They say it takes nine months to put on the baby weight, and so it takes nine months to take it off. The question is, how?
If you’re anything like me during my first pregnancy, you spent those nine months learning about every stage of labor:
How to breathe through the contractions. He-he, who. He-he, who.
How to meditate your cervix into opening. The budding rose turns to the sun and opens its petals.
How to manage the pain. Relax! This is pain with a purpose. Pain with a purpose!
And then, before you know it, the baby is here! Your perfect little bundle of joy. Success!
But the belly remains. And not just any belly! A squishy, gelatinous mound with negative muscle tone. Along with other bonuses. Like for me: my back hurt, my shoulders hurt, my wrists hurt. Hello carpel tunnel! And most of all, my pelvic floor hurt. A lot! All of it. I remember asking my mother in law, “How long until I’ll be able to sit again?”
I even pleaded with my OB, “Please look, I think I have blisters down there! Running burns, sex burns, even peeing burns.”
Turns out I didn’t have blisters. Turns out I had nerve damage. Oh joy!
That’s when I realized, WTF? I’d wasted 9 months dwelling on how to get through, what ended up being an eight or so hour, labor. Only to discover I’d learned nothing about what I would feel like afterwards. There were no breathing techniques to help with my carpel tunnel. No meditations to use to help the constant ache in my lower back. I had no idea how DAMAGED I’d be weeks, even months, after delivery. Physically and emotionally. What a crock!
That’s why, this time around, I thought I’d share my experiences getting through the nine months recovery necessary AFTER having a baby with you, the world. Because lets face it, we all leave that delivery room injured and alone.
Well, you’re not alone now.
Hello. My name is Amber Levine, and I am a pre/postnatal physical fitness instructor with over six years experience helping women rediscover their inner and outer strength after baby. This time around, I’ve decided to share my 40 week journey to getting my body back after baby #3! Each week I plan to post tips on what you can do to tighten and tone your body. I look forward to sharing my journey with the hopes of inspiring you in some way reclaim your body and your life too.
Enjoy.