How to Avoid Getting “Stuck” During the Six-Week Postpartum Period.

After giving birth, a woman undergoes amazing changes—both physically and emotionally! She has gone from being a woman to being a MOTHER! Her partner and she have become a FAMILY!

A beautiful, intimate, challenging time full of LOVE and EMOTIONS! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that begins with childbirth and will end one day… But when?

In medical literature, the postpartum period is defined as the time immediately following childbirth, during which the mother’s body undergoes anatomical and physiological changes as it returns to its normal (pre-pregnancy) state. The female body undergoes regeneration. The uterus empties and, together with the vagina, contracts and returns to its original position. Lactation begins during the first few days to weeks. Birth injuries heal. The abdominal wall re-strengthens, and pregnancy-related diastasis recti resolves. Ovarian function is also gradually restored. According to the literature, the postpartum period lasts 6 to 8 weeks.

There’s a lot going on during the six weeks after childbirth! And the postpartum period doesn’t always go according to the “textbook.” Sometimes, the woman’s body’s recovery simply SLOWS DOWN!!!

The body remains stuck in the postpartum period for several months or even years. The uterus clears out and contracts, so from a gynecological standpoint, the woman is healthy. BUT! The pelvic floor and abdominal wall with diastasis REMAIN DYSFUNCTIONAL!!! A woman in such a body endures…and the QUALITY of her female body and being is LOST!!!

My milk hasn’t come in yet, my breasts hurt, and my nipples are chafed. My belly just won’t go back down!!! My delivery wounds hurt, burn, and feel like they’re being pulled. The thought of having sex with your partner after the six-week postpartum period doesn’t appeal to you at all—it’s downright terrifying!!! The hemorrhoids that appeared at the end of your pregnancy still haven’t gone away!!! And when you were loading the stroller into the car, you leaked urine!!!

These are real-life situations that many mothers struggle with. Few of them seek help. But where should they even look for help? Should they turn to an obstetrician, a gynecologist, or their family doctor?

THE BEST OPTION IS TO FIND A PHYSICAL THERAPIST WHO SPECIALIZES IN WOMEN’S HEALTH.

Physical therapy can be nothing short of miraculous during the postpartum period!!! The difficulties mentioned above can be effectively addressed. Sometimes all it takes is one treatment and the right guidance, and a woman leaves the clinic as a healthy, confident mother who is aware of her body (abdominal wall, scar, pelvic floor) and KNOWS WHAT TO DO WITH IT ALL!!!

After complicated deliveries (tears, perineal injuries, episiotomy, cesarean section, vacuum-assisted delivery, pelvic pain), the assistance of a physical therapist is absolutely ESSENTIAL. A physical therapist helps a woman achieve optimal function of her body: the abdominal wall, the pelvic floor, and the entire female reproductive tract.

AND THAT IS WHY, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO REMAIN CAPTIVE TO THE “SIX-WEEK” PERIOD FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, make an appointment with a physical therapist who specializes in the postpartum period.

If you had a smooth delivery and are experiencing no complications, PREVENTIVE therapy with a PHYSICAL THERAPIST after the six-week postpartum period is sufficient—ideally after a follow-up visit with your gynecologist.

If you had a complicated delivery or are experiencing difficulties, I recommend IMMEDIATE PHYSICAL THERAPY, either at a clinic or at home. Don’t wait any longer! The longer you put off addressing the problem, the longer the treatment will take!!!