I remember after I had my babe feeling a little (perhaps it was a lot) different - mentally, physically, emotionally -
perhaps I had changed or there was change brewing.
If you're feeling this way too, I invite you to resist fighting change, don't fear it but welcome it all in, notice how it feels to acknowledge and accept change and emotion - the good, the uncomfortable and the challenging. It can be hard to move through and release emotions, thoughts, or feelings, whether they be happy or sad, if we don't acknowledge them first.
The postnatal period may be a time which pulls focus on what we find important and are passionate about and perhaps, more importantly, the things we would prefer to leave behind. Suddenly time is even more precious than before, and we appear to have a lot less of it. Things - work, maybe people, situations - we weren't so excited about pre pregnancy but were accustomed to settling for may become time wasters we're no longer up for - especially when it means less time for ourselves and our babies.
Explore these feelings, and maybe begin to realise that there's no need to 'bounce back' or 'return' to pre baby you, because chances are the ‘you’ now is pretty great.
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PHYSICAL CHANGE - As someone who has multiple abdominal scars (laparoscopy, drains, unplanned csection, you name it!) soft touch massage can be a great way to promote feeling and elasticity through scarring - be it abdominal or perineal, here is a leaflet from the NHS which explains the how and why. On an emotional side, soft touch massage can help us accept and show kindness to the changes our body has undergone to birth our babies.
I encourage all of those postnatal especially if you've been experiencing random niggles through the body that you hadn't had before to see a women's health physiotherapist. It will help your recovery and your ability to safely return to higher impact exercise.
Check out this great podcast with Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist Tina Mason on LushTums - the podcast here
If you are looking for someone local Leanne O'Brien is a Women's Health Physiotherapist based in West Wickham/Beckenham and can be found here, and on instagram.
And one last little nugget of advice, please follow Emmy of @bablands.london for the best things to do with child in tow, things to do that you'll enjoy as well as the little ones! From galleries to water parks she's got grown ups and kids covered.
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