It took 9 months to form your bundle of joy. Your body went through more changes in 9 months than we could even list. And that is before you even give birth. EVERY birth is work on the body. Even a textbook “easy” birth is still hard on both the mother and baby’s bodies. Research is now showing it takes 1 year for most aspects of our body to fully recover from birth and up to 2 years for the abdominal muscles to recover. Add in any trauma that may have occurred during pregnancy or birth and it could take more than two years to fully recover. For most this is quite disturbing news but think of it this way…this is normal and expected. You NEED to drop the expectations that your body should get there quicker. Love your body, heal your body, and get the help you need to recover properly.

Chiropractic care plays an integral part in your postpartum recovery and needs to be routine in your schedule that first year for both you and baby. Imagine all the changes we can SEE our babies do in that year and start to realize its not just their bodies and minds changing but yours as well. You are both on a journey of growth and change in year 1. You BOTH will benefit from proper care and healing to meet your milestones along the way.

The first chiropractic appointment for both you and baby should be within the first 2-3 weeks postpartum but can be performed as early as the day after birth if needed. The adjustments and techniques can all be modified to accommodate you as needed. The initial visit will determine your frequency of care from that point forward. We all strive to get to wellness care at once a month but keep in mind some things take more care than others and that’s why the first postpartum visit is so important to evaluate how your body is responding to the birth experience you just went through.

If I could change anything about birth in our society it would be that mother’s need WAY more care and support postpartum. Mother’s need to be healthy both physically and mentally to raise healthy balanced babies. I urge you to take charge of your health! Your family will thank you later!