Three Postpartum Recovery Myths
Myth 1: Doing crunches will help to restore my core and get rid of my baby belly...
A big fat nope! This is one of the biggest mistakes we see postpartum mums making. To put it simply you can not make a non-functioning core function by doing loads of crunches or any traditional core exercises. Things like planks, burpees, bike crunches can cause too much pressure on the abdominal wall, slowing down healing and making things worse.
In the early days postpartum it's really important to do core exercises that are safe and focus on your transvers abdominals - deep core. It's about building the strength from the inside out and rehabbing any diastasis recti before going into the more traditional ab work.
Not sure what diastasis recti is or if you have it? Check out this blog
Myth 2: Doing Kegels is the only way to recover your pelvic floor...
Nope! We need to strengthen the pelvic floor but it also needs to be able to relax.
Many women presume that tightening the pelvic floor should be the only focus however a lot of women have an overactive (hypertonic) pelvic floor. In this case performing strengthening exercises alone isn't going to make things better.
Pelvic floor work needs to involve strength work - endurance and speed AND relaxing.
Myth 3: Leaking urine after having a baby is completely normal…
Common but NOT normal! In the early days this is to be expected particularly if you had a vaginal birth. At 6-8 weeks this should stop. If you are still suffering from leakage be it when you cough, run, sneeze or jump then that's a sign that your pelvic floor is not functioning as well as it could be. Totally not the end of the world 1 in 3 suffer and lots you can do about it.
