Treating postpartum
POST PARTUM.
The postpartum period is often an overwhelming time for mothers, partners and support people. Not only is your body slowly shifting back through those pregnancy-related changes but you’re also adjusting to new postures, managing big hormonal shifts, developing a relationship and routine with your new bub, and healing from the birthing process – all on top of a lot less sleep!
Osteopathy can help support women through this stage by helping to create balance in the body, maintain mobility, support healing & provide tips on things like feeding posture or safe return to activities.
AFTER birth.
Whether you’ve had a vaginal or caesarean birth, your body has been through a LOT.
Everyone’s pregnancy and birth is different – there can be pelvic floor dysfunction/tearing, residual aches from pregnancy, wound healing, low back pain from disruption to core stability and so much more.
Osteopathy addresses restrictions and tensions that may be delaying your recovery, can identify where there may be weaknesses that need addressing when the time is right and helps support the body during the healing process.
There are new demands placed on the body after introducing Bub to the world. Lifting and carrying Bub can shift your center of gravity, placing more load on your low back (especially as they grow). Always holding on the one side can create imbalances through your neck and shoulders. Feeding positions, especially when you’re half asleep, can create postural strains. All of these tasks (plus more!) are often sustained and repetitive and create stress throughout the body – on top of that, you’re often dealing with sleep deprivation.
If you’re experiencing pain due to the increased demands on your body, osteopathy can help by reducing muscle tension, improving mobility and helping identify tasks/postures that may be contributing and suggest appropriate modifications.
POSTURAL STRAINS.
Feeding can be hard.
Every child is different, and every feeding journey is unique. If you’re experiencing challenges with feeding – be that cracked/bleeding nipples, mastitis, difficulty maintaining latch or digestive issues with Bub – then osteopathy may be able to help.
By ensuring you have good range of motion through your upper back and ribs enables you to find, and sustain, a position that sets Bub up for a good feed. Freeing restrictions through the connective tissue of the chest wall and breast tissue allows for sufficient lymphatic drainage and can help manage and prevent the occurrence of mastitis. Osteopathy can also help balance the nervous system – when Mum is overwhelmed, Baby can sometimes sense this and it can create confusion (please, PLEASE read the next section for more detail on this).
Breast feeding is a very complex process that requires the mother-baby dyad to be working in harmony for ‘adequate’ milk transfer. This is why often Baby may also need some treatment to help with issues around breast feeding.
FEEDING CHALLENGES.
Having a baby is something that brings people tremendous amounts of joy but it IS a steep learning curve and can be a stressful time.
Traditionally, mothers had a period after birth when the women in their lives would feed them, nurture them, support them and care for older children whilst they made the transition into motherhood (whether it be the first or fourth time). Today, society doesn’t always allow for this process and women are asked to take on a lot more than they have had too historically.
There can be a lot of noise and perceived expectations around pregnancy, birth and parenting. Taking time for yourself may not always be the easiest thing to do (for a myriad of different reasons) but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, asking for help can go a long way. Along with the things mentioned in the previous sections, osteopathy can also help balance the nervous system (think ‘fight/flight’ versus ‘rest/digest’). Osteopaths can also help identify when extra support may be needed, for example: asking for help from loved ones, midwife, lactation consultant, mothers support group or birth debriefs.
