Will I ever get my body back? How Physical Therapy can help you bounce back after pregnancy - InterMed, P.A.

By Rosemarie Wagner PT, DPT

After a nine-month long “athletic event” called pregnancy and delivery, a woman’s body is so weakened, overworked, and sometimes injured that she may need help to retrain her body in order to function properly.

Any woman who’s experienced childbirth can tell you that babies change our bodies. Even after 6 weeks of recovery, many women find they are not quite back to normal. You may never look exactly like you did before becoming pregnant, but if you take care of yourself you can become happy with the new you.
Physical Therapists can help you retrain muscles and help your body do what it’s supposed to do safely. Most conditions after pregnancy are due to muscle weakness, joint stiffness, or scar tissue.

Common issues related to these conditions include:

• Leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, exercise, or move suddenly: known as stress incontinence.
• Leaking urine when you have to rush to the bathroom: known as urge incontinence.
• Leaking stool or struggling with constipation.
• Diastasis recti: an unusual gap between your abdominal muscles.
• Neck, shoulder, or back pain when caring for your baby due to poor body mechanics.
• Resuming pre pregnancy exercise and running resulting in pain or urinary leaking.
• Painful intercourse
• Hip, low back, or pelvic pain

If you have any concerns about recovery, speak with your provider about a Physical Therapy referral.