You’re pregnant.
Obvious, right? But there’s a bit more to it than that. Over the next several months, the expecting mom’s body changes in astounding ways. And while those changes allow your little one to grow, they can also trigger aches and pains for mom. The lower back, hips, and abdomen are the areas where women experience the most discomfort and need the most support during pregnancy.
Lower Back – Medical experts say that up to 80% of expecting moms suffer from pregnancy back pain. And it’s not surprising considering how the expanding abdomen subjects the spine to stress and strain. For example, the uterus shifts the body’s center of gravity, which causes uncomfortable changes in posture. Natural weight gain also puts extra strain, often causing pregnancy back pain and creating a need for pregnancy support.
Hips – As the body prepares to give birth, it releases hormones that loosen the muscles, joints, and ligaments in the pelvic area. While these changes make it easier for the baby to pass through the birth canal, it also relaxes and stretches the tissues so they’re not as supportive, causing discomfort instability and discomfort. The changes in the abdomen also throw the hips out of alignment with the spine.
Abdomen – You see your belly growing to accommodate your baby, but what you feel is the discomfort of strained ligaments, compressed organs, and separated muscles. All of this causing you at times to feel unstable and compromise your bodily functions.
Life doesn’t stop because you’re pregnant.
Every pregnant woman deserves to kick up her feet and rest—but the reality is that you have a life to live. From changing your toddler’s diapers to walking the convention floor, life doesn’t stop because you’re expecting. It’s no wonder that one of the most common pregnancy complaints, especially during the last trimester, is fatigue. The extra weight and posture shifts make even the simplest tasks, like unloading groceries, a real chore.
Give your body the pregnancy support it deserves.
Your life is going to be hectic enough after your little one is born. Get the rest and comfort you need now taking action now to relieve the aches and pains of pregnancy. For example, simple strengthening and stretching exercises will keep strengthen muscles and lengthen ligaments to help support your growing abdomen. Some women also find that a prenatal massage helps manage pregnancy back pain and hip discomfort. Always talk to your medical professional to make sure exercises or prenatal massage sessions are safe for you.
One option is to use a the Motherload™ pregnancy support to relieve back, hip, and pelvic discomfort. This support is designed to shift the baby’s weight off those problem areas. From aligning the spine to improving posture, their contoured panels support the areas where expecting moms feel the most discomfort.
Moms-to-be deserve to feel comfortable and less fatigued.
You already have a lot on your mind (“Will I have a vaginal delivery?” “Will my mom be in town to help?”). Don’t add aches and pains to your list of worries. Talk to your doctor or midwife about how to support your changing body, and consider a well-made pregnancy support band to feel more comfortable and less fatigued.
]]>What to Expect After a C-Section
Typically, the incision is made horizontally around the pubic hairline and is 4-6” in length. After the baby is born, the area around the site will feel sore or numb. It might also be slightly raised or puffy. The doctor will remove any staples or sutures after the third or fourth day. Protecting the wound will be a priority. For example, any strain on that area, from holding the baby to contracting during a sneeze, can damage the incision site. You may need to modify, for example, breastfeeding positions or use rolled-up towels to prop up the baby away from the scar during post-pregnancy healing. Research has also pointed to a slightly increased occurrence of urge urinary incontinence in women that have had a C-section than women that have had a vaginal delivery (who have a higher occurrence of stress urinary incontinence, especially in forceps or vacuum-assisted deliveries). Urge urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine accompanied by a strong urge to urinate. Women with urge incontinence can never seem to make it to the toilet in time. This is usually in the presence of certain behavioral cues such as putting your key in the door, hearing running water or with the increased sensation of fullness as you are making your way to the bathroom. Women that have had a cesarean delivery, but had contractions and attempted a vaginal delivery may also develop stress urinary incontinence or bladder prolapse due to the strain that is put on the pelvic floor muscles.
