Thank your body. Release expectations. Take it slow. Do what feels good. Breathe.
In Yoga or any exercise, always listen to your body and never do anything that hurts: Yoga especially shouldn’t hurt. You might move into some spaces that are tight or uncomfortable, but you should always be able to breath deeply in whatever pose or position you’re in. That’s your body telling you that you’re okay.
These are some moves that might feel good (or might not!) so take it slow and if it’s not happening or feeling good, wait a few days / weeks and try again. There's no rush. Your body will still be here, and so will yoga.
You can check out my whole Postpartum Recovery journey here, but I didn’t start moving intentionally until about 4-6 weeks after my c-section. I wasn’t expecting it so it floored me physically, and besides the daily stairs and walks into the doctor’s offices, I kept it pretty slow for those first few weeks - and I think everyone should.
The first physical thing all women should do postpartum is: thank their bodies for what an amazing accomplishment it just did. Even if things don’t go as planned - because we’re here, we’re alive, and we’re still in (somewhat) one piece. We also created a freaking life! That’s incredible. Seriously astonishing. I’m in awe daily that somehow, inside my (what I always thought was a semi-screwed up) body, I created the tiny perfection that is laying besides me. He has cells and hands and the cutest laugh I could ever imagine. You did good, Mama. No wait - you did great!
The second thing is: release any expectation of what your body should look, feel, or be like. If this is your first one (like it is for me), this is all NEW! New, new, new. Along with a newborn, a new body, new emotions - everything is so raw, surreal, and new. Blame sleep deprivation if you want, but some of it is the reality that this is a new world you're moving into: motherhood. So how can we know what to expect of our bodies? How can we possible know what we’ll feel or want or need? We don’t. And the LAST thing we need is to think we should be something or somewhere we’re currently not.
So, don’t hop on the scale, don’t try to put on those pre-pregnancy skinny jeans, and most certainly don’t compare yourself to anyone else.
You’re healing, you’re learning, you’re growing, and all the while you’re loving and supporting and caring for a tiny human that needs you. As I say in every one of my yoga classes: you are exactly where you’re supposed to be - right here, right now. That tiny little human needs you to be nothing besides their Mama. Not skinny, not toned, not perfect - just there for them.
HIPS
Women’s hips go through an immense amount of work, stress, opening and pressure during both pregnancy and birth. They are what’s supporting both you and your baby all those months, and many babies will pass through their mother’s hips on their way into this world. Even if you had a c-section, your hips are now recovering and thinking about their new or old position postpartum. You hear a lot of talk about your pelvic floor and health, but what does that all mean?
Your hips and lower back has supported extra weight the past few months (your beautiful growing baby!), and many women will notice a few things after birth: a tense lower back, hips that might be slowly finding their way back forward, and a “flat butt” - caused by any stretch of laboring on the back, then laying in the hospital or at home postpartum.
A very introductory move that you can do after a few days or weeks is simply laying on the ground with a pillow or 2 under your butt. You can eventually use a block or start with a rolled up blanket or towel. This allows your lower back to be relax and be stretched out while gently nudging your hips forward, the inverse of what they’ve been naturally doing for almost the past year.
Lunge with Knee Down: By allowing yourself to have the support of one knee down you can relax and open up the hips. You can keep the back toes curled under or rest the top of the foot on the mat or floor, whichever feels best. Make sure you’re not putting too much pressure on that knee by resting on the bottom of the thigh / top of the knee cap instead of directly on it. You can always double up your mat or place a towel or blanket under the knee as well - I do! To intensify the stretch you can reach back and grab your foot with the hand that's on the same side. Let the hips drop forward and down and breathe.
Pigeon: Opens the hips, stretches the quads and psoas, and releases the lower back. You might not get down as far as you used to pre-baby, but that's okay. For a more energized entry start in Down Dog, or you can always start from all fours. From Down Dog: on an inhale, raise one leg up and back to three-legged-dog, and on your exhale bend the knee, use your core to bring the leg in towards your chest, and then let the knee, shin, and ankle find the mat. Your knee will find it’s matching wrist (right knee to right wrist, left to left) and your ankle will be towards the opposite side of the mat or closer in towards your body. Make sure the back leg is long and straight, top of the foot resting on the mat. Take a deep breath and lengthen your spine by pressing palms down, then as you exhale begin to lower down into your shape: resting on the elbows, hands, a block, or reaching the arms out long. Hold for as long as it feels good, then slowly peel your way back up. To incorporate Down Dog in your switch: curl the back toes, sweep the bent knee up and back to three-legged-dog, and if it feels good you can bend the knee and open up the hip for a few breaths (sort of a fire hydrant pose). Release the leg back down when you're reading, then switch sides.
