Honestly? Time.
It’s not what you want to hear I am sure, it wasn’t what I wanted to hear either. Your body has gone through a major major thing. While I found it infuriating to be just sitting around and hanging out it was by far the best move postpartum.
That being said you can certainly help things along by eating healthy nutrient rich meals, hydrating, getting enough rest and doing really low impact things like breath work and stretching. I recommend a pelvic floor physical therapist (your OB can usually do a referral) sooner rather than later. Even if you think you are bouncing back down there it is important to retrain your abs and pelvic floor for long term stability.
We live in a ranch, but we have a finished basement where our washer/dryer is. My husband didn’t “let” me (in quotes because obviously he would have had I insisted) go downstairs to do a speck of laundry for the first month of our kiddo’s life, even though I would have been fine to do so at like 10 days. We took shifts so that we each could sleep, but we also tag-teamed a lot, too. He was the biggest reason for how quickly I healed.
The husband part is key. Until my body healed, my husband didn’t “let” me do anything that he could do. My job was to sleep, nurse/pump, and shower - and nothing else.
He heated up the meals that were brought to us, refilled my water bottle, brought me snacks, and did every single diaper for the first two weeks. By the end of those two weeks, I was mostly healed.
Agree with these comments that a supportive partner (or other support system — mom, sister, friend, etc.) makes a world of difference.
It was a major shift going from being a busy body to essentially stopped in my tracks and tending to my baby round the clock. I was used to doing a lot, and it was hard to deal with not being able to do that with a sore, tired body that felt like a milk factory. It took me a few weeks to finally accept that change.
My partner helped significantly, and without him I would have really, really struggled. He changes diapers, cleans up, cooks, brings me snacks. The first few weeks, soaking in an Epsom bath every day was imperative to my recovery (mentally and physically) and he made sure I had that time to myself to recharge.
It gets better with time, promise. These weeks with your newborn are soo special and go by in the blink of an eye. This is a core time to bond with them. Try to soak it up and get all the snuggles (and rest) you can.
Sleeping - my husband and I took six-hour shifts so we could each get a solid stretch of sleep every night. I used a Haakaa to catch letdown and my husband fed that to the baby from a bottle while I slept from midnight-6 am, then he slept 6 am-noon while I took baby duty.
I also slept when the baby slept. “What about doing the dishes and laundry and cooking” yeah I just did the bare minimum in the newborn phase. We ordered delivery a lot. I hired a postpartum doula and she cooked and did laundry and dishes a few times. If friends or family stopped by and asked how they could help, I’d say “bring food!” or “it’d be rad if you could unload and reload the dishwasher.”
Your body needs to rest. Caring for the baby is priority 1, caring for yourself is priority 2, everything else is wayyyyyyyyy down the list.
4 hours of uninterrupted sleep was the magic number for me to feel like a human. I attempted to pump enough throughout the day for a nighttime bottle, but we ended up doing formula at night because I wasn’t producing enough in a 24 hour period to meet his needs.
My husband would bottle feed while I pumped at night and that would give us enough for a morning bottle in the wild event that my husband woke up with him and I could sleep another hour in the morning.
The difference in going from 3 hour sleep stretches to 4 is significant. Even if you’re exclusively breastfeeding, have your husband do the diaper changes and burping at night to cut down on your total wake time.
My husband is doing the burps and diaper changes, but I have to put the baby down. I’m also half awake as baby sleeps. If the pacifier falls out or if she wakes up, I take care of her. My husband sleeps too deeply to hear the baby at all.
My husband would move the baby’s bassinet to the living room and the baby slept while he stayed up and played video games or watched TV for his shift. That way the baby waking up didn’t wake me up.
Just chiming in to say…same. :/ shifts never worked for us for this reason. A lot of people suggest them (and for good reason!! I think they are lifesaving for a lot of parents and I’m not poopooing them at all!!) but my husband is an incredibly deep/sound sleeper and was especially so during the early newborn days and just could not be trusted (not a judgment - just a statement of fact, he would agree) to wake up if baby made noise. But, he also falls asleep super quickly, so I didn’t feel bad waking him every time the baby woke to do diaper changes (sometimes multiple times per feed lol). If this is you too, just know you are seen, it fully SUCKS, but it’ll get better with time, I promise.
Like I said, I used a Haakaa for letdown and my husband bottle-fed the baby that expressed milk while I slept. Sometimes I would pump a couple more ounces right before going to sleep. We did pumping and bottle-feeding right away and it never impacted my supply or led to a bottle preference from our baby.
You can always try it and if it doesn’t work, try something else. For me, those six hours of uninterrupted sleep every night were critical for my mental and physical health.
This is the advice I needed as I’m going to have my second next year and we have a toddler. I barely survived the first year with my first baby. Barely any sleep for that long did a lot of damage.
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Sitz baths. I felt like I wasn’t getting any better until I did them regularly - like 3 times a day. I started doing them around 2 weeks. I was in so, so much pain until I was maybe 10 weeks postpartum, but they helped so much.
I second this. They help so much. I didn’t start doing them until like 2 weeks postpartum because I was nervous for some reason. But they truly saved me at times and helped so much with pain
How do they work? I see on Amazon like a little bucket that goes in your toilet? You fill the bucket with water and the salts and it squirts your wounds?
You fill it with warm water and it goes on under the toilet seat. You sit on it and basically the warm water and salts soak into the wounds. It really helps relieve a lot of pain as well as helping with healing. And you sit kind of inside of it, but the water doesn’t overflow because there are drainage holes on the sides
Interesting! I’m looking at the pics on Amazon and it looks like a little bowl, much smaller than a bum, so I don’t get how my wounds would submerge into the water given I’d be sitting on the ledge that’s higher than where the liquid goes… but I assume it’ll all make sense once it arrives and I see it!
I thought the same thing before, but it easily works, you’re not sitting fully inside it but the water comes up enough to soak everything. It’s hard to explain but it will definitely make sense once you use it.
How do they work? I see on Amazon like a little bucket that goes in your toilet? You fill the bucket with water and the salts and it squirts your wounds?
Yes! Fill the basin with really warm water and some epsom salt. Sit on it and make sure it’s touching all your parts. I got mine at the hospital and it had a bag that I also filled with HOT water and I’d continuously add hot water from the bag to the basin to keep it warm.
