The First 6 Weeks Postpartum: What Can I Do?
Danielle Ivie, DPT, CSCS | Founder of Powered by Movement Physical Therapy
First, if you are reading this in your new postpartum phase of life, CONGRATULATIONS! Pregnancy and motherhood, while beautiful and life changing in the best way, can feel overwhelming, lonely and just outright hard. You are doing a wonderful job, mama!
Now, if you spent all your time learning about exercise during pregnancy, labor and delivery prep, and how to care for newborns, but feel lost in these early postpartum weeks – you are not alone. The “traditional” advice tells you to rest for 6 weeks, then *poof* go back to all normal activities. And some healthcare providers will still tell you that. But the secret is out: that ain’t it.
The first six weeks postpartum is a sacred, special time you get to spend getting to know your sweet baby and while you should prioritize rest and recovery, you can still safely move your body in a progressive way to optimize healing and return to fitness. Let’s dive into it!
Our best advice in the first six weeks is to lean on your village, if you have that support. Ask for help when you need it! Get out in the sunlight, laugh every day, and sleep as much as you can (which may not be a lot, but take any chance you get!). Focus on hydration and whole, nutritious foods to support your recovering body. Give yourself grace as you enter this new realm of motherhood and appreciate your body for this wonderful human it just spent ~10 months~ creating. Don’t even think about bouncing back.
Now, let’s break it down –
Week 0-1: In the first week it is important to stick to any medications you are currently taking for pain management and start gentle breathing exercises with a lower abdominal brace. Reconnect with your breath, core and pelvic floor. You can do this while your baby is having floor time or taking a nap. Even if the baby is napping on you – take a moment to work on feeling deep breaths and a gentle abdominal contraction on exhale. Think about your breath and pressure management when you change positions, get out of bed or up/down from the couch. Let your partner or family do the bulk of household chores and spend more time resting than up on your feet if you are able to.
Weeks 2-3: Do small household chores and tasks as you feel comfortable and introduce short bouts of walking if you are up for it. If that feels like too much, that’s okay! Everyone’s recovery is different, and, in this time, slower progressions are better than doing too much too soon. Signs that you are doing too much too soon include increased abdominal, low back or pelvic pain, pressure in perineum like something is “falling out”, or an increase in postpartum bleeding. Exercises to practice these weeks are hip rotations, upper back mobility (relief from that hunched over feeding position), glute bridges, abdominal marches and single leg balance.
Weeks 4-6: Increase the amount you are walking gradually – start with 5-10 minutes and increase a few minutes per day. You can baby wear for longer periods of time if that feels comfortable to you. Reintroduce lifting up older and heavier children if you can do so without symptoms of pressure, pain or increase in bleeding. Exercises to perform in this time frame are hip and upper back mobility, continued core work (connecting breath with abs and pelvic floor), upright bodyweight movements (air squats, plank progressions, knee pushups to elevated surface, walking while pushing a stroller or baby wearing for longer distances). The goal here is not quite progressive overload but getting your body used to these movements again. 6 weeks is typically when you go to OB checkup, and we highly recommend seeing a pelvic floor PT as well at this time if you haven’t already to assess your baseline and make a progression plan beyond 6 weeks.
The first 6 weeks are blissful, tiring, and wonderful. If your goals include getting back to fitness postpartum, you can safely move your body to set a good foundation for progressing back to full activity. It is perfectly okay to rest more than what we outlined above – most importantly, this is a time for recovery and bonding with your new baby, but if you feel ready for movement, you can do it! It may help you feel a little bit more like you in this time and movement works wonders for mental health.
Questions or not sure where to start? Reach out to us for an individualized assessment and plan! We’ve got you, Mama.
At PXM, we help active people in St. Louis recover from injury, optimize movement, and stay out of pain for the long term while reaching their health & fitness goals. With our unique approach to physical therapy, our top priority is to provide you with holistic, fitness forward healthcare that emphasizes your goals.
We get you back to thriving in the activities you love with our 3 step process:
POWER UP: Diagnose and understand the root cause of your problem.
POWER BOOST: Create a custom plan for you to restore function & get back to what you love.
POWER PEAK: Optimize performance to keep pain away for good & get stronger than ever.
Not sure if PXM is right for you? Have more questions? Schedule a Free Consultation today.
Dr. Danielle Ivie, DPT, CSCS
Powered by Movement, LLC
567 Hanley Industrial Ct., Brentwood, MO 63144
314-252-0504 | www.poweredxmovement.com