Legs Up the Wall: It sounds simple (or maybe crazy), but this pose is great for relieving back pain, tight and tired legs, and even headaches. Allowing the blood to reverse is great for circulation and encourages the blood pressure to regulate. It calms the nervous system, releasing the "rest and digest" response allowing your body to digest anything you've recently eaten and begin to heal and repair itself. Find a wall and sit facing it, scooting your butt as close to the wall as you can. Extend your legs up the wall (get it?!) maybe getting the hips a little bit closer, you can place a block or rolled up blanket (or pillow) under the hips if that is more comfortable. The backs of the legs should be resting against the wall. Point and flex the feet, then find a natural resting position between the two. It's suggested to stay here for at least 10-15 minutes, but even a minute or two will be beneficial.
Reclined Knee to Chest Pose: Great for digestion, begins to open up the hips, and releases tension in the quads. Laying down, bring your right knee into the chest, extending your left leg out long. Clasp your hands on top of the right shin, gently hugging the knee in towards your chest. You can find any movement that feels good here: swaying the leg back and forth, gently rolling it around in circles, or bringing it out towards the right side, really opening up the hips. Hold for a few breaths, then release the hands and switch the legs to repeat on the other side.
Reclined Twists: Releases tension in the spine, decompresses the vertebrae, massages the inner organs, and feels oh-so-good. Laying down, bring your right knee into the chest like in the pose above. Take your left hand to the outside of the right knee, and allow your right arm to extend out in a T, palm facing down. Slowly draw the right knee across your body over to the left, trying to keep the right shoulder grounded down. You can rock back and forth, gently guiding the knee towards the earth on your left side, but make sure you can still breathe. Hold for as long as you like, gently untwist on an inhale, and repeat on the other side.
Reclined Hamstring Stretch + Core: Seeing a theme...? Reclined poses can come back into your practice postpartum, and they feel good! This is a great hamstring stretch that you can incorporate a little core strengthening into if you want. Laying down, ground one foot into the mat, leg bent, and dig the other heel into the sky, leg long. Hold anywhere behind your extended leg that feels good: behind the thigh, calf, or maybe taking a strap or towel around the foot. Wiggle your toes, point and flex the foot, and then slowly roll out the ankle a few times both ways, drawing circles on the ceiling with your toes. Come back to pressing the heel away and allow yourself a few deep breathes right here just opening the back of that leg. For the added core: on an inhale, engage your core and slowly begin to lift your head up towards your leg, rounding the spine and keeping the shoulders relaxed away from the ears. Bring your nose as close as you can towards your knee, hold for a breath, then slowly lower on an exhale.
Upward-Facing Dog: This will allow your hips and lower back to reverse the months of tension from pregnancy and birth. This came back into heavy rotation for me after pregnancy, and felt so good to counter all the sitting down and hunching over. From all fours, slowly move the hips forward letting them drop down towards the earth. You can sway the hips side to side if it feels good, or stay still. If you're feeling tight, you can widen the knees further than hip distance and even let your feet come off the mat. Hold for a few breaths, moving the shoulders away from the ears, and then push back on an exhale to Child's Pose.
Rolling on a Yoga Wheel / Ball: If you have an exercise ball or yoga wheel, these are great ways to gently start bending back. I’ve still not done a full backbend comfortably at 4 months postpartum, but I’ve been gently rolling and leaning on both a large ball and much smaller yoga wheel, and they both feel wonderful. It allows your vertebrae to decompress and your upper back to find some relief from holding a baby and breastfeeding.
SHOULDERS / NECK
You’ll probably find yourself gazing down at your new, sweet, little addition for hours while holding their ever-growing bodies. Turns out this is absolutely wonderful for you and them - so hold and cuddle away! But it can wreak some havoc on your neck and shoulders, especially if you carried any tension during pregnancy or birth.
This quick 5 Minute Shoulder Sequence is shown and listed below, and is (semi) easy to incorporate into a new Mom's day. I tried to keep it to 10 basic moves that will help relieve the tense shoulders associated with the postpartum period.
5 MINUTE FLOW:
Seated side stretches
Seated twists
Chest openers: arms behind back + head
Eagle Arms
Seated hamstring stretches
Cross-legged forward folds with side variations
Legs extended forward fold
Neck rolls
Bicep Stretch
Tricep Stretch
Seated Side Stretch: This simple warm-up stretch will release your back as it lengthens and stretches out each side. Sitting, inhale the arms up, and with an exhale take your right hand down to the mat on your right, and reach your left arm up and over your head towards the right. Hold for a few breathes, rolling the left shoulder back to open up your chest. On an inhale sweep both arms overhead and on an exhale, switch.
Seated Twists: Another great twist that encourages digestion, releases the spine, and relieves tension in the back. Inhale the arms overhead, then place the left hand on your right knee and your right palm on the ground behind you, opening to the right. Keep the chin parallel to the floor and look towards your right. If it feels okay to you, look over your right shoulder. Hold for a few breathes, keeping the spine long. Untwist slowly and repeat on the other side.