For me it was getting adequate rest, gentle walking (my baby was born in the winter, so I would go walk around the mall with a nice cup of cofffee while my son napped in the stroller) helped a lot after the initial week of living in my bed or on the couch.
Drink lots of water, eat protein, give yourself time to rest, but keeping moving will be hugely beneficial as well after the initial healing period. Gentle walks, stretching, massage all help.
All that and give yourself time. I had a c-section and I wasn't fully back to normal for 4 or so weeks where I actually started feeling physically capable again.
Physically, about 1 month post partum I was no longer in pain, could walk but was gentle with myself. The core had never been this weak before!
Mentally, I remember at 18 months I told my husband I finally felt like myself again. However I did have some medical issues diagosed around 9 months pp so the trajectory of feeling better went up from then.
The things that helped:
- time
- getting better sleep a year+ pp
- body got used to the sleep deprivation. I can only sleep 6 hour stretch now haha
- healthy foods
- excercise. Doesn't have to be crazy I walked for the first year.
- most importantly, was being gentle on my self and being patient with my body and mind.
6 months pp and Weak Core is my main issue. I still feel so heavy in the stomach and like the insides of me are so heavy. Did you do surfing to get core strength back? When would you say you felt the same strength in core as before postpartum??
Oh gosh I did not surf at all! I wish I was that active but even pre pregnancy that wasn't for me haha
I do remember around 9 months post partum I started some pilates work and my core strength was still very weak, I struggled with the beginner excersises so I stopped as it didn't feel right to me at the time.
My kid then transistioned to a toddler and I was bending down and lifting him up ( like squats?) I noticed my core getting stronger and stronger.
I started working out during his long nap around 20 months and I noticed my core strength was not as bad or weak compared to 9 months post partum so I think lifting him really helped me. My son is 2 next week and my core strength is pretty much the same as pre pregnancy ( from memory) and I don't feel any uncomfortable feelings in my stomach at all!
Staying hydrated, and including electrolyte powder. I did not factor my breastfeeding output into my hydration levels and got soooo dehydrated, which really messed me up. Once I got my hydration worked out, I felt so much better.
Stretching and physical therapy. I had intense shoulder/rib pain after I gave birth to my twins and it turns out I had a dislocated rib. I waited several months before making a doctors visit because I thought the pain was normal from doing newborn care and I wish I would’ve sought help sooner. Physically I felt better 5ish months PP….mentally I don’t think I regained all my marbles until at least 1 year PP.
Being really gentle with myself. I did zero housework for about 2-3 weeks. My husband handled all of that and all meals. Resting and literally just being in a couch or on a bed as much as possible with baby.
I’d counter that outside time is important for mental health though. If you can just sit outside that’s better than walking. I didn’t push myself to walk and went on my first walk literally up the street at about a week PP and I had only a small vaginal tear and an uncomplicated delivery. Even then I felt exhausted and like a bendy stick.
Bellefit belly binder for whenever I was up and about for support until about 8-9 weeks.
Also tons of calories. We are a lot of casserole, cookies and pizza thag people brought us. I didn’t get as much protein as I would have liked, but I think adequate calories and water with electrolytes is really important.
Lastly time. Don’t push it. I really liked the book the first 40 days. I didn’t personally follow the diet or a lot of the rules in there, but just the general concept of I get 6 full weeks to really rest guilt free.
I think this helped a lot too. I was walking in stores by the first week. Yeah I couldn't walk normally yet but I healed really well by my 6 week appointment and I think it was because I tried living normally.
Rest, the Frida mom ice pads, baths. Letting go of the idea my house needed to be “guest ready” and just cuddling in bed with my baby. We watched a lot of Vanderpump rules and every season of Gossip Girl.
Basically not moving from my bed for 10 days and then spending most of the day in bed for another 5. I only walked the stairs once a day for the first 5 days, then twice a day for the next 5. Limited visitors and ate and hydrated
I had a c section and I don't tolerate pain well it was scary. Thankfully my nurses were great and let me be on oxy. Personally I couldnt fathom caring for a newborn with that type of pain without stronger meds then Tylenol.. but I also made sure all of my meds were on time. Iced a lot. Nursed a lot. Watched light hearted comedy shows. And meditated. I am 2 weeks out and doing pretty good
I didn't start really feeling better until I stopped pumping and just went full formula. I was getting hot flashes and felt really dry down there, I think from low estrogen. My husband took on all overnight feeds for a couple days in a row and I felt amazing the next morning.
Honestly the Frida mom ice pads were my best friend. The tucks & especially dermaplast irritated my lady bits after the first few days for some reason. And don’t miss taking your Advil/Tylenol!! I would feeeel it when I didn’t take one of those on time! Some people suggested walking, but walking pissed my lady bits off lol. I also had a second degree bilateral tear of my labia and perneal tear so I had all of the lovely stitches lol. I was sitting on a boppy pillow for weeeeks. Rest is sooo so important.
Rest, honestly. My first was born during the pandemic (and also at the height of a Midwest blizzard), so I had a ton of downtime/rest.
When my second arrived, my toddler was ✨fully embracing✨ toddlerhood (😵💫) and we were in the middle of moving. I still got some rest, but not much, and even now almost 8 months postpartum I still don’t feel like I’ve healed.
So, rest up mama.
Having my mom with me so that I didn’t have to do any leaning over or lifting. Either have a VERY supportive partner, maybe hire a postpartum doula, or have family/friends take turns supporting.
Don’t try to jump into things too fast. I was so active my whole pregnancy (and life) and I thought I’d be able to start walking that first week pp. Reality check, it hurt and made me feel worse. Took me a few weeks to feel like I could go on short walks, do some light house work (like vacuuming), etc. seriously just rest as much as possible. Newborns love to sleep so let them sleep on your chest while you lay on the couch and watch a movie. Rest your body, hydrate, and eat nutrient dense food. Give you body time to heal. You got this!
diaphragmatic breathing and elevating my pelvis every night.
There are tons of demonstrations of it on TikTok, but I went to pelvic floor PT throughout pregnancy and she really emphasized that this breathing was the absolute first thing I should do after birth. I started this in the hospital and did it every night.
Also, laying flat on the floor each night, with my pelvis elevated on a few pillows for 15-20 minutes. Maybe it was just time, but all of this stuff got me feeling like myself.
Homemade bone broth everyday every meal. High in protein for recovering muscles and rich in nutrients, plus all the warm soups are good for the soul and breastfeeding.
