What do postpartum recovery exercises and self care look like in the first two weeks postpartum?
Postpartum recovery exercise can be beneficial in the first two weeks if you feel ready, but will likely differ significantly from your prenatal workouts.
The focus will be on improving mobility and comfort levels, aiding pelvic floor recovery, prioritising self-care activities and limiting time on your feet to 5 minutes at a time.
Childbirth, vaginal or cesarean, is a huge transformation for the body, and the mind. We are taking these changes into consideration, to avoid unnecessary injury.
It’s important to note that this may not be appropriate for everyone. If you’ve experienced complications, birth trauma, infection, or have any concerns, consult your healthcare provider before beginning any exercise.
Early Postpartum Recovery Exercises
These 4 exercises will help ease aches and pains, and improve connection with your pelvic floor to promote healing. They can be done anytime and as often as you like:
1. Elevated Adductor Rockback
Starting with your hands on a chair and your feet under your hips, gently take your right leg out to the side. Send your hips back over your heels, allowing your left knee to bend.
2. Seated Side Bend
Sitting on a chair, reach your right hand over your head and over towards your left. Take a full inhale, let your belly relax and notice your ribcage expand to the front, back and sides. Return to the start position on your exhale.
3. Connection Breath
You can do this connection breath lying down or in any other comfortable position. Place one hand on your lower belly and the other on the side of your ribcage. On your inhale breath, breathe into your hands and sense your pelvic floor relax. On your exhale, close your back passage and front passage, and lift them up and in, noticing your hands recoil. Always allow a full relaxation between the reps.
4. Elevated Thread The Needle
Postpartum Self Care
As well as postpartum recovery exercise, here are more ways to improve comfort and recovery during the first two weeks postpartum.
- Use a peri bottle with warm water while peeing and pooping to soothe the perineal area.
- Stay hydrated to alleviate discomfort during urination, promote bladder and bowel function.
- Incorporate fiber-rich foods into your diet to promote bowel movements.
- Avoid straining to go to the toilet, consider laxative use if you need to help move things along.
- Vegetable soups are a convenient way to improve fluid and fiber intake, hand held snacks like flapjacks, seeds and nuts can be kept at the bedside or in feeding stations.
- Use a stool to elevate your feet when having a bowel motion, or try rocking gently forward and backward on the seat.
- Consider sitz baths for perineal tenderness and stitches.
- Opt for a ring cushion for comfortable seating if experiencing perineal discomfort.
- Try to get ‘pad free’ time, placing a towel on the bed if you can get time to lie down and let air to the perineum.
- Change your position regularly moving from sitting, lying, side lying, and using cushions to support your body.
- Keep changing pads regularly.
- Connect with a local pelvic floor physiotherapist for a 6 week check up.
- Use an exhale breath when you exert yourself, such as moving from sit to stand, lifting or carrying. You may also like to try adding a pelvic floor lift as you exhale (see our Connection Breath exercise above), during times when you need extra support.
- Roll to your side to get out of bed.
- Last but not least, prepare. It’s a whirlwind of a time in the first 2 weeks post birth. A birth prep and postpartum workshop, or doula support is a great idea. Local doulas, Louise and Aisling host regular workshops and have a website birthbox.ie, with some of the products I have mentioned here.
The first 2 weeks postpartum are full of changes, some easier to adjust to than others. Hopefully these tips will help you to prioritise self-care, recovery and comfort measures.
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