The best period for postpartum recovery

There is no dead line for postpartum recovery. The core golden window is within 6 months after delivery, of which the first 42 days of the postpartum period are key nodes for laying the foundation. Six months to one year after delivery is the golden adjustment period. Good repair effects can be obtained after one year, but the time cost will be relatively high.

To be honest, I have been a postpartum recovery coach for 6 years, and I have seen too many mothers trapped by the "golden period anxiety" of the institution. They rush to do belly rubs and sign up for high-intensity fat-reduction classes as soon as they are out of confinement. They spend a lot of money, but instead cause themselves problems such as uterine prolapse and diastasis recti. Last week, I met a post-1995 mother who was 32 days after giving birth naturally. She heard on a live broadcast that "the rectus abdominis muscle must be rubbed back to 1 finger before 42 days." She found a beauty salon technician to massage her belly every day. After a week of massage, the lochia was cleared, but then she started to bleed bright red blood. During the evaluation, she was so scared that she cried, saying that she was afraid that something was wrong with her. In fact, this kind of pitfall can be completely avoided. Let us first clarify the logic of different explanations, so that we will not be led astray.

The current controversy about the start time of postpartum recovery actually mainly comes from the different judgment logic of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. No one is right or wrong. The core is to match your own physical condition. The judgment of Western medicine is based on the involution rhythm of the reproductive system: the uterus usually returns to its pre-pregnancy size about 6 weeks after delivery, and the peak period of spontaneous repair of the pelvic floor muscles is 3 months before delivery. The earlier the transversus abdominis is activated, the higher the probability of separation and retraction of the rectus abdominis. Therefore, it is generally recommended that targeted training can be started after a 42-day reexamination with no abnormalities. The logic of traditional Chinese medicine is that after childbirth, all the meridians are empty, and the first 30 days are in a state of "massive loss of qi and blood." The first 30 days should be focused on resting, removing lochia, and replenishing qi and blood. You should not do physical exercises, otherwise you will easily suffer from postpartum syndrome. Oh, by the way, these two views are actually not conflicting at all. I generally advise mothers that if they have a natural birth without serious tearing and side incision, they can lie down on the bed and do abdominal breathing for 5 minutes at a time, two or three times a day, on the second day after delivery. ； If you were anemic during pregnancy and feel dizzy when you stand up after giving birth, then first lie down for 30 days and don't force yourself to do any training. Your body's energy should first be used to make up for your own shortcomings, and then talk about repair.

Many people wonder, "It's been 8 months since I gave birth. Is it useless to practice anymore?" ”It’s really not true. Last year, I received a mother who had her second child. She didn’t have any repairs done when she gave birth to her eldest child, and her urine leaked for 3 years. After giving birth to her second child, she delayed coming to me for another year and a half. At that time, her rectus abdominis was separated by 3 fingers, and her pelvic floor muscle strength was only level 1. She still leaked urine after coughing and holding the baby for a long time, and she couldn’t even think about skipping rope. She does pelvic floor muscle electrical stimulation twice a week, and does Kegel and transversus abdominis activation for 15 minutes at home every day. She has persisted for 9 months. Not only has her rectus abdominis returned to within 1 finger, but she also ran a half-marathon last month and has no problem with urinary leakage. Do you think she has passed the so-called golden period? It’s long gone, but as long as the method is right, the problem can still be solved.

Of course, it is definitely more labor-saving to seize the window of the first 6 months. I usually give a few basic requirements to mothers who have just given birth. It doesn’t cost anything. It’s more useful to take private lessons than the tens of thousands of dollars offered for it: Don’t carry heavy objects that exceed the weight of the baby for the first 42 days. When feeding the baby, be sure to put a pillow behind your back. Don’t feed on the sofa with your waist slumped. Do abdominal breathing for 10 minutes every day. Don’t do abdominal crunches, do plank support, and don’t run or jump. These few things can help you avoid 80% of postpartum repair pitfalls. During the 42-day review, be sure to include an evaluation of the pelvic floor muscles and rectus abdominis muscles. If the pelvic floor muscles are loose or have high tension, don't practice Kegels blindly. If the tension is high, the pain will become more painful as you practice, and it will aggravate frequent urination. You must relax first and then activate. Oh, by the way, don’t believe the “7 days to restore vest line” marketing on the Internet. They have a long-term fitness foundation before pregnancy. During pregnancy, the weight only increased by less than 20 pounds, and the body fat rate is already low. We ordinary mothers should not compare with others. The speed of weight loss is really not important. If you don’t have back pain, no leakage, and no crotch sticking in pants, that’s better than anything else.

One last thing to say, in fact, the so-called "optimal period" is never about pushing yourself to a certain point in time, but when you have enough energy, the sooner you pay attention to your physical condition, the better. If no one helps you take care of your baby in the first half of the year and you stay up until three or four in the morning every day, don't force yourself to do any training. Eat well and sleep well first, and then start again when your baby can sleep through the night and you have time to take a breath. It's not too late at all. After all, the essence of postpartum recovery is to make yourself comfortable, not to live like a "perfect mother" in the eyes of others, right?