How to Help Your Body Heal from a C-section
Helping the body heal from this major surgery is just as important to your baby’s well-being as physically taking care of him or her. If you’re so focused on caring for your newborn and other children that you neglect yourself during post-pregnancy healing, it could trigger serious complications like an infection or poor wound healing, which could ultimately make taking care of your baby quite difficult. The resulting scar may become raised and painful, which may create hypersensitivity through the area making it difficult to wear underwear or other tight-fitting clothing. Sometimes, a light brush across a scar like this can create quite a bit of discomfort. One natural way to help the body heal is by wearing a properly designed C-section support recovery garment. A post-pregnancy healing device, like Body After Baby’s C-Section Recovery Garment, is designed by a team of medical professionals to facilitate recovery. It works by using compression and support panels to provide structure and support to the recuperating body. In addition, the C-section garment employs a side opening to keep seams and zippers away from the sensitive incision site. It also delivers gentle compression to reduce swelling (edema), aid wound healing, help retract skin, and increase circulation.
With a C-section recovery garment:
You’ll move better. The activities of daily living (ADLs) are tough when you’re dealing with a painful incision site. Unlike C-section panties or post-partum belly bands designed for vaginal deliveries, a good support garment will support all the major body parts impacted by pregnancy including the hips, and lower back, not just the C-section incision. And while it’s true that you won’t be running a marathon right away, a full-support recovery garment will help you move with more confidence and less pain.
You’ll feel stronger. Having a C-section can leave your insides feeling like they’ve been battered. Supporting the incision site as well as the surrounding muscles and tissues provide the structure that makes the abdomen feel stronger.
You’ll feel and look better. When you move with less pain, you’ll feel better more quickly—and that means you can care for your baby better. It also means you can get back to a normal life more quickly (well, a new normal, anyway!). Make C-section recovery faster and less painful by wearing a recovery support garment to help your post pregnancy body heal. An added bonus: a C-section recovery garment acts as light shapewear too, so you really do look slimmer with it on.
Specifically designed for use following a Cesarean Section delivery
A C-Section recovery garment such as the Sienna by Body After Baby, is for C-section moms that want to recover faster and more comfortably so they can regain the strength they need to actively focus on their new baby. C-Section recovery garments provide compressive support, stability and comfort during the healing period. A good garment will also feature a seamless lower-abdominal support panel that provides the correct support and compression to protect and stabilize the incision site and surrounding abdominal structures during the healing process. Additional support panels around the lower back provide core stability and increase comfort. Also look for a garment designed without direct seams over the C-section wound site, and one intended for immediate use after a C-Section delivery to help you recover in comfort, promote wound healing, and support your body during the daily activities of motherhood.
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by: Sean Daneshmand, MD - Perinatal ObGyn, San Diego CA
Sweet, sleepy smiles. Contagious giggles. You will adore your little bundle of joy, but you might not adore the price your body might be paying in the process. From pregnancy back pain to post pregnancy weight and condition, your body needs support for the changes that happen during and after pregnancy. But what body changes can you expect? And how can you alleviate discomfort in a natural, drug-free way and still maintain comfort?
During Pregnancy
When you’re expecting, the body goes through astounding changes and it goes through them quickly. Some of them, like feeling that little person move inside you, will make you glow. Others, well, not so much. The more uncomfortable and all too-common pregnancy aches include:
But just because these changes are natural and common, doesn’t mean you need to suffer through the discomfort they cause. Women have a range of options for finding pregnancy support, such as a high quality pregnancy support band that redistributes the abdomen’s weight off of the spine and pelvis, reducing one of the most typical complaints: pregnancy back pain.
Immediate Post-Delivery
For many moms, this is a difficult period that’s sometimes called the fourth trimester. Your body has started the process of returning to its normal state. The uterus slowly shrinks back to normal size and hormones fall back to pre-pregnancy levels. You’ll also experience several weeks of varying soreness and swelling depending on length of labor and delivery methods. Specific post pregnancy recovery needs will depend on how your baby came into the world:
Recovering from a vaginal delivery – Most women can expect a sore abdominal muscles and ligaments, as well as the perineum, which is the area that stretches to allow the baby to leave the birth canal. If you had an episiotomy, you may have stitches as well as discomfort. Many women relieve discomfort from a vaginal delivery with a combination of pain medication (either over-the-counter or prescription) and at-home remedies (such as a sitz bath.) Another way to help the body recover from a vaginal delivery is with a postpartum recovery garment, which is designed to support the muscles and tissues in the abdomen, hips, and back. The result? You get relief from post pregnancy pain so you can focus more on caring for your newborn.
