Bio-Mechanics of Motherhood

by Lisa Druxman on February 26, 2015 in Active Parenting, Lisa Druxman, Stroller Strides

Whether you like it or not, your life will change after having a baby. Beyond that, your workout should change as well! Being a mom is simply not good on your body. As a mom, you have a weight (the baby) that you carry around everywhere you go. You’re sleep deprived, recovering from pregnancy and labor and doing all kinds of mommy movements that you have not done before. This combination can lead to all kinds of aches and pains and progressively poor posture. By teaching you how to move through motherhood and working out to address these new challenges, you will be stronger, healthier and happier.

Why is my workout from before pregnancy not “okay” now?

Postural Changes – Many changes have happened to your body during pregnancy. The weight of your uterus, your baby and your growing breasts have probably pulled your posture out of alignment. Your hips have probably tilted forward (an anterior pelvic tilt) and your shoulders are probably rounded. Almost 80% of women complain of back pain during or after pregnancy. Much of that pain comes from this postural mal-alignment. Your workout should focus on strengthening your back muscles to pull and stretching your chest and hip flexors.

Your Pelvic Floor – The weight of the baby and uterus and childbirth have probably weakened your pelvic floor muscles. That is why kegels and other pelvic floor exercises are not only important during pregnancy, but throughout your life after having a baby.

Your Tummy – Are your abs ever going to look the same again? Not without targeted work. You have lost great strength in your abs during pregnancy. And, most moms experience diastasis recti (a separation of their abdominal wall). It’s important to find exercises that “knit” these muscles back together. Jumping in to your old ab workout may exacerbate the problem.

Why do I feel worse now than when I was pregnant?

There are many reasons for not feeling good after having a baby. Postpartum depression, feelings of being overwhelmed and lack of sleep are just a few of the reasons why you may not feel quite like yourself yet. However, many of the daily movements of motherhood can also cause your body to feel discomfort.

Pushing the Stroller – Most moms hunch over when pushing a stroller. It’s important to use good posture and form.

Carrying Baby – Make sure to balance baby on both sides. Holding baby on the hip and with one arm, can cause muscular imbalances.

Nursing / Feeding – Bring baby up to you using pillow / nursing props and a proper chair. Hunching over to baby will give you back and posture problems.

Carrying car seat – Unfortunately, these indispensable items also wreak  havoc on our bodies. Hold your car seat carrier like a laundry basket whenever possible, so that your body is balanced. If you hold it with one arm, be careful to keep spine in a neutral alignment.

Front Pack Carrier – Worn correctly, this can be a great workout. Worn incorrectly, it can be a postural pain. Keep spine in neutral and abs pulled in. Make sure to pull shoulders back and not round forward.

As excited as new moms are about the birth of their baby, they’re surprised by the body that’s been left behind. Our round, voluptuous body felt beautiful while pregnant, but now seems like bread dough after labor. What makes matters worse, is that new moms (#1) don’t have time to do traditional exercises and (#2) need to be eating frequent, healthy meals and snacks to keep up their strength and maximize milk production. A new mom’s body has undergone a tremendous amount of change during pregnancy, so the last thing to do is deprive it of precious nutrients.

There is Hope.  Try to be active in whatever you do. A general guideline for the postnatal mom is that “if it feels good, it’s okay to do”. The more you move, the more calories you burn.  If you have an increase in bleeding or feel depleted from the workout, then you have probably done too much. Your workouts may have to change with motherhood, but it’s now when you need it most.