PT after cesarean
To the mamas out there that had a cesarean birth… you are brave, your body is incredible and you did it- you birthed your beautiful baby. And in my opinion, you don't get nearly enough help postpartum. Your body went through 9 months of pregnancy, depending on your situation you may have even gone through a good amount of labor, and THEN had a major abdominal surgery.
You deserve to be held, heard and taken care of, mama.
Physical therapy after any birth should just be the standard of care for everyone, but this is especially true after a cesarean. Here is why you should seek PT after your cesarean birth.
#1 Scar desensitization & mobility
Desensitizing your scar can start within a few days after birth, then around 6 weeks (once healed) we can start working on improving scar tissue mobility. If you are scared, nervous or emotional about touching your scar, that’s ok. It’s normal to want to avoid looking or touching your scar. It’s normal if looking or touching your scar brings up feelings. A PT can help you feel more comfortable with your scar and reduce scar tissue, “shelfing” appearances and pain.
#2 Core strengthening
Your abdominal muscles were just stretched to the max for 9 months and then retracted to get a baby out! While your abdominal muscles aren’t cut during a cesarean, they still need a lot of attention to proper healing in the postpartum period. We got some work to do.
#3 Education on how to safely lift, carry and care for your newborn
Hello superwomen, you just had major abdominal surgery! There is a lot to learn in PT about how to move, breath and lift correctly after a cesarean. Those first few weeks can be really challenging when you have a newborn to care for while also caring for your healing body. We’re here to help you with lots of tips and tricks on how to navigate this time.
#4 Pelvic floor exercises
Having a c-section is not protective against pelvic floor dysfunction. It’s actually quite common to deal with bladder issues, constipation and pelvic pain after a cesarean.
#5 Safe return to exercise activities
What are your goals? Running, yoga, crossfit, weightlifting? Let's get you back, mama! We can help design an individualized rehabilitation program to move you towards you goals.