Recovering from C-section delivery – This type of recovery means the body will be recuperating from major abdominal surgery. In addition to typical post pregnancy issues, such as engorged breasts, you will also find it challenging to perform simple tasks, like getting out of bed or lifting your baby from a bassinet. During C-section recovery, it’s important to listen to your health care professional’s instructions regarding pain relief and C-section scar care. Like vaginal delivery recovery, women recuperating from a C-section delivery find that a post c-section recovery garment plays a key role in helping their own bodies recover naturally.
Long-Term Recovery
This is most familiar as the “getting your body back” stage. The sleepless nights of infant-hood have diminished (hopefully) and the body has healed from the initial post-pregnancy recovery stage. Now it’s time to focus on getting that healthy body you want. A post pregnancy support garment will start you down the path to getting your body back. Using specially contoured panels, a post pregnancy body shaping garment molds the abdominal tissue into a shape you won’t be shy to show off.
The body changes in big ways during and after pregnancy—but you can find relief from those changes! Listen to your medical professional, and consider a pregnancy band or post pregnancy support garment to get the comfort you want and the support your body deserves.
]]>by: Sean Daneshmand, MD - Perinatal ObGyn, San Diego CA
What does recovery from vaginal delivery look and feel like? Maybe this is your first baby. Or perhaps this is your first vaginal birth delivery. If you want to know what to expect in the days and weeks following birth, this intro guide will share what to expect as well as options for post pregnancy support and relief.
Labor strains muscles, ligaments, and other tissues
Labor is exactly that: labor. In addition to the exhilaration and concerns you might feel about your baby, you can also expect to feel as though you just ran a marathon—even if you experienced a short labor. You can expect:
Sore muscles - After a vaginal delivery, it’s common to experience sore muscles, especially if you went through a textbook’s worth of labor positions. Achy muscles can pop up anywhere, such as the back, legs, shoulders, or chest.
Back pain - Pregnancy back pain is common, but so is back pain following a vaginal birth delivery. For instance, if your partner used counter pressure to alleviate labor pain, then expect back soreness. You may also feel back pain if you had an epidural.
Strained ligaments - Those same labor positions that triggered muscle soreness will also make the joints feel like they’ve just gone through a master yoga class. Hip ligaments are another common sore spot, often caused by pulling up and spreading the legs during the delivery.
Labor strains the abdomen
The labor strains that created sore abdominal muscles after a vaginal delivery can be made worse if you experienced abdominal separation during pregnancy. This condition happens when the growing uterus pulls the “six-pack” muscles away from each other, weakening them. Left untreated, the separated muscles cause post pregnancy lower back pain and poor posture.
Labor strains the perineum
The perineum, the area between the vagina and rectum, takes the brunt of the delivery process. After all, it’s the area that stretches to allow the baby to pass into the world. That’s why this area will be swollen or tender for several days after a vaginal delivery.
Sometimes, however, the perineum tears during vaginal birth delivery. In other situations, the doctor may perform an episiotomy (cut the perineum) to allow the baby to be born. A minor tear or an episiotomy typically heals within a week or two. Deeper tears trigger discomfort for several weeks and may also produce uncomfortable side effects, like incontinence.
Always follow your medical provider’s instructions for perineal care after a vaginal delivery. For example, they might recommend placing a medicated pad into a sanitary napkin for a minor tear or prescribe pain medication for a serious tear.
Relieve labor strains with a postpartum recovery garment
Most new moms can expect to feel the strain of a vaginal delivery for days or even weeks. But if you’re caring for an infant, your own aches and pains are the last thing you want to focus on. One way to find relief from the pain is by using a postpartum recovery support garment. Made from lightweight and supportive materials, these vaginal delivery garments support and stabilize the abdomen, pelvis and hips, making it easier for you to care for a newborn and allow your body to heal and recover in comfort.