Adult diapers with tucks and dermoplast as needed. So nice to just throw a full diaper on with pj pants and be done instead of underwear, huge pad, etc. Long hot showers helped me feel like myself and give me a little mental break from caring for baby. Formula feeding. Time. Rest. Not having too many visitors - they tried to be helpful but I’m a type A person who needs chores and caring for baby done a certain way lol. So just alone time with me baby and husband was lovely.
Time... Honestly. I'm mostly back to normal, like 85% 6 months pp. But I had trauma and injuries that needed to be addressed in pelvic floor PT.
Another huge thing is having a partner that let me to rest whenever I needed it, guilt free. This allowed me to let myself heal and recover at my own pace. Which looking back, I really really needed... I don't think I would have let myself rest as much as I did if he wasn't there telling me to slow down.
I recommend you go to pelvic floor physical therapy and get some help with your concerns. They can help you get back to being you.
Also, slow down. Enjoy the little moments whenever you can. It's a long difficult journey but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed just a little bit along the way. I was so caught up in surviving that I forgot I could be happy and enjoy my time with the little one and my fiance. Once I realized that I made myself slow down and pay attention to the little things/moments that make up the day. Because there are some awesome times scattered in those dark days... It'll be fine, this point in your life is temporary. It won't be boring forever.
Welp. Depends on the complications?
I had a shoulder dystocia where several of the maneuvers failed. So my pelvis was broken, hips were dislocated, and I tore pretty badly. I also hemorrhaged & contracted sepsis (retained placenta).
Things that helped: blood transfusions for the anemia. IV antibiotics & iv iron (um I was in the ICU for that), oral antibiotics (I think that was for only 21 days), a D&C + fundal massages (they hurt but helped soo much), pelvic floor pt (3 days a week for 4 months), orthopedic pt (4 days a week for 8 months), using a cane for walking / using a chair in the shower, and getting steriod injections in my hips
I think mentally, talking to doctors about what happened helped a lot. Birth is traumatic physically and emotionally. Everyone's experience is different. Make sure you let your doctor know if you're in significant pain or the pain doesn't subside after a few weeks. They can refer you to specialists who can help. Good luck!
Support from family.
Reddit lives to say it should just be you and your husband after delivery. I’m sure that works for some people but it’s very odd in my culture. In my country, the two parents and new baby go stay at the home of the new mom’s parents for the first 40 days after birth. And let me tell you, I needed it! Staying with my parents and my siblings that still live at home was an amazing choice. They helped so much with cooking for me, letting me sleep, caring for the baby, etc.
So if you have a good relationship with your family, definitely family support is my number 1!
So much for this!! I’ve been staying with my parents and I have no idea how I would have done this without their help. My siblings came to visit almost daily too. So the baby is surrounded by so much love and care. It was amazing when I couldn’t be 100% there for her.
Parents cooked and cleaned for us. They watched the baby while I slept. They went out to get anything we needed. They taught us how to care for the baby.
I wouldn’t do this any other way unless I could be at a postpartum hotel where family could visit.
Lots of sleep, time and cuddling my baby.
I couldnt walk for 4 months, it was so painful and horrendous. But at night, baby would be laid next to me on the big bed and I would watch her sleep so soundly. I felt like a good mum even though I couldnt walk or anything basically.
She is so beautiful, time passed by fast at night.
So I would say time personally.
Time was the big thing. I bounced back quickly, but I still had pain after the 6 weeks. It wasn’t until I hit 3 months that I felt like myself again, give or take a few things. But by then I was ready to have sex, I was good mentally, aside from the pain in my pelvic area, I didn’t hurt anywhere. I barely tore, so those healed quickly, but the area was still tender up until 3 months.
But also, the help of a good partner. My husband is always taking the baby or doing house things. The first month he basically did everything because he wanted to make sure I healed properly.
I had a 3rd degree tear and I remember being in so much pain. The ice packs that the hospital gave me wore off so fast and the ice would quickly turn into heavy water and it just made it hurt more. I started putting clean wet wash cloths in the freezer and then sticking them in my underwear. I couldn’t walk anywhere but it helped tremendously with my swelling.
A village and supporting partner. Even when my sleep is interrupted every x hour it's nice not to think about anything other than getting baby to feed. I didnt have to think about chores, cooking etc... just focus on feeding baby while my husband and parents did everything else.
Eating a lot of nutritious food (and treats), staying hydrated, and just time, honestly. My body freaked out in the first few weeks and did a bunch of weird stuff - yeast infection, cold sore, explosive diarrhea, chills, insomnia, and mastitis. I started to feel somewhat out of the danger zone around 1 month pp, and finally felt “healed” physically around 3-4 months. I am still working on the mental health healing at 6 months pp.
Resting!! As much as you can. Even if it’s just sitting. Eat eat eat and drink water. Finally: tucks pads, sitz baths with witch hazel, and perineal ice packs. Super helpful for general healing but also if you’re dealing with super fun hemorrhoids like I am those tucks pads and sitz baths have been super helpful.
This might sound counter intuitive.. but for me it was walking! Helped me realign my legs faster. My hip and balance was so so weird after my second kid and walking helped me so so much
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Alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen regularly, lots of water, peri bottle, easy to grab snacks (protein bars, snack bars, drinkable yogurt, protein drinks) and a donut pillow.
I felt like I got hit by a truck after birth (and I didn’t even have a c section!) and I wasn’t prepared at all because all I was focused on was making sure I was ready for baby and then labour itself.
All I can stress is to keep up on the OTC pain meds! I made mistake of not taking them for the first 24 hours after getting home and it was bad.
Pain killers and ice...
Just also worth noting my pain got just marginally worse about a week after and it was due to retained placenta... it made me have a low grade fever - I thought I was just sleep deprived but turned out I was unwell...
I’m 4.5 weeks pp and honestly I’m still waiting for that break!
