No Such Thing As ‘Bouncing Back’

If asked, we would all probably say that there is no such thing as ‘bouncing back’. But we also all have that friend who seems to. You know the one, she barely looked pregnancy from the back and she walked out of the hospital after giving birth wearing her pre-pregnancy jeans.

Here’s the thing, while we all have that friend, that is not the experience for most people. Most of us leave the hospital after giving birth wearing an adult diaper, walking like there is a watermelon between our legs, and still looking six months pregnant. That is normal. Because the body isn’t meant to snap back into “shape” like an overstretched elastic.

Beyond the uterus needing time to shrink, there is so much else happening in your body that needs time to heal. We forget sometimes that pregnancy is a strain on all the body’s systems. Yes, pregnancy can be beautiful and exciting. But it is also taxing and hard. When we say there is no such thing as ‘bouncing back’ it isn’t just your appearance, it is every thing going on internally too.

So what is actually happening in your postpartum body?

Relaxin is a hormone that the body produces during pregnancy by the ovaries and the placenta. It starts before you even conceive, rising right before ovulation and then increasing rapidly in the first trimester. It then levels out until the last month of pregnancy when it rises again in preparation for birth. It loosens the ligaments, joints, and muscles in the body to help the pelvis open. However, like many hormones, it acts on the whole body and not just the pelvis.

 Relaxin doesn’t immediately go back to pre-conception levels as soon as baby arrives. It can actually remain in your body for months after delivery. This can result in joint pain or discomfort, feeling “loose limbed”, and even being more accident prone. For some people, the increased hormone levels can cause conditions like carpel tunnel syndrome. It can also lead to increased injury rates when people push themselves back to exercise or physical exertion too soon.

Your blood volume increases by 50% during your pregnancy. This helps to sustain your growing baby. It’s also why you can feel out of breath climbing up the stairs.

While some of that blood volume decreases during birth and your postpartum bleeding, your levels are still higher than pre-pregnancy for at least two months following delivery. The rapid increase and then decrease can put stress on the vascular symptom. Postpartum individuals are at increased risk of adverse cardiac events for up to a year postpartum.

For the last fifteen years we have seen more educational campaigns around diastasis recti and pelvic floor recovery. This is so important because this is the part of postpartum recovery that can have the longest lasting effects. As the abdominal wall separates during pregnancy, and the pelvic floor stretches to accommodate your growing baby, other muscles have to take on an increased load. This can include your mid and lower back muscles, your glutes, and your hip flexors. Gently rehabilitating not only your pelvic floor but these muscle groups as well is critical to regaining pre-pregnancy flexibility, strength, and stamina.

Did you know that women used to be advised that they could expect to lose a tooth for every pregnancy? This was caused by nutritional depletion as the body diverts essential nutrients to baby. These days we counter that depletion with prenatal vitamins and healthier diets, but the nutritional depletion still occurs.

During the first year postpartum, your body is slowly replenishing its store of essential nutrients. It is common for individuals to have low iron (anemia), low magnesium, and sub-obtimal B12 levels. These three nutrients are all essential for energy, mood, good sleep, and muscle strength. Most Canadians are deficient in Vitamin D and this can be especially true postpartum. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are also often depleted postpartum and are helpful in improving maternal cognition, working memory, and attention.

Some women find that continuing prenatal vitamins, switching to a specialized postpartum vitamins, or taking additional supplements with the help of a nutritionist or other expert can help recovery.

There is so much pressure these days to recovery quickly after having a baby. But it took nine months to grow your baby and it will take at least that long to recovery (if not longer). We recommend taking your time and working with experts to help you feel like your best self after having a baby.

There really is no such thing as ‘bouncing back’.