Don’t let pain prevent you from enjoying the first precious weeks of your baby’s life. Find relief by consulting your medical provider and wearing a post pregnancy support garment.
Congratulations on your pregnancy! Your body will spend nine months adapting to accommodate the little one growing inside you. But all that growing triggers changes in your body—some you’re familiar with and some that may surprise you. This guide will share 7 major body changes you can expect and a few pregnancy support options you might consider:
You don’t need to “live with” the discomfort of pregnancy.
Expecting moms have a range of options to get relief and comfort. For example, some yoga poses, like cat-cow, help stretch out the aches of pregnancy back pain. Always check with your doctor or midwife to find out what exercises are safe for you. Maintaining weight at the level recommended by your medical professional is another way to keep pregnancy aches in check.
An increasingly popular way to find relief from pregnancy back pain and other discomforts is through the use of a well-designed pregnancy support belly band. These bands, worn underneath or over clothing use specially designed panels and support features to lift the weight of the baby off the lower abdomen and back, helping mothers to carry more comfortably. The more advanced belly bands offer a sleek design, and soft, breathable moisture wicking material so they can be discreetly worn under even fitted clothing. The result is reduced pain, improved posture, and minimized swelling and fatigue, and it also allows active moms to resume their active lifestyles, whether running around town, or getting into a pregnancy safe yoga move.
Don’t allow the discomfort from pregnancy back pain and other body changes make your pregnancy miserable. Instead, consider support options that provide the relief you need and deserve.
For moms who have delivered (either naturally or via C-section), there are specific designed support garments to assist with your post pregnancy healing and recovery. These post pregnancy recovery garments are designed to support stretched muscles and ligaments, assist with wound healing, stabilize core, and retract loose skin, helping mothers to recover while alleviating some of the aches and discomforts of post-pregnancy. These are not to be confused with a belly band focused solely on temporarily shrinking the waist. Of course, getting your body back after the birth of your baby is certainly important, but you have must heal first and foremost. Using a support garment allows active mothers to perform daily activities with added support and comfort.
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by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT - Women's Health Physical Therapy, Los Angeles CA
The baby belly. It’s the most obvious way a woman’s body changes during pregnancy. But the transformation is so pronounced that it causes somewhat less visible—but still uncomfortable—physiological changes. Pregnancy-related back pain can be so severe that it interferes with one’s quality of life, which especially for active moms who had planned to continue their active lifestyle throughout their pregnancy can be downright depressing. To make matters worse, pregnancy-related back pain may extend into post-pregnancy period, and may interfere with healing during this time due to the inability to walk or do other forms of exercise, which are critical in the early recover period.
What causes pregnancy-related back pain, especially in the lower back?
How can expecting moms find support to relieve and prevent pregnancy back pain?
You don’t need to suffer with the back pain caused by pregnancy. Physical therapists have a range of solutions to help support the lower back and pelvis:
Proper support for the lower back plays a surprisingly important role during pregnancy and post-pregnancy healing. If you’re expecting, you owe it to yourself to prevent and relieve pregnancy-related back pain.
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by: Robert Kessler, MD - Plastic Surgeon, Newport Beach CA
A well placed Cesarean section scar is placed across the top of the pubic hairline. How this scar heals relies not only on the individuals healing but on the closure technique used by your obstetrician. As a plastic surgeon, I see many c section scars which are wide, depressed and even stuck to the underlying tissue creating a fold in the contour of the lower abdomen.
The good news is that most of these issues can be corrected with scar revision or tummy tuck accompanied by post-operative compression garments.
With a tummy tuck the c-section scar is completely removed and the underlying strength layer of the abdomen called the Scarpa’s fascia is approximated with suture. The tension of the closure is placed on this layer so minimal tension is placed on the skin. Tension is one of the main causes of wide scarring. The second benefit of putting Scarpa’s fascia together is that it prevents a depression or a tethered scar when all is healed.