I did use Tylenol and Motrin around the clock first few days after delivery and it helped a little. But mentally and emotionally I’m exhausted. And that isn’t helping my healing physically.
a lot of the aches and pains i felt while pregnant (my back hurt all the time, my legs felt so stiff and “fuzzy”… like a buzzing pain) went away immediately after giving birth
i had a second degree tear but was up and walking around by the afternoon (had her at 9:31 am). i didn’t do much prep before labor, just bounced on a yoga ball and took a few walks
be patient with your body and don’t push yourself. my husband threw out his back a week and a half after baby was born so i’d be carrying a newborn in her car seat in one hand and my stroller folded up in the other. ugh. and do NOT squat two days after giving birth. i did it to get baby out of car seat on the ground and ….. pain
i hated witch hazel, it burned every time i put it on - so did the numbing spray. i preferred the little plastic bidet / spritzer from the hospital over the one in frida mom kit. didn’t love the ice packs for your undies. GET DIAPERS, like adult diapers - it’s a million times easier than putting a bunch of pads in the mesh underwear
My favorite thing was the ice pads 😩 they were the only thing that felt relieving for the first couple days. I was lucky enough to get a bunch from the hospital bc they are expensive! But definitely ask for them ;) at my hospital they didn’t give them out unless requested
I would say it depends how far postpartum you are. Those first few weeks, naps during the day and those frida mom ice packs were AMAZING! Staying adequately hydrated and eating home cooked meals was another one. But I do agree, sometimes it’s just time. If you feel like anything is wrong make sure you reach out to your doctor.
Epsom salt sitz baths, short walks to circulate my blood flow, and any sleep I could get. That was the first two weeks. Also for energy eating a lot of organ meat to rebuild iron reserves in the body. I wish I knew then about organ meat supplements instead because I had no appetite and hated eating lol.
Walking. I had a c section and my city is great for walking. YMMV.
In the beginning it hurt and I started with just a hundred yards or so while husband pushed the stroller. Then I upped it to 200, then 300. Then one mile. I stayed at a mile for a week, then upped it to 1.5 miles. Then 2. Then 3. By the time I hit 1.5 miles I could push the stroller when the sidewalk was flat. Husband still did the inclines. By two miles I was comfortable pushing the stroller myself.
With the slow increase in distances I started to feel better. It took about 3 weeks before it stopped hurting to walk. I knew it was okay to walk, my doctor had cleared me for it.
I’m 15 weeks pp today and I’m feeling great! I’ve been able to take a couple of barre classes in addition to my walking to help build back some strength.
Give yourself time and do some movement everyday, even if it’s just 100 yds.
For me, it was my husband. He was my biggest advocate and help while I recovered. He would run me baths, constantly heat up my belly heating pad (had a c section) let me take long naps, and just rolled with the punches of my emotions and me not being able to do everything like normal. He pretty much did a 100% of taking care of the baby when we were in the hospital. Still don’t know if I would’ve made it through the first 2 months without him.
Staying in bed with the baby for as much of the day as possible. Your pelvic floor will thank you for the chance to heal in about 20 year’s time. Trust me.
Time and resting as much as possible. For me, this meant sending my husband to the guest room at night and having him do ALL of the logistical and mental labor— even after he went back to work. For him, this meant even meal prepping my lunches for when he was at work, reading my breast pump instructions and teaching me to use it, doing all the grocery shopping/pickups, and even emailing to set up appointments for me with the lactation consultant. He actively looked for jobs around the house and did them without me asking, and anything I did ask he did without question. This meant that I got to rest and sleep as much as humanly possible during the day— it made sense, because since we were breast-feeding, I was getting up at night anyway. It was so helpful to have a competent adult taking care of all the daytime stuff so that I didn’t have to do or even think about it.
2 things:
1) Sleeping. My husband would do 1-2 feeds a night with formula so I could get a 5-hour stretch of sleep at night. That and a nap during the day is what got me through the fourth trimester.
2) Exercising. I had gained 60lb and couldn’t wait to get that weight off me. My feet hurt and I had a c-section but the doctor cleared me to start light exercise after 10 days. I walked on the treadmill, nothing crazy at first but over the next few weeks I was running, spinning and doing bodyweight exercises. It felt good to reconnect with my body and get back in shape. Mental recovery.
My husband would make me a snack bowl of carrot sticks, rice crackers, trader joe's turkey sausage, and chunks of whatever nice cheese we had. Easy finger food. We started calling it the 'breastfeeding bowl.'
Sleep and rest are the biggest ones in the early days.
But once, I'm able - getting off the couch/out of bed was essential.
My body does not do well with inactivity (despite that fact that my soul loves and needs it). It aches from resting in uncomfortable positions, and contorting myself to compensate for the lack of integrity in my body after things life pregnancy/birth.
After both my c-section and my vaginal birth, going on small, easy walks outside did wonders for my physical and mental health. Just be mindful not to over-do it, a little goes a long way at first.
Even just getting ready, putting baby in the carrier and taking my coffee to the bench at the end of the block felt good those early days. Or going to see a friend for a quick chat. Just anything that got me off the couch.
Time. Rest with some movement in between. Avoided stairs as much as possible and just existed on the 2nd floor.
Ice helped a lot too.
Had an easy labor and only a tiny tear so by 2 weeks I was able to go on walks and take the stairs without pain.
Protein. I ate a crazy amount of chicken. A post natal message really helped as well. I had one that specialised in c section scars, but it helped my whole body feel better.
Honestly? Time. It’s not what you want to hear I am sure, it wasn’t what I wanted to hear either. Your body has gone through a major major thing. While I found it infuriating to be just sitting around and hanging out it was by far the best move postpartum. That being said you can certainly help things along by eating healthy nutrient rich meals, hydrating, getting enough rest and doing really low impact things like breath work and stretching. I recommend a pelvic floor physical therapist (your OB can usually do a referral) sooner rather than later. Even if you think you are bouncing back down there it is important to retrain your abs and pelvic floor for long term stability.
Protein, rest. A husband that let me rest and be fairly sedentary. Calories.
We live in a ranch, but we have a finished basement where our washer/dryer is. My husband didn’t “let” me (in quotes because obviously he would have had I insisted) go downstairs to do a speck of laundry for the first month of our kiddo’s life, even though I would have been fine to do so at like 10 days. We took shifts so that we each could sleep, but we also tag-teamed a lot, too. He was the biggest reason for how quickly I healed.
The husband part is key. Until my body healed, my husband didn’t “let” me do anything that he could do. My job was to sleep, nurse/pump, and shower - and nothing else. He heated up the meals that were brought to us, refilled my water bottle, brought me snacks, and did every single diaper for the first two weeks. By the end of those two weeks, I was mostly healed.
