Return to activity postpartum and the misconception of the 6 week follow up.
Congratulations, you’ve just had a baby. Now you’re setting goals for yourself and you want to get moving again. Where do you start? You have your 6 week follow up with your OB-GYN, and great, he/she has cleared you to do everything. “Sex?”, “ok go ahead,” “physical activity?”, “ok go ahead”. “BYE!” Are you confused?
If you have no idea where to start, let me start by saying that you do not need to walk out of that appointment and immediately do any of those things. SIX weeks is very arbitrary. You should absolutely start moving earlier than six weeks if it feels right for you, but that movement is going to look different for everyone. Maybe it’s diaphragmatic breathing or some gentle mobility in bed just to get ribcage expansion, maybe it’s a short walk around the block, maybe it’s a gentle postpartum yoga flow and you increase the intensity of all of these moves over time. After six weeks, there isn’t just a magic switch that flips that suddenly your body is ready to take on everything. Six weeks is a suggestion for more intense exercise because your body needs to heal the wound from your placenta, your uterus needs to shrink back down in size, and you may still be experiencing some bleeding until that six (ish) week mark and you need to rest to allow your body to heal.
There are many factors that go into how soon you can return to activities like running and jumping, and it is recommended that these more high impact activities don’t happen until closer to 12 weeks (or more) and that you’ve given yourself adequate strengthening first before you take on these higher intensity activities. This is where PT can help. First, you need to increase your strength and stability. You need to slowly build up your strength and balance and prepare your body to absorb the force that is running (and shock absorption on one foot). A physical therapist can help appropriately guide you in your return to run program and help make sure that you are on the right track to getting back on the road (or treadmill!).
Maybe you don’t care about return to run, and your concerns lie more with painful intercourse. Another thing that is common, but not normal postpartum. A pelvic floor physical therapist can help educate you on changes in hormones (especially if breastfeeding) leading to possible vaginal dryness or tight musculature that may be causing painful intercourse.
If you’re feeling lost after your 6 week postpartum follow up, please reach out to Dr. Mia Smyser by contacting Release Physical Therapy today to help guide you towards getting you back to your postpartum goals. You’re welcome to contact us BEFORE 6 weeks as well to schedule a virtual or in person appointment if you’re having any questions or concerns or pain prior to that 6 week appointment. We are here to help you.
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Mia Smyser PT, DPT, COMT, CIDN
Dr. Mia Smyser is a native of the DMV. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Miami, after receiving her Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina. She thinks movement is of foundational importance and is dedicated to improving people’s mobility and function and helping them achieve their optimal physical well-being.
She is passionate about continuing to learn and grow in the profession. She is a Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist (COMT), certified in Integrative Dry Needling and is continuing her coursework with Herman & Wallace as a pelvic health therapist.
Dr. Smyser previously worked at outpatient physical therapy clinics in Washington, DC and Falls Church, VA, treating a wide variety of conditions including sports medicine, pelvic health, pre/post-operative rehabilitation, and pediatrics, among others.
In her free time, she prioritizes spending time with her husband, son & dog; playing soccer and running; coaching HIIT and checking out new restaurants.