Postpartum: A Vital Phase of Recovery
Supporting Every Step: From Bump to Baby and Beyond
The postpartum period, also known as the fourth trimester, is a transformative time for new mothers. This phase starts immediately after childbirth and typically lasts for six weeks, but its effects can persist for months. For Canadian women, the postpartum experience often includes physical recovery, emotional adjustments, and the demands of caring for a newborn.
Physically, pregnancy and childbirth impose significant changes on the body. From stretched abdominal muscles and weakened pelvic floor to hormonal fluctuations, the postpartum phase is a complex recovery journey. Osteopathy—a holistic approach to healthcare—offers specialized care to address these challenges. Lucile Delorme, a leading osteopath for postpartum in Vancouver, is an expert in helping mothers regain balance and well-being during this critical time.
Effects of Pregnancy on the Body
Pregnancy is often described as miraculous, but it’s also a time of immense physiological strain. During the nine months of pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes remarkable adaptations:
- Weight Redistribution: The average Canadian woman gains 25-35 pounds during pregnancy. This weight gain, coupled with a shifting center of gravity, can cause lower back pain and postural imbalances.
- Hormonal Changes: Relaxin, a hormone that softens ligaments, prepares the body for childbirth but can also lead to joint instability.
- Pelvic Floor Stress: 70-80% of women experience some degree of pelvic floor dysfunction postpartum, including incontinence or discomfort.
- Abdominal Separation: Diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles, affects up to 60% of postpartum women.
- Postpartum Cramps and Hypertension: Hormonal fluctuations and changes in blood volume can lead to postpartum cramps and even elevated blood pressure in some cases. Osteopathy addresses these issues through gentle, targeted techniques that restore the body’s natural alignment. Lucile’s expertise ensures tailored care for each client, enhancing their recovery journey.
Why Consult an Osteopath After Giving Birth?
Seeking osteopathic care after childbirth can be life-changing. Here’s why:
Pain Management: Postpartum pain, whether it’s in the lower back, hips, or shoulders, is common. Osteopathy alleviates pain by addressing its root causes.
Improved Mobility: Gentle manipulation techniques help restore joint and muscle function, improving mobility and comfort.
Support for Emotional Well-being: Physical discomfort can exacerbate postpartum mood swings. By relieving pain, osteopathy contributes to emotional stability.
Tailored Recovery: Lucile Delorme specializes in postpartum care, offering treatments that consider the unique challenges of motherhood. Lucile’s clinic, Osteopathy Vancouver, invites new mothers to experience these benefits firsthand. With her scientific knowledge and empathetic approach, Lucile ensures each treatment session is both effective and nurturing.
Physical Healing
No matter how you gave birth, your body needs time to heal. Whether natural or via C-section, both require recovery. Your osteopath can help with scar tissue from C-sections or perinatal tears, and assist in realigning your body after pregnancy or interventions like forceps or episiotomies.
Psychological Healing
The emotional changes after childbirth can be intense. Osteopathy can help align your body and mind, reducing stress and the risk of postpartum depression. It can also support your baby’s healing from birth trauma, easing symptoms like colic and improving development.
Back Support
Carrying a baby strains your back, and this continues after birth. Osteopathy can help relieve back pain from carrying or breastfeeding, offering stretches and exercises to strengthen muscles and prevent discomfort.
Breastfeeding Help
Breastfeeding doesn’t always come naturally. Osteopaths can guide you with positions for both mother and baby and offer advice to support milk supply.
Pelvic Floor Strengthening
After childbirth, your pelvic floor needs more than Kegels to recover. Osteopathy can help improve mobility, strengthen muscles, and support your recovery.
The Role of Osteopathy in Postpartum Recovery
Before and After Examples
Consider Emily, a Vancouver mother of two. After her second child, Emily struggled with persistent lower back pain and a sense of physical imbalance. She visited Lucile for osteopathic treatment and noticed significant improvements after just three sessions: Before: Constant back pain, limited mobility, and difficulty holding her baby. After: Pain-free movement, improved posture, and increased energy.