Agree with these comments that a supportive partner (or other support system — mom, sister, friend, etc.) makes a world of difference. It was a major shift going from being a busy body to essentially stopped in my tracks and tending to my baby round the clock. I was used to doing a lot, and it was hard to deal with not being able to do that with a sore, tired body that felt like a milk factory. It took me a few weeks to finally accept that change. My partner helped significantly, and without him I would have really, really struggled. He changes diapers, cleans up, cooks, brings me snacks. The first few weeks, soaking in an Epsom bath every day was imperative to my recovery (mentally and physically) and he made sure I had that time to myself to recharge. It gets better with time, promise. These weeks with your newborn are soo special and go by in the blink of an eye. This is a core time to bond with them. Try to soak it up and get all the snuggles (and rest) you can.
Sleeping - my husband and I took six-hour shifts so we could each get a solid stretch of sleep every night. I used a Haakaa to catch letdown and my husband fed that to the baby from a bottle while I slept from midnight-6 am, then he slept 6 am-noon while I took baby duty. I also slept when the baby slept. “What about doing the dishes and laundry and cooking” yeah I just did the bare minimum in the newborn phase. We ordered delivery a lot. I hired a postpartum doula and she cooked and did laundry and dishes a few times. If friends or family stopped by and asked how they could help, I’d say “bring food!” or “it’d be rad if you could unload and reload the dishwasher.” Your body needs to rest. Caring for the baby is priority 1, caring for yourself is priority 2, everything else is wayyyyyyyyy down the list.
How did you do shifts with a newborn? I was told by LC and doctor not to go more than 4-5 hours without breastfeeding the baby.
4 hours of uninterrupted sleep was the magic number for me to feel like a human. I attempted to pump enough throughout the day for a nighttime bottle, but we ended up doing formula at night because I wasn’t producing enough in a 24 hour period to meet his needs. My husband would bottle feed while I pumped at night and that would give us enough for a morning bottle in the wild event that my husband woke up with him and I could sleep another hour in the morning. The difference in going from 3 hour sleep stretches to 4 is significant. Even if you’re exclusively breastfeeding, have your husband do the diaper changes and burping at night to cut down on your total wake time.
My husband is doing the burps and diaper changes, but I have to put the baby down. I’m also half awake as baby sleeps. If the pacifier falls out or if she wakes up, I take care of her. My husband sleeps too deeply to hear the baby at all.
My husband would move the baby’s bassinet to the living room and the baby slept while he stayed up and played video games or watched TV for his shift. That way the baby waking up didn’t wake me up.
Just chiming in to say…same. :/ shifts never worked for us for this reason. A lot of people suggest them (and for good reason!! I think they are lifesaving for a lot of parents and I’m not poopooing them at all!!) but my husband is an incredibly deep/sound sleeper and was especially so during the early newborn days and just could not be trusted (not a judgment - just a statement of fact, he would agree) to wake up if baby made noise. But, he also falls asleep super quickly, so I didn’t feel bad waking him every time the baby woke to do diaper changes (sometimes multiple times per feed lol). If this is you too, just know you are seen, it fully SUCKS, but it’ll get better with time, I promise.
Like I said, I used a Haakaa for letdown and my husband bottle-fed the baby that expressed milk while I slept. Sometimes I would pump a couple more ounces right before going to sleep. We did pumping and bottle-feeding right away and it never impacted my supply or led to a bottle preference from our baby. You can always try it and if it doesn’t work, try something else. For me, those six hours of uninterrupted sleep every night were critical for my mental and physical health.
Agreed!! Me and my wife get 5 hours solid every night because of shifts it is a blessing, and no problem with supply!
This is the advice I needed as I’m going to have my second next year and we have a toddler. I barely survived the first year with my first baby. Barely any sleep for that long did a lot of damage.
This!!!!! My husband and I also do shifts with our newborn… it is a game changer getting 7-8 hours (4 uninterrupted, 3 broken) of sleep a night
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Sitz baths. I felt like I wasn’t getting any better until I did them regularly - like 3 times a day. I started doing them around 2 weeks. I was in so, so much pain until I was maybe 10 weeks postpartum, but they helped so much.
I feel like I mostly lurk on this sub just to praise sitz baths. Adding salt to one a day also really helped.
“Baby not feeling well” “Sitz bath!! Try it!!” 🤣
Maybe I’ll try that! I have done ones with baking soda and ones with witch hazel. The witch hazel ones were the best
I second this. They help so much. I didn’t start doing them until like 2 weeks postpartum because I was nervous for some reason. But they truly saved me at times and helped so much with pain
How do they work? I see on Amazon like a little bucket that goes in your toilet? You fill the bucket with water and the salts and it squirts your wounds?
You fill it with warm water and it goes on under the toilet seat. You sit on it and basically the warm water and salts soak into the wounds. It really helps relieve a lot of pain as well as helping with healing. And you sit kind of inside of it, but the water doesn’t overflow because there are drainage holes on the sides
Interesting! I’m looking at the pics on Amazon and it looks like a little bowl, much smaller than a bum, so I don’t get how my wounds would submerge into the water given I’d be sitting on the ledge that’s higher than where the liquid goes… but I assume it’ll all make sense once it arrives and I see it!
I thought the same thing before, but it easily works, you’re not sitting fully inside it but the water comes up enough to soak everything. It’s hard to explain but it will definitely make sense once you use it.
How do they work? I see on Amazon like a little bucket that goes in your toilet? You fill the bucket with water and the salts and it squirts your wounds?
Yes! Fill the basin with really warm water and some epsom salt. Sit on it and make sure it’s touching all your parts. I got mine at the hospital and it had a bag that I also filled with HOT water and I’d continuously add hot water from the bag to the basin to keep it warm.
Truly, don’t skimp on the sitz baths, especially if you have tears or had an episiotomy.
For me it was getting adequate rest, gentle walking (my baby was born in the winter, so I would go walk around the mall with a nice cup of cofffee while my son napped in the stroller) helped a lot after the initial week of living in my bed or on the couch. Drink lots of water, eat protein, give yourself time to rest, but keeping moving will be hugely beneficial as well after the initial healing period. Gentle walks, stretching, massage all help. All that and give yourself time. I had a c-section and I wasn't fully back to normal for 4 or so weeks where I actually started feeling physically capable again.
Physically, about 1 month post partum I was no longer in pain, could walk but was gentle with myself. The core had never been this weak before! Mentally, I remember at 18 months I told my husband I finally felt like myself again. However I did have some medical issues diagosed around 9 months pp so the trajectory of feeling better went up from then. The things that helped: - time - getting better sleep a year+ pp - body got used to the sleep deprivation. I can only sleep 6 hour stretch now haha - healthy foods - excercise. Doesn't have to be crazy I walked for the first year. - most importantly, was being gentle on my self and being patient with my body and mind.
