As a chiropractor passionate about women’s wellness, I wanted to shed light on a topic that affects many new moms: post-pregnancy core engagement difficulties.
I see numerous women after pregnancy that find it challenging to engage their core muscles effectively. This issue stems from various factors, both physiological and lifestyle-related, that I believe are essential to understand:
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Muscle Stretching and Weakness: During pregnancy, the abdominal muscles naturally stretch to accommodate the growing baby. This stretching can lead to weakness in the core muscles, making it harder for them to engage properly postpartum.
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Hormonal Changes: Pregnancy hormones like relaxin play a crucial role in preparing the body for childbirth by loosening ligaments and joints. However, these hormonal changes can persist postpartum, affecting core stability and making it more difficult to engage the muscles effectively.
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C-section Recovery: For women who undergo cesarean sections, the abdominal muscles undergo significant trauma during the surgery and subsequent recovery. Scar tissue formation and weakened muscles can further hinder core engagement.
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Diastasis Recti: This condition occurs when the abdominal muscles separate along the linea alba during pregnancy, causing a gap between the muscles. Diastasis recti can persist postpartum, affecting core strength and function.
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Lack of Awareness and Education: Many new moms are unaware of proper postpartum core engagement techniques or may not prioritize them. Which I totally understand.. Because let’s face it the demands of caring for a newborn are not easy!
Honestly, I believe the biggest issue is the last: A Lack of Awareness and Education. Truly, maintaining core strength begins before pregnancy! It kills me that women aren’t educated on what to do before, during, and after pregnancy. It can be an extremely lonely place to be. At Culture Chiropractic, we are looking to flip the script on this by cultivating a truly safe space for moms to ask questions, seek and receive guidance, and feel like they have a team fighting for them.
Addressing post-pregnancy core engagement challenges requires a holistic approach that combines targeted exercises, proper nutrition, and lifestyle modifications.
By raising awareness and providing support, we can empower new moms to rebuild their core strength and overall well-being post-pregnancy. If you have any questions or would like further information on this topic, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