Osteopathy is a science-based, hands-on therapy that focuses on restoring the body’s structural and functional balance. For postpartum women, its benefits are unparalleled. Osteopathy Vancouver’s personalized care can help mothers like Emily regain control over their bodies and lives.
When Should You Start Osteopathic Treatment?
Many women wonder when it’s safe to begin postpartum osteopathy. While each case is unique, most women can start treatment as early as two weeks after delivery. For cesarean births, waiting four to six weeks is recommended. However, Lucile Delorme assesses each client individually to ensure the timing and approach are right for their needs. By starting treatment early, mothers can address common postpartum issues before they escalate. Osteopathy Vancouver offers a supportive environment for mothers to heal at their own pace.
FAQs About Postpartum Osteopathic Care
Caesarean or Episiotomy: When to See an Osteopath?
For a caesarean section, you can consult an osteopath even with a fresh scar. They won’t work directly on the scar but focus on tissues around it to promote proper healing and prevent future pain caused by tension.
C-section scars often create adhesions in the uterus and pelvic tissues. Osteopathy helps release these, alleviating back and pelvic pain while supporting future reproductive health, fertility, and vaginal births.
For an episiotomy, all techniques are external and extremely gentle, aimed at releasing tension and aiding healing.
When Can Osteopathic Treatment Begin After Childbirth?
Treatment can typically begin two weeks postpartum for vaginal births and four to six weeks for cesarean deliveries. Lucile Delorme tailors her approach based on each client’s recovery stage.
What Are the Benefits of Osteopathy After Childbirth?
Osteopathy can:
- Relieve back, hip, and neck pain.
- Enhance pelvic floor recovery.
- Improve sleep quality by reducing physical discomfort.
- Foster emotional well-being through relaxation.
- Complement postpartum exercises to strengthen the core and reduce abdominal separation.
Can Osteopathy Help Treat Perineal Problems After Childbirth?
Yes. Osteopathy can aid in perineal recovery by improving circulation, reducing swelling, and supporting tissue healing. These techniques can complement other medical treatments for faster recovery.
Post Partum or 4th Trimester
Unfortunately, women often tend to forget themselves after childbirth, whereas in some cultures, it is precisely a time when they rest and do nothing, in order to recover, quite simply.
Thus, we very often advise mothers (and sometimes fathers too!) to consult after childbirth, during the days or weeks following. This allows the mother to relax and release the tensions accumulated during pregnancy and childbirth, and also to rebalance the pelvis (among other things), which is wise before or during perineal rehabilitation with a pelvic floor physiotherapist, rehabilitation which will thus undoubtedly be all the more effective and lasting.
Additionally, osteopathy can provide support in releasing tension in the shoulders and improving posture, which can be particularly beneficial for breastfeeding mothers, aiding in their comfort and facilitating proper latch and positioning for nursing.
Moreover, the tensions felt by the mother or the father will also be felt by the baby, due to the bond that unites the family during this period. Sometimes, and this is only our experience and feeling, simply relaxing the mother from her tensions also relaxes the baby!
The Science Behind Osteopathic Techniques
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Osteopathic care incorporates evidence-based practices to facilitate healing. Techniques such as myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, and visceral manipulation are particularly effective for postpartum recovery:
Myofascial Release: Targets tight or strained muscles, improving circulation and reducing pain.
Craniosacral Therapy: Gently adjusts the cranial and spinal regions, which can help relieve headaches and stress.
Visceral Manipulation: Addresses abdominal discomfort by restoring organ mobility and function. Additionally, postpartum exercises prescribed alongside osteopathy can help strengthen the pelvic floor, improve core stability, and reduce the appearance of the post-pregnancy belly. These exercises, guided by Lucile, are tailored to the recovery stage and physical condition of each mother. Canadian health authorities, including the Canadian Chiropractic Association and The College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia, acknowledge the value of manual therapies like osteopathy in promoting postpartum recovery.