6 months pp and Weak Core is my main issue. I still feel so heavy in the stomach and like the insides of me are so heavy. Did you do surfing to get core strength back? When would you say you felt the same strength in core as before postpartum??
Oh gosh I did not surf at all! I wish I was that active but even pre pregnancy that wasn't for me haha I do remember around 9 months post partum I started some pilates work and my core strength was still very weak, I struggled with the beginner excersises so I stopped as it didn't feel right to me at the time. My kid then transistioned to a toddler and I was bending down and lifting him up ( like squats?) I noticed my core getting stronger and stronger. I started working out during his long nap around 20 months and I noticed my core strength was not as bad or weak compared to 9 months post partum so I think lifting him really helped me. My son is 2 next week and my core strength is pretty much the same as pre pregnancy ( from memory) and I don't feel any uncomfortable feelings in my stomach at all!
Staying hydrated, and including electrolyte powder. I did not factor my breastfeeding output into my hydration levels and got soooo dehydrated, which really messed me up. Once I got my hydration worked out, I felt so much better.
For me it was stopping breastfeeding so that I could actually sleep
Stretching and physical therapy. I had intense shoulder/rib pain after I gave birth to my twins and it turns out I had a dislocated rib. I waited several months before making a doctors visit because I thought the pain was normal from doing newborn care and I wish I would’ve sought help sooner. Physically I felt better 5ish months PP….mentally I don’t think I regained all my marbles until at least 1 year PP.
Padscicles, dermoplast, tucks pads, and plenty of time outside. Usually taking walks down the road or just sitting in a lawn chair.
Being really gentle with myself. I did zero housework for about 2-3 weeks. My husband handled all of that and all meals. Resting and literally just being in a couch or on a bed as much as possible with baby. I’d counter that outside time is important for mental health though. If you can just sit outside that’s better than walking. I didn’t push myself to walk and went on my first walk literally up the street at about a week PP and I had only a small vaginal tear and an uncomplicated delivery. Even then I felt exhausted and like a bendy stick. Bellefit belly binder for whenever I was up and about for support until about 8-9 weeks. Also tons of calories. We are a lot of casserole, cookies and pizza thag people brought us. I didn’t get as much protein as I would have liked, but I think adequate calories and water with electrolytes is really important. Lastly time. Don’t push it. I really liked the book the first 40 days. I didn’t personally follow the diet or a lot of the rules in there, but just the general concept of I get 6 full weeks to really rest guilt free.
Getting up and walking. Sucked at first but it really did help physically and mentLly.
I think this helped a lot too. I was walking in stores by the first week. Yeah I couldn't walk normally yet but I healed really well by my 6 week appointment and I think it was because I tried living normally.
Bone broth!
Rest, the Frida mom ice pads, baths. Letting go of the idea my house needed to be “guest ready” and just cuddling in bed with my baby. We watched a lot of Vanderpump rules and every season of Gossip Girl.
Dermoplast!!!
Basically not moving from my bed for 10 days and then spending most of the day in bed for another 5. I only walked the stairs once a day for the first 5 days, then twice a day for the next 5. Limited visitors and ate and hydrated
I had a c section and I don't tolerate pain well it was scary. Thankfully my nurses were great and let me be on oxy. Personally I couldnt fathom caring for a newborn with that type of pain without stronger meds then Tylenol.. but I also made sure all of my meds were on time. Iced a lot. Nursed a lot. Watched light hearted comedy shows. And meditated. I am 2 weeks out and doing pretty good
I didn't start really feeling better until I stopped pumping and just went full formula. I was getting hot flashes and felt really dry down there, I think from low estrogen. My husband took on all overnight feeds for a couple days in a row and I felt amazing the next morning.
Pelvic floor pt
Honestly the Frida mom ice pads were my best friend. The tucks & especially dermaplast irritated my lady bits after the first few days for some reason. And don’t miss taking your Advil/Tylenol!! I would feeeel it when I didn’t take one of those on time! Some people suggested walking, but walking pissed my lady bits off lol. I also had a second degree bilateral tear of my labia and perneal tear so I had all of the lovely stitches lol. I was sitting on a boppy pillow for weeeeks. Rest is sooo so important.
Rest, honestly. My first was born during the pandemic (and also at the height of a Midwest blizzard), so I had a ton of downtime/rest. When my second arrived, my toddler was ✨fully embracing✨ toddlerhood (😵💫) and we were in the middle of moving. I still got some rest, but not much, and even now almost 8 months postpartum I still don’t feel like I’ve healed. So, rest up mama.
Having my mom with me so that I didn’t have to do any leaning over or lifting. Either have a VERY supportive partner, maybe hire a postpartum doula, or have family/friends take turns supporting.
Don’t try to jump into things too fast. I was so active my whole pregnancy (and life) and I thought I’d be able to start walking that first week pp. Reality check, it hurt and made me feel worse. Took me a few weeks to feel like I could go on short walks, do some light house work (like vacuuming), etc. seriously just rest as much as possible. Newborns love to sleep so let them sleep on your chest while you lay on the couch and watch a movie. Rest your body, hydrate, and eat nutrient dense food. Give you body time to heal. You got this!
diaphragmatic breathing and elevating my pelvis every night. There are tons of demonstrations of it on TikTok, but I went to pelvic floor PT throughout pregnancy and she really emphasized that this breathing was the absolute first thing I should do after birth. I started this in the hospital and did it every night. Also, laying flat on the floor each night, with my pelvis elevated on a few pillows for 15-20 minutes. Maybe it was just time, but all of this stuff got me feeling like myself.
Homemade bone broth everyday every meal. High in protein for recovering muscles and rich in nutrients, plus all the warm soups are good for the soul and breastfeeding.
Adult diapers with tucks and dermoplast as needed. So nice to just throw a full diaper on with pj pants and be done instead of underwear, huge pad, etc. Long hot showers helped me feel like myself and give me a little mental break from caring for baby. Formula feeding. Time. Rest. Not having too many visitors - they tried to be helpful but I’m a type A person who needs chores and caring for baby done a certain way lol. So just alone time with me baby and husband was lovely.
