How You Can Feel Like a Princess After Pregnancy

By Sara Butler

Have you seen the photos of the new prince born to Kate Middleton and Prince William? I noticed on my social media channels that Kate’s look, a mere eight hours after giving birth, was quite the story. Personally, I say bravo to her. I have had two children and can’t even imagine what I looked like eight hours after giving birth. I simply put my stretchy maternity sweatpants back on and hoped I didn’t run into anyone I knew for a few days … or a few months. Being in front of millions on international television? I can’t even imagine, nor do I want to. I regard it as a feat of immense strength and grace on her part and reinforces my opinion that women are pretty darned amazing.

But all this hullabaloo about her appearance brings up an important topic -- your body after baby. I refuse to sugarcoat this: although pregnancy is quite an amazing experience, it’s also pure physical agony. Even if you’re carrying a future monarch in your womb, you’re still going to experience back pain, swelling, headaches, and sleepless nights because you feel just like the princess and the pea. In this case, the pea is another human being the size of a bowling ball.

There’s one thing you have in your pregnant corner when dealing with the side effects of pregnancy and your journey to reclaim your body after you’ve given birth -- your chiropractor! Here are just a few of the ways the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic can help you during your postpartum days.

Speedy Recovery

Your body goes through a lot after giving birth. Many women simply accept pain as a part of the healing process and though a little pain is to be expected, it’s not a done deal. Chiropractic adjustments can help your body recover faster, helping your pelvis, hips, and spine to normalize so you may once again reign supreme. With the help of a chiropractor, postural issues you encountered as a byproduct of being pregnant can resolve and you can move forward with optimal health and proper posture.

Postural Issues

Unfortunately, postural issues aren’t only impacting you while pregnant. You’re now carrying around this little person constantly, feeding, holding, rocking, and cuddling them 24/7. Many women develop neck, shoulder, and back pain as a result. Plus, lifting that baby in and out of its car seat, crib, swing, and changing table can put a lot of stress and strain on the back. Let your chiropractor help you maintain optimal posture and avoid joint restriction and dysfunction.

Many mothers also carry their children on their hips, which can contribute to misalignments in the pelvis and back. If this type of posture isn’t corrected, then pelvic pain may stick around for a lot longer than necessary after giving birth.

Your Postpartum Body

Your body is considered postpartum for one full year after your little bundle of joy comes along. That means the hormones that allow your body to grow and expand during pregnancy can still have an impact on your joints and ligaments during this time.

Now that pregnancy is over, your ligaments simply don’t have the strength they once did. This can cause your pelvis to become unstable, can cause you difficulty getting around, and may cause you to feel fatigue. I mean, that little baby has something to do with the fact that coffee has become your new best friend, but they’re not the only reason. If your body isn’t functioning optimally, it can really take the wind out of your sails.

Work with your chiropractor to restore normal biomechanics so you can avoid problems in the future. After all, you want to be at your best as you’re caring for your newborn.

It’s understandable that your focus is on your baby in the days, weeks, and months after giving birth, but it’s important to make sure you’re caring for yourself too. You may not have a team of people whose only job it is to make you look great like Kate Middleton, but you do have your chiropractor on your side to help you reclaim your body and continue on a path of optimal health and wellness. In that way, I guess we can all feel like royals!

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.