Post-operative compression garments have been shown to decrease the incidence of fluid collections occurring at the surgical site. They also minimize swelling which can lead to tension across the incisions. Tissue fluid can accumulate in the tissue as well as in the spaces created by the surgical procedure. Both processes have a negative impact on healing. Most individuals also experience decreased post-operative pain while wearing compressive garments. These garment can also be used to hold silicone sheeting in place which has clearly been shown to diminish the occurrence of hypertrophic or keloid scarring. Abdominoplasty and liposuction patients clearly achieve their final aesthetic results much sooner with compressive garments than individuals who elect not to wear them.
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by: Robert Kessler, MD - Plastic Surgeon, Newport Beach CA
There are two circulatory systems in our bodies. Most people are aware of the arteries and veins which carry blood and nutrients to the cells and removes waste. The second system is the lymphatic system. Blood consists of red cells which stay in the arteries and veins while plasma has the ability to leave the vessels and bathe the structural cells in the body. Plasma leaves blood vessels to perform its function and is collected in the lymphatic system which returns it to the blood stream. The lymphatic channels operate under very low pressure and often require muscular exertion and movement to propel the lymphatic fluid back into the blood stream.
During surgical procedures blood and lymphatic vessels are cut. Blood vessels which operate under higher pressure find alternate paths back into the circulation quickly. Lymphatic channels are very slow to open and fluid accumulates at the surgical site. The trauma of surgery also leads to additional fluids accumulating as well. Blood vessels are repaired in a week while lymphatic channels may require 3 months to repair.
The body’s response to surgery and to spaces created in the body by surgery is to fill the areas with fluids. Plasma has clotting factors and brings the elements of the immune system to concentrate the healing effects in the injured area. Some fluid is beneficial, too much is problematic. This is where compression garments provide tremendous benefit. Compression will maintain contact between the layers in the surgical wound preventing fluid collection which is an early occurrence.
Equally important is to prevent excess fluid from accumulating within the tissue. This will lead to persistent swelling and potential contour irregularities in the area. Compression minimizes the amount of fluid that can physically enter the tissue and will minimize cycles of engorgement and deflation. Compression should be maintained until the lymphatic system has repaired itself and the tissue fluid can pass through the tissues unobstructed. In most cases this is complete by 3 months.
The main muscles in the abdominal wall are called the Rectus Abdominus muscles. These muscles run from the rib cage to the pubic bone and define the contour of the abdomen. The muscles are segmental and in thin, athletic individuals they are seen through the skin as the classic “six pack”.
These muscles run together in the center of the abdominal wall and are surrounded by a tissue layer called the Rectus Fascia. This is a fibrous structure which holds the muscles in place and maintains the integrity of the abdominal cavity. The central location of these muscles not only maintains the foundation of the abdomen but helps in maintaining balance with the opposing muscles of the back.
During pregnancy the expansion of the abdominal wall causes the rectus muscles to move away from the midline. Although the muscle has the ability to stretch, it is the fascia or strength layer which does the majority of the stretching. This fascia is weakened by the process and does not return to its original position. The rectus muscles remain separated most noticeably above the belly button. No amount of exercise will restore the muscles to the midline position. Building muscle strength is always beneficial but the rounded appearance of the abdomen can not be obtained through exercise alone. The fascia must be surgically tightened to bring the muscles back into their original alignment.
Diastasis Recti must be differentiated from hernia. A hernia is a weakness in the abdominal wall, rectus fascia, which allows abdominal contents such as the intestines or omentum to come through the fascia and lie beneath the skin. In rectus diastasis the fascia is thin but intact and so there is no danger of developing the types of complications seen with hernias.
Surgical repair of the diastasis recti is a routine part of the abdominoplasty or tummy tuck procedures. When the abdominal skin is elevated the borders of the rectus muscle are obvious through the rectus fascia. Sutures are used to bring the rectus muscles back into their appropriate anatomic alignment for optima function and aesthetic appearance.
]]>No woman is immune to the post-pregnancy baby belly blues. What once nurtured a growing baby is now achy and sore as well as flabby and toneless. But, for many women, it’s what’s going on inside the body during post-pregnancy healing that triggers not only discomfort but also a lack of confidence.
Whether it’s the strain of pregnancy or the trauma of a vaginal delivery or c-section, our bodies undergo a tremendous amount of stress. But with so much focus on caring for a newborn and possibly the rest of the family, how can a new mom help the body’s post-pregnancy healing process? The first step in learning how to heal the body is to find out what’s going on.
