Pregnancy

Five things not even your bestie will tell you about childbirth

Things every mom should know but no one tells you about

By Isa Herrera, MSPT, CSCS, founder of www.PelvicPainRelief.com
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Becoming a new mom is an incredible experience for a woman. Months of prenatal prep work are nothing compared to feeling that first kick. Hours of childbirth is no easy feat but you’re so close. Once you lock eyes with your baby all will be bliss, right? Not so fast.

Chances are there’s an elephant in the room and its name is Post Partum Trauma.

With picture-perfect mommy blogs that make life look like one big slumber party, we forget that motherhood isn’t always pretty. It can be hard, confusing and outright painful.

Why doesn’t anyone talk about this? Why do you feel so unprepared? Why has the nursery rug been ripped from underneath your feet? People tread lightly around most visceral experiences, including those baby books that make no mention of this.

Here are five need-to-knows of life post-birth:

1. It can take longer to recover than you think. Bruising, swelling and sore muscles are natural parts of the birth process. Your uterus has stretched and reshaped itself to make room for another human and then to push that bundle out. While you’d love to “bounce back” in weeks, that’s not always possible. It took your body nine months to create a miracle, it’s only natural it might take just as long to recover, even without complications.

2. You could separate your pubic symphysis. We know we’ve got to make room “down there” for the magic to happen, but some of us are prone to pubic bones separating too far or unevenly. Ouch. This can cause pelvic pain during almost anything: walking, getting in or out of a car, or getting jiggy with it. The culprits are numerous and include hormones, improper posture, or birthing a large baby. It can also be random so let’s be prepared rather than counting on lady luck. With the right practitioner, this can be easily corrected.

3. You may feel like you just ran a marathon: sore, tired, and achy. Not a cute “I just won a medal, let’s take selfies and drink margaritas” way. This marathon is all-encompassing; you might find yourself with aches and fatigue that make you question why you signed up for this in the first place. You’re not alone. Most women struggle while recovering but sadly don’t discuss it, feeling guilty things didn’t go as “planned” – and feeling inferior, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Birthing is messy and imperfect, embracing that can lead to quicker recoveries.

4. You could injure, fracture or misalign your coccyx. It’s common to break, strain or misalign tailbones in childbirth. Bet that never comes up during brunch. We talk about squats and buns of steel but forget to mention the bone that makes it all possible. Damaging your tailbone can wreak havoc causing stiff necks, uncomfortable bathroom breaks, or even painful moments while Stella tries to get her groove back. Time to contact a practitioner that can balance that backside.

5. You may not be able to control your urine. Your muscles are exhausted and ready to throw in the towel. It’s difficult holding urine or even knowing when it’s time to go thanks to the wonders of childbirth. Giggling or lifting your baby, while a natural part of life, can send many women running for those panty liners in a panic. This gets better with time and with a pelvic floor rehabilitation program.

Trust me, you’ll get through this. The important thing is to be prepared and have resources that will help you through the process. Get my Pelvic Floor Recovery Kit and get yourself back on track with easy to implement exercises, tools, and techniques. You will feel like your old self again in no time.

Once you’ve made it through your own hurdles, you might be the beacon that drops knowledge on new moms to follow!

By Isa Herrera, MSPT CSCS

Isa Herrera, MSPT, CSCS is a New York City-based holistic women’s pelvic floor specialist, author of 5 books on pelvic health, including the 2017 international bestseller Female Pelvic Alchemy, and the ground-breaking self-help book, Ending Female Pain, A Woman’s Manual.

She has dedicated her career to advancing awareness of pelvic floor conditions so that more people can find relief from this silent epidemic that affects over 30 million people in the US alone. Ms. Herrera holds a BA in Psychology and Biology from Fordham University and also a Masters in Physical Therapy from Hunter College, and is the founder of the online women’s health educational portal www.PelvicPainRelief.com.

Get on the right path with your pelvic health with the Free Pelvic Floor Starter Kit.