Chest Opener w/Arms Behind Back: A great shoulder opener and stretch across the front of the chest - perfect for breastfeeding Mamas. Sitting or standing, clasp your hands gently behind your back. If this isn’t comfortable, you can always wrap a hand around the other wrist. Lengthen the spine with an inhale and as you exhale, keep that length, but begin to lean forward while keeping the hands by the base of your spine. If you want a little more, begin raising your hands up and back behind you, still keeping the gentle force of the hands moving away from you, drawing the shoulders back. Hold for a few breaths then slowly come back up, releasing the hands gently. Roll the shoulders a few times and shake out the hands.
Eagle Arms: This is a great shoulder opener and stretches out the muscles across the back. Take your arms apart, reaching out to the sides. Inhale, reaching farther away, then as you exhale cross your left arm over your right, giving yourself a big hug. Wiggle the hands towards one another, then while keeping the elbows bent and together begin to lift your hands up so your fingertips reach towards the ceiling. You can keep the backs of the hands against one another, or if you want to go farther try to gently reach your right hand around until you can get palm to palm - or right fingertips to left palm. Keep your elbows at shoulder height and gently move the hands away, as if you were trying to chop the air in front of you. Breathe deeply, and if you like you can lift the arms up and down, hands still drawing up and away. Release, roll out the shoulders, shake out the arms, and switch sides.
Cross-Legged Forward Folds: You can do cross-legged or with your legs extended, or preferably bot if they feel good and you have time. For cross-legged: start with one foot on top or in front, whichever feels best. Inhale arms overhead then place the hands down on the floor in front of you as you exhale. Keep your spine long and slowly melt forward letting your head, shoulders, and arms get heavy. Hold for a few breathes then walk your hands towards the opposite side of the foot that's on top/in front. Hold for a few more breathes and come up when you're ready. Switch your legs and repeat on the other side.
Legs Extended Forward Folds: Keep your legs far apart like you did while pregnant for at least a few days/weeks, then gradually move them back in towards each other. Allow your head and shoulders to really relax as you melt towards your legs.
Neck Rolls: Start facing forward with your chin parallel to the floor, wherever you’re sitting. You can even still be holding your baby. Slowly roll your head to one side, allowing your ear to drop towards that shoulder. Pause wherever it feels good, trying to relax and keep both shoulders away from the ears. Gently roll your head through center (chin down towards chest) and over towards the other side, again pausing wherever needed. Repeat for at least 30 seconds, or 5-10 slow rolls.
Tricep Stretch: Stretches out the backs of the arms and opens up the front of the body and chest. Reach up, bend at the elbow and then reach that hand towards the back of your head. Reach your other hand up and gently rest it on the bent elbow, creating pressure downward and lengthening your tricep. Keep your chin lifted off your chest and core engaged here. Hold for a few breaths, at least 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
GENERAL NOTES
I highly recommend getting a Yoga Ball! Just rolling on and leaning back on this was extremely effective at relieving the low back pain and hip tightness that has been lingering since birth.
Drink more water. Seriously - as I guzzle some right now. Your body is going through so much - breastfeeding or not - and you need all the hydration you can get. Ever get a massage and have them tell you to drink lots of water so it helps flush the toxins out? Yeah, pretend that’s your everyday. Just minus the massage ;)
Don’t overdo it. You might have some leftover relaxin in your body (not a typo - that’s the hormone you release during pregnancy that helps your body open up for birth) that can trick you into thinking you can go further than you should. If all of a sudden you can open up into splits but never could before, take it back a bit. We don’t want to go too quickly into something that our bodies aren’t ready for.
POSES TO BE CAREFUL WITH
Hip Openers (like Butterfly): If you spent some time pushing or had a c-section (so basically every new Mom) your lower abdominal muscles have either been worked and tensed for hours or actually cut open, so things are different. Like, really different. Instead of jumping back into your “normal activity” at 6-8 weeks like we're sometimes told, we should be focusing on slowly rebuilding and strengthening these muscles, not trying to condition them exactly like we did before. To Modify: Try Butterfly pose with a block or rolled up blanket under each knee to help give some support. You can also try Reclined Butterfly with the same modification as well.
Backbends: Same as above. Gentle backbends such as bridge (with a block or pillow under the butt), upward facing dog, or simply lying on a block, pillow or ball are a great place to start. Keep wheel as a thought for a few months from now, and don't push anything too fast.
TRUST YOUR BODYIt's been really interesting and eye-opening to see and feel how much my body has changed since producing a little human. I try to take every day as a new day, and love this incredible new path that I'm on, no matter what my practice looks like.
Has yoga helped you postpartum? Which poses felt good or didn't? Did you try these poses and get some relief? Let me know in the comments below!
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