The abdomen needs support to heal properly during post-pregnancy healing
Yes, that stretch and strain takes a visible (and a not-as-visible) toll on your abs. Many women experience diastasis, or abdominal separation, that contributes to muscle weakness. This, in turn, may lead to lumbar (lower) back pain. Others feel discomfort because ligaments stretched out by pregnancy no longer provide adequate stability for the pubic or SI joints. Between abdominal separation and strained ligaments, it’s not surprising that a new mom’s belly feels like a bowl of gelatin during post-pregnancy healing.
Abdominal muscles aren’t the only body parts that need to heal
Let’s talk about the skin you’re in. New moms are so focused on caring for their newborns that it might sound almost trivial to say that you need to care for your skin, too. But pregnancy is not kind to the body’s largest organ. Skin on the abdomen, pelvis, hips, and thighs are stretched by baby weight and excess fluid. Remember, that excess fluid often remains during the post-pregnancy healing process, especially for moms who were pumped with I.V. fluids during a long labor.
Feeling a pain in the pelvis? As you might imagine, pregnancy is harsh on the pelvic region. And, for many women, relieving this area is often limited to sitting on an ice bag immediately following labor. And while this can relieve pelvic pain externally, it does next to nothing for the organs inside the pelvic region.
New moms can find immediate comfort, support, and strength in a support garment
As a physical therapist and a mom, I know firsthand that women can assist post-pregnancy healing by wearing a specially designed support garment. Support wear, like the Body After Baby Abdominal Recovery or C-section Recovery garment, provides a natural way to be more comfortable and more mobile. Many women find that a support garment relieves some fatigue as well—sorry, though, it won’t do anything for fatigue from 3 a.m. feedings!
How does a post-pregnancy support garment work?
Anatomically designed support panels encircle the abdomen, pelvis, hips, and lower back to deliver contouring support that stabilizes muslces, tissue, and ligaments. The gentle compression also promotes circulation which aids in healing and reduces edema (swelling) and helps the skin retract to its former shape. Support and Compression work together to assist your body with healing and recovery.
Following the initial post-pregnancy healing period, women can continue to find support to assist their body shape with a Body After Baby Body Contouring garment, which provides extended compression panels and a contouring fit designed to help your body retains its pre-pregnancy shape naturally.
If you haven’t worn a postpartum support garment before, it might be time to give it a try—you’ll be surprised at how quickly it supports, increases mobility, reduces discomfort, and makes you feel and look better.
]]>by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT - Women's Health Physical Therapy, Los Angeles CA
During pregnancy, the focus is often on doing the right things to deliver a healthy newborn. But what do moms do during pregnancy to prevent and relieve pain and complications after the birth? The fact is that the way you support your body during pregnancy can have a surprisingly big impact on how the body recovers during post-pregnancy healing.
Pregnancy Problems That Trigger Post-Pregnancy Healing Pain & Complications
Back: The lumbar spine and associated muscles (the lower back) is a common source of discomfort for pregnant women. This is due, in part, to a shifting center of gravity that can drastically alter posture. As the belly pulls forward, it will create an exaggerated extension in the back (or lordosis), which will create short, tightened muscles in the lower back. Also, as the baby grows inside the uterus, the abdominal muscles become stretched and weakened, making it difficult for them to support the lower back. Compounding these changes, additional weight gain, which is a natural part of a healthy pregnancy, can exacerbate this pain, in fact, as many as 80% of all pregnant women suffer with back pain. Lower back pain can carry into labor and delivery, making an already tough task even more difficult.
Abdomen: Although the body’s entire core plays a role in bringing a baby into the world, one of the most important muscles is the transversus abdominis. This is the innermost abdominal muscle; imagine it as a natural corset, encircling the body. A growing baby belly strains the muscle, weakening it. This becomes a problem during labor when it can’t push effectively, and may lead to a potentially longer labor that is traumatic on both mom and baby. The rectus abdominus (or “six pack” muscle) also becomes over stretched and can become separated at the midline, creating a diastasis rectus.
