The Importance of Postpartum Bodywork
I can’t stress enough the importance of postpartum bodywork. Blending postural opening and balancing with relaxation massage is key. The emotional load of new parenting, lack of sleep and the physical recovery as the body’s muscles, organs and bones return to a new normal -all warrants the care of bodywork.
Bring your baby! This works best if you leave your house early so you can nurse just before the session. Then you will arrive to my door at your scheduled time. Have a friend with you who takes baby and brings baby back in if baby needs you. We will switch to side lying and I can still get a lot of work done while baby nurses.
Anterior Unwinding of Repetitive Patterns
The positions and activities of early parenting are compromising to the body most of the day, every day creating repetitive holding patterns in the fascia. Looking down is one of the human gestures most responsible for neck and shoulder pain of new parents. Imagine the number of diaper changes, the amount of nursing hours, not to mention the hours gazing down in awe at this beautiful new arrival. Anterior unwinding is needed for any new parent to help prevent forward head posture and to release neck and shoulder tension.
What happens to the core and why we help (eventually) recruit the transversus abdominis with bodywork
The baby lifting and the one-sided holding will take a toll on the back. Because the weight of the breasts pull the spine forward and because the abdominal muscles have just been stretched out to the max and the hips have widened and become slightly unstable, it’s the back muscles that work overtime to hold the postpartum client upright. A lack of core strength will put more strain on the back and is why the resistance and release bodywork in Dynamic Fascial Response™ can be so helpful to a postpartum client. Most doctors recommend starting core exercises after 4-8 weeks so we take it slow and honor your body where it is at.
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