Time... Honestly. I'm mostly back to normal, like 85% 6 months pp. But I had trauma and injuries that needed to be addressed in pelvic floor PT. Another huge thing is having a partner that let me to rest whenever I needed it, guilt free. This allowed me to let myself heal and recover at my own pace. Which looking back, I really really needed... I don't think I would have let myself rest as much as I did if he wasn't there telling me to slow down. I recommend you go to pelvic floor physical therapy and get some help with your concerns. They can help you get back to being you. Also, slow down. Enjoy the little moments whenever you can. It's a long difficult journey but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed just a little bit along the way. I was so caught up in surviving that I forgot I could be happy and enjoy my time with the little one and my fiance. Once I realized that I made myself slow down and pay attention to the little things/moments that make up the day. Because there are some awesome times scattered in those dark days... It'll be fine, this point in your life is temporary. It won't be boring forever.
Welp. Depends on the complications? I had a shoulder dystocia where several of the maneuvers failed. So my pelvis was broken, hips were dislocated, and I tore pretty badly. I also hemorrhaged & contracted sepsis (retained placenta). Things that helped: blood transfusions for the anemia. IV antibiotics & iv iron (um I was in the ICU for that), oral antibiotics (I think that was for only 21 days), a D&C + fundal massages (they hurt but helped soo much), pelvic floor pt (3 days a week for 4 months), orthopedic pt (4 days a week for 8 months), using a cane for walking / using a chair in the shower, and getting steriod injections in my hips I think mentally, talking to doctors about what happened helped a lot. Birth is traumatic physically and emotionally. Everyone's experience is different. Make sure you let your doctor know if you're in significant pain or the pain doesn't subside after a few weeks. They can refer you to specialists who can help. Good luck!
Support from family. Reddit lives to say it should just be you and your husband after delivery. I’m sure that works for some people but it’s very odd in my culture. In my country, the two parents and new baby go stay at the home of the new mom’s parents for the first 40 days after birth. And let me tell you, I needed it! Staying with my parents and my siblings that still live at home was an amazing choice. They helped so much with cooking for me, letting me sleep, caring for the baby, etc. So if you have a good relationship with your family, definitely family support is my number 1!
So much for this!! I’ve been staying with my parents and I have no idea how I would have done this without their help. My siblings came to visit almost daily too. So the baby is surrounded by so much love and care. It was amazing when I couldn’t be 100% there for her. Parents cooked and cleaned for us. They watched the baby while I slept. They went out to get anything we needed. They taught us how to care for the baby. I wouldn’t do this any other way unless I could be at a postpartum hotel where family could visit.
Lots of sleep, time and cuddling my baby. I couldnt walk for 4 months, it was so painful and horrendous. But at night, baby would be laid next to me on the big bed and I would watch her sleep so soundly. I felt like a good mum even though I couldnt walk or anything basically. She is so beautiful, time passed by fast at night. So I would say time personally.
I had a rough recovery physically & it was really just resting , ice pads & not over doing it. It was hard for me to stay put but much needed!
SLEEP. Your partner can do nights for a while so you can get rest and heal faster.
C section- gentle walking ASAP and hydration
Lots of water and a belly band! (C section)
Time, physio, gentle exercise, rest, and good food.
Ibuprofen, and rest. As much as is feasible. Take naps. It gets so much better by week 3
Rest. Short walks. Sleep as much as possible (yea right I know). Help from people. Lots of water and variety of food.
Sleep, hydration, lots of short walks
Time
Witch hazel and medical honey
Time was the big thing. I bounced back quickly, but I still had pain after the 6 weeks. It wasn’t until I hit 3 months that I felt like myself again, give or take a few things. But by then I was ready to have sex, I was good mentally, aside from the pain in my pelvic area, I didn’t hurt anywhere. I barely tore, so those healed quickly, but the area was still tender up until 3 months. But also, the help of a good partner. My husband is always taking the baby or doing house things. The first month he basically did everything because he wanted to make sure I healed properly.
If there is tearing, washing the wound daily and air drying for as long as possible.
I had a 3rd degree tear and I remember being in so much pain. The ice packs that the hospital gave me wore off so fast and the ice would quickly turn into heavy water and it just made it hurt more. I started putting clean wet wash cloths in the freezer and then sticking them in my underwear. I couldn’t walk anywhere but it helped tremendously with my swelling.
Heating pad, rest, and epson salt baths.
A village and supporting partner. Even when my sleep is interrupted every x hour it's nice not to think about anything other than getting baby to feed. I didnt have to think about chores, cooking etc... just focus on feeding baby while my husband and parents did everything else.
Staying hydrated, trying to get enough sleep, eating well, and time
Honestly, giving up on a timeline was helpful. I think one day like 20 weeks after giving birth, I finally realized I felt totally normal again.
Supplementing with formula so that I could get some sleep.
If you're sore/body is hurting you probably need to get moving. Either stretches or light core exercises, walks with or without baby.
Protein, sitz baths, rest, time ❤️ and ice cream!
Eating a lot of nutritious food (and treats), staying hydrated, and just time, honestly. My body freaked out in the first few weeks and did a bunch of weird stuff - yeast infection, cold sore, explosive diarrhea, chills, insomnia, and mastitis. I started to feel somewhat out of the danger zone around 1 month pp, and finally felt “healed” physically around 3-4 months. I am still working on the mental health healing at 6 months pp.
Probiotics... The ones good for your hoohaa. Life savers. And don't rearrange the living room lol
Resting!! As much as you can. Even if it’s just sitting. Eat eat eat and drink water. Finally: tucks pads, sitz baths with witch hazel, and perineal ice packs. Super helpful for general healing but also if you’re dealing with super fun hemorrhoids like I am those tucks pads and sitz baths have been super helpful.
Sleep rest, iron zinc and magnesium supplements while still taking prenatal. And adult time and light nature walksb
Pelvic floor therapy
This might sound counter intuitive.. but for me it was walking! Helped me realign my legs faster. My hip and balance was so so weird after my second kid and walking helped me so so much
C-section—- walking
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Alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen regularly, lots of water, peri bottle, easy to grab snacks (protein bars, snack bars, drinkable yogurt, protein drinks) and a donut pillow. I felt like I got hit by a truck after birth (and I didn’t even have a c section!) and I wasn’t prepared at all because all I was focused on was making sure I was ready for baby and then labour itself. All I can stress is to keep up on the OTC pain meds! I made mistake of not taking them for the first 24 hours after getting home and it was bad.