Pelvic Floor: Another important , and often neglected muscle, is the pelvic floor. It is comprised of several muscles that support the pelvic organs, such as the bladder, uterus and rectum. During pregnancy, weight gain puts extra pressure on the pelvic floor, making it weaker. What’s more, labor and delivery can further traumatize the area. The potential results of pelvic floor weakness are a laundry list of conditions most women don’t want to live with during post-pregnancy healing and beyond. This may include incontinence, pain, and pelvic floor prolapse, which is a condition in which an organ, like the bladder, slips down into the vagina.
Balance: During later pregnancy, our bodies are anything but graceful. We stumble. We waddle. Sometimes we fall. Why? Several factors, including pregnancy postural changes, muscle weakening, and that growing abdomen, change our center of gravity. Not only is poor balance an issue as we move through pregnancy, it may also create problems during labor, when good balance can do anything from alleviate back labor to hold an effective delivery position.
Support your body during pregnancy so you can recover faster during post-pregnancy healing.
One of the simplest and safest tools for reducing post-pregnancy problems is a properly designed maternity support, like the MotherLoad™ pregnancy support band. This is more than the elastic maternity belts or abdominal binders found in drugstores. This maternity band was designed by medical experts to shift baby weight off the abdomen, hips, and lower back and support the body’s core. The result is relief of the pressure that causes pregnancy-related musculoskeletal pain and discomfort.
Less pressure and strain during pregnancy means more power to push during labor and potentially fewer post-pregnancy healing problems, such as pelvic pain, continued lower back pain, and sore abdominal muscles.
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by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT - Women's Health Physical Therapy, Los Angeles CA
Pregnancy is a period of significant change in a women’s body. The growing fetus leads to an altered posture and over-stretched abdominal muscles. Due to the growing fetus, the belly is pulled forward, creating increased sway (Lordosis) in the lower back. The hip flexor and lower back muscles tighten as they are placed in a shortened position due to postural changes that are occurring. Postural changes may also lead to pain in the neck, shoulders, back, hips and elsewhere. In order for pregnant women to maintain their balance and also due to contributing hormonal influences, the knees will hyper extend and the head and shoulders will go forward. Wearing a proper support that cradles under the belly, like The Motherload™ pregnancy support will help alleviate strain on these areas. After delivery, the muscles do not always bounce back to their original state, leaving behind muscles that exhibit a “stretch weakness”.
When muscles are overstretched, they develop what is called a “stretch weakness”. This means that there is not adequate overlap of the muscle fibers to perform at an optimal level. This may lead to pain or dysfunction in this area. When this stretch weakness occurs in the abdominal muscles, there is the potential for developing lower back pain, pelvic or hip pain. In the pelvic floor, this stretch weakness may present as incontinence, prolapse or both.
There is also the potential for separated abdominal muscles (the “six pack” muscles), also known as a diastasis rectus abdominus (DRA). After delivery, the separation may persist. Women may not be aware that this separation is occurring. A women’s body also changes again after delivery, but much more rapidly. The fetus that was once occupying the mother’s uterus is now a beautiful baby in her arms. With this sudden change, however, the body is required to make very quick postural adjustments, without the proper muscle support to do so.
Many changes also occur in the musculoskeletal system during the postpartum period. The hormone Relaxin has influenced every joint in the body, creating ligamentous laxity, which will last for 3-4 months post-delivery. This effect is longer in breastfeeding women. With delivery, a women’s center of gravity is suddenly shifted, which can create problems with balance. The abdominal muscles become gradually overstretched and weakened with pregnancy. Additionally, the pelvic floor muscles are stretched relatively quickly during vaginal birth, and tearing may occur. Unfortunately, these muscles don’t always immediately return to their pre-pregnancy states.
Performing deep abdominal muscle contractions and Kegel exercises are essential during the first six weeks. They should be started within the first 24 hours to prevent muscle atrophy. Performing Kegels will also increase local circulation, assisting with the healing process.
