April 1, 2021 Kay Marham

The truth about your postpartum body

Your postpartum body directly linked to the growth and nurturing of your new baby, as well as your own feelings about yourself. Some of the bodily changes in pregnancy and after childbirth are expected, and others are not simply commonly discussed, says Pregnancy PA Founder, Aneta Haider.

Aneta Haider spent a decade working as a Wellness Practitioner and a Personal Trainer with new mothers and mums-to-be from all cultural backgrounds, and through all stages of their motherhood journey before founding Pregnancy PA.

Pregnancy PA is a hands-on, specialised support service to help you understand what to expect when your body and emotions undergo huge changes during pregnancy and post-partum. Many women want to get back into shape after the birth of their baby, but there are physical and emotional changes that are personal to each woman, and can usually leave them feeling ill-at-ease with their bodies. Here, Aneta lifts the lid on the lesser discussed issues that can occur postpartum.

Your postpartum body

Imagine feeling happy and in control of your body again. Knowing what’s really going on, having the answers and understanding the steps you need to take to feel good again. The stuff I’m about to tell you doesn’t get mentioned in many routine pregnancy check-ups, if any, and it’s often taboo amongst your mum friends. Adding to this, there just isn’t the time and resources at your 6-week check to go into detail about your postpartum body changes. So you’re left to find stuff out for yourself – and I’m passionate about helping to shed some light on these issues, help and support you. So, grab yourself a cuppa and I will tell you some things you need to know!

Common feelings and reactions mums have about their postpartum body

Feeling ‘disconnected’ from your body, particularly your tummy and pelvic floor after childbirth. Maybe even years later. Nothing looks or feels like it used to.
The feeling that you’re the only one dealing with a tummy or a C-section scar that looks like ‘that.’
Not feeling in control of your pelvic floor when you poo or sneeze. Or when put your key in the door you need to get to the loo, fast.
The feeling that you are out of control of all these physiological changes, as your efforts at the gym make no difference and the general consensus of the media, friends and family appears to be either you put up with it or get surgery.

Well Mamma, let me help you start rebuilding your body confidence, inside and out! These six truths are a taster of the kind of issues Pregnancy PA deals with, so you’re in good hands here.

That your brain and your core muscles need to reconnect if you want a tummy that looks and feels like you want it to. You can’t strengthen a muscle your brain isn’t talking to and right now, if you’re not loving it or understanding it, you’re not talking to it. As a wellness practitioner that works with ladies from all backgrounds, I can help you to connect your brain function with your core muscle function.
That crunches, planks and intensive ‘ab work’ are going to make your tummy look worse, not better.You cannot make a non-functioning core function by doing more core exercises, you need to do different ones. We can work on these together.
Diastasis recti is a reason your tummy pooches or domes when you roll up from lying on your back, or why you look a few months pregnant when you’re not.Diastasis Recti means that your outermost ab muscles, the ones that run vertically from the breastbone to pubic bone, have separated, leaving a gap and everything in the middle unsupported and weak. But… those diastasis recti are merely a symptom of the problem. The problem is the pressure inside pushing out, and that sewing it up, binding it up or holding it in – won’t fix it.

That surgery is not the only solution. Surgery is not your only option to deal with stress incontinence, diastasis recti, hernia or pelvic organ prolapse, and there is a ton we can do together to reduce the pressure causing the problem.
That the way your body feels right now is not ‘as good as it gets’. It is not a state you should put up with, accept or that cannot be treated or improved. Don’t let anybody tell you differently, Mamma!
It’s not your fault.You didn’t do anything wrong. Actually, you did great, you made an amazing baby and your body is truly awesome for accomplishing this miracle. You deserve to feel connected to your body again, and you deserve to feel good about your body.

Let’s do it together.

Aneta X