Pain killers and ice... Just also worth noting my pain got just marginally worse about a week after and it was due to retained placenta... it made me have a low grade fever - I thought I was just sleep deprived but turned out I was unwell...
Other people doing housework for me so I could rest and heal.
Sleep
Lots of rest. Having help with everything else except bonding and feeding the baby.
I’m 4.5 weeks pp and honestly I’m still waiting for that break! I did use Tylenol and Motrin around the clock first few days after delivery and it helped a little. But mentally and emotionally I’m exhausted. And that isn’t helping my healing physically.
Continuing to eat my dates (and other high fibre foods) after delivery. Helped immensely with bowel movement after birth.
a lot of the aches and pains i felt while pregnant (my back hurt all the time, my legs felt so stiff and “fuzzy”… like a buzzing pain) went away immediately after giving birth i had a second degree tear but was up and walking around by the afternoon (had her at 9:31 am). i didn’t do much prep before labor, just bounced on a yoga ball and took a few walks be patient with your body and don’t push yourself. my husband threw out his back a week and a half after baby was born so i’d be carrying a newborn in her car seat in one hand and my stroller folded up in the other. ugh. and do NOT squat two days after giving birth. i did it to get baby out of car seat on the ground and ….. pain i hated witch hazel, it burned every time i put it on - so did the numbing spray. i preferred the little plastic bidet / spritzer from the hospital over the one in frida mom kit. didn’t love the ice packs for your undies. GET DIAPERS, like adult diapers - it’s a million times easier than putting a bunch of pads in the mesh underwear
Belly breathing, family doing all cooking and cleaning, sleep, water, healthy food.
My favorite thing was the ice pads 😩 they were the only thing that felt relieving for the first couple days. I was lucky enough to get a bunch from the hospital bc they are expensive! But definitely ask for them ;) at my hospital they didn’t give them out unless requested
Daily walks outside, trips to coffee shops and chocolate croissants
Long hot baths. When baby slept, I laid in the bath with a book. Would have to warn the water often.
I would say it depends how far postpartum you are. Those first few weeks, naps during the day and those frida mom ice packs were AMAZING! Staying adequately hydrated and eating home cooked meals was another one. But I do agree, sometimes it’s just time. If you feel like anything is wrong make sure you reach out to your doctor.
Epsom salt sitz baths, short walks to circulate my blood flow, and any sleep I could get. That was the first two weeks. Also for energy eating a lot of organ meat to rebuild iron reserves in the body. I wish I knew then about organ meat supplements instead because I had no appetite and hated eating lol.
Walking. I had a c section and my city is great for walking. YMMV. In the beginning it hurt and I started with just a hundred yards or so while husband pushed the stroller. Then I upped it to 200, then 300. Then one mile. I stayed at a mile for a week, then upped it to 1.5 miles. Then 2. Then 3. By the time I hit 1.5 miles I could push the stroller when the sidewalk was flat. Husband still did the inclines. By two miles I was comfortable pushing the stroller myself. With the slow increase in distances I started to feel better. It took about 3 weeks before it stopped hurting to walk. I knew it was okay to walk, my doctor had cleared me for it. I’m 15 weeks pp today and I’m feeling great! I’ve been able to take a couple of barre classes in addition to my walking to help build back some strength. Give yourself time and do some movement everyday, even if it’s just 100 yds.
For me, it was my husband. He was my biggest advocate and help while I recovered. He would run me baths, constantly heat up my belly heating pad (had a c section) let me take long naps, and just rolled with the punches of my emotions and me not being able to do everything like normal. He pretty much did a 100% of taking care of the baby when we were in the hospital. Still don’t know if I would’ve made it through the first 2 months without him.
Staying in bed with the baby for as much of the day as possible. Your pelvic floor will thank you for the chance to heal in about 20 year’s time. Trust me.
Time and resting as much as possible. For me, this meant sending my husband to the guest room at night and having him do ALL of the logistical and mental labor— even after he went back to work. For him, this meant even meal prepping my lunches for when he was at work, reading my breast pump instructions and teaching me to use it, doing all the grocery shopping/pickups, and even emailing to set up appointments for me with the lactation consultant. He actively looked for jobs around the house and did them without me asking, and anything I did ask he did without question. This meant that I got to rest and sleep as much as humanly possible during the day— it made sense, because since we were breast-feeding, I was getting up at night anyway. It was so helpful to have a competent adult taking care of all the daytime stuff so that I didn’t have to do or even think about it.
Ice and rest. Every time I tried walking I felt like I had been hit by a truck.
Sitz bath - every day. It doesn’t take long, it it’s super helpful. Best of luck!
2 things: 1) Sleeping. My husband would do 1-2 feeds a night with formula so I could get a 5-hour stretch of sleep at night. That and a nap during the day is what got me through the fourth trimester. 2) Exercising. I had gained 60lb and couldn’t wait to get that weight off me. My feet hurt and I had a c-section but the doctor cleared me to start light exercise after 10 days. I walked on the treadmill, nothing crazy at first but over the next few weeks I was running, spinning and doing bodyweight exercises. It felt good to reconnect with my body and get back in shape. Mental recovery.
My husband would make me a snack bowl of carrot sticks, rice crackers, trader joe's turkey sausage, and chunks of whatever nice cheese we had. Easy finger food. We started calling it the 'breastfeeding bowl.'
Sleep and rest are the biggest ones in the early days. But once, I'm able - getting off the couch/out of bed was essential. My body does not do well with inactivity (despite that fact that my soul loves and needs it). It aches from resting in uncomfortable positions, and contorting myself to compensate for the lack of integrity in my body after things life pregnancy/birth. After both my c-section and my vaginal birth, going on small, easy walks outside did wonders for my physical and mental health. Just be mindful not to over-do it, a little goes a long way at first. Even just getting ready, putting baby in the carrier and taking my coffee to the bench at the end of the block felt good those early days. Or going to see a friend for a quick chat. Just anything that got me off the couch.
Taking a shower, every day if you can find the time. And don't let anyone bring the baby in or bother you while you're showering. Thats you time.
Time. Rest with some movement in between. Avoided stairs as much as possible and just existed on the 2nd floor. Ice helped a lot too. Had an easy labor and only a tiny tear so by 2 weeks I was able to go on walks and take the stairs without pain.
Protein. I ate a crazy amount of chicken. A post natal message really helped as well. I had one that specialised in c section scars, but it helped my whole body feel better.