I also frequently recommend compression garments to be used by patients during the postpartum period, regardless of whether they’ve had a vaginal or cesarean delivery, like the Sienna C-section and the Angelica Abdominal recovery garments. The abdominal compression provides support for the overstretched skin and abdominal muscles and are a great first step towards restoring normal muscle and tissue anatomy during healing and recovery.
by: Sean Daneshmand, MD - Perinatal ObGyn, San Diego CA
What you need to know about C-section recovery
Every woman is different—so every recovery is different. Here are some of the common challenges mothers may experience after a C-section delivery
Your health care professional will advise you about how to alleviate some of these discomforts. You might receive a prescription pain medication for soreness or take a stool softener to increase bowel activity. Family and friends may be able to help as well, for example, by handling daily activities, such as carrying laundry upstairs.
Caring for your C-section scar
Most scars are about 4 to 6 inches long. Initially, the incision site will be about 1/8” wide, but it will shrink somewhat after healing. During post pregnancy recovery, keep the wound clean and dry. You’ll also need to monitor it for redness or swelling, which could indicate an infection. Many women use a silicone gel or sheeting type to promote healing and reduce the intensity of their scars. It is very important to choose your clothing wisely, making sure there is plenty of circulation and comfort so healing is not compromised.
Helping your healing and recovery with a support garment
In addition to following your medical provider’s instructions, you’ll also find relief in a post pregnancy support garment. A quality C-section recovery garment supports the abdomen by stabilizing the incision site and surrounding tissue. What’s more, its panels provide the much needed back support that allows you to feel more comfortable. A well-made garment will also feature a zippered side opening, making it hassle-free to wear. Post pregnancy support is a safe and drug-free way to help the body heal.
Why everyday shapewear in not your best option
These tummy-tightening, rear-lifting garments are very popular, but they are not designed to provide support to a woman recovering from major surgery. Conventional shapewear may have seams that run over the incision site or material that chafes and irritates the skin. It may also feature a pull-on design that makes it uncomfortable (or impossible) for a recuperating mom to put on and take off.
Give your recovering body the comfort it needs.
From asking loved ones for a hand to wearing a C-section recovery garment, you’ll find that once your body feels better you’ll be able to focus on the new baby—and lavish all the loving attention. ]]>The abdominal wall is made up of three main structures from a practical point of view; the muscle or strength layer, the fatty layer and the skin. Each of these layers are affected and impacted differently in each pregnancy. The skin and muscle have an incredible ability to stretch. Skin is not a supportive structure but a veneer. It will gradually expand when placed under continuous pressure to accommodate the developing baby. The ability of the skin to tighten after a pregnancy is dependent on many factors such as genetics, amount of weight gained during the pregnancy and what number pregnancy it is. You are more like to achieve your pre baby tummy with the first pregnancy than the third.
We have all blown up a balloon and let the air out noticing the balloon returned to its original shape, by the third time the deflated balloon is clearly stretched and unable to return to its original form. Stretch marks can also form during the pregnancy when the tensile strength of the skin is exceeded. The skin is intact but the dermal layer has been stretched beyond repair. There is a difference in the thickness of skin in these areas, which creates the contouring irregularities, and color change we commonly see.
As the baby grows the abdominal muscles, which are together in the midline are separated. There is a strength layer investing the muscles so hernias usually do not develop but it is this fascial layer that does not return to its original tightness. You can exercise all you want, the muscles will be strong but they will not be in the optimal position. You can check this by putting your ankles together and raising them about 6 inches off the ground. If you see a dome like fullness above the belly button you have what is called a rectus diastasis. This is not symptomatic or dangerous but a flatter tummy can only be corrected with surgery when this condition persists.
Lastly, the fatty layer we are all too familiar with will vary depending on the amount of weight gained. The fat stores acquired can be diminished with appropriate diet and exercise in the postpartum period. But remember it took 10 months to put the weight on so give yourself time to get it back off.
Supporting your postpartum tummy can be achieved with the use of proper postparutm support garments, designed specifically for the postpartum period. As used successfully in a variety of body contouring procedures to facilitate healing, mothers may also benefit greatly from the use of compressive support garments during the postpartum healing and recovery periods, both in the short term immediately following childbirth, and again in the later stages where body shape is a concern.
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