor muscles and learning how to relax can be an important skill. That was part of my struggle and learning to relax has been so helpful in the integrity of that muscle.
I had to share this article that I found on the Today Show website, because I was so excited to finally see some information about pelvic floor health. CLICK HERE for the article.
So I am sure that this is WAY more than you wanted to know about me, but I think it is important for women to know and understand there bodies. This is even more important after having a baby. Your postpartum body is different and if there are imbalances or issues that you are experiencing there is help out there. There are great therapist that specialize in women's health issues and can help you feel confident and embrace this Mom-version of yourself!