This time of year I find myself tossing fresh herbs into practically everything I make. Whether it’s basil, oregano, or parsley, it finds its way into my meals. That’s where this snap pea salad comes in. It embraces the abundance of fresh mint and packs it into a salad that’s equal parts bright and refreshing. Added to the mix are radishes for peppery crunch and balls of fresh, milky mozzarella to bulk things up and make it even more exciting to dig into.
C-section births are extremely common in many developed countries. In fact, in 2015, 32 percent of babies in the United States were born via Cesarean delivery [1]. This accounts for well over a million births.
What is astounding about this fact is that, in the majority of cases, moms are only given minimal information about the procedure or how to recover optimally from it.
This comes to the detriment of many moms. Moms are often left wondering how to care for their body, how to return to exercise, and, unfortunately, assume many of their post-surgery aches and pains are normal.
Let’s bust three myths about C-sections that can potentially cause harm to moms.
Myth 1: You Cannot Perform Any Exercise for at Least Six Weeks Following a C-Section
I couldn’t disagree more with this statement. In fact, I think it will help most women’s recovery process to begin gentle stretches and basic exercises in the early weeks after surgery.
Unfortunately, most C-section mamas are left to their own devices when it comes to seeking out quality rehab information after their procedure. This is particularly frustrating as it typically isn’t the case with patients recovering from other types of surgery.
Case in point: my grandmother recently underwent major knee surgery, and was not only seen by the physiotherapist in the hospital soon after the procedure, but was also referred to see a physiotherapist three times a week, and given specific daily exercises to perform at home.
As a general rule, starting around the two- to three-week postpartum mark — or whenever the mom feels comfortable enough to lie flat on the back and in the side-lying position — I recommend my clients begin doing a mini circuit of gentle bodyweight exercises for five to 10 minutes, most days of the week.
The exercises included in this circuit should focus on breathing, stretching, as well as activating the glutes, pelvic floor, and deep abdominal muscles. They will also help retrain the body for good alignment and posture. This is very beneficial after such an intense surgery, not only for the physical body function, but also for mental and emotional health.
When performing any exercise in the weeks and months after a C-section, do be cautious and avoid unnecessary moderate and heavy lifting in the early weeks (and even months) after the procedure. My general advice is that, whenever possible, you avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby for the first six weeks postpartum. You don’t want to overexert yourself, and shouldn’t perform anything more strenuous than daily household work. Remember that you underwent a serious abdominal surgery, and therefore should remain on the safe side while your incision is healing. Of course, if you have other children at home or need to carry the groceries in from the car, you’re going to have to lift heavier objects than your baby. Ensure you do so with good alignment and by using supportive breathing techniques.
Cue yourself to “exhale on exertion”, meaning that you begin your exhale right before you lift and continue exhaling throughout your lift. As you lift the load, you can do a kegel action with your pelvic floor, in which you try to scoop the pelvic floor muscles upward.
More specific stretches and exercises can be seen here:
Myth 2: My Pelvic Floor Is Fine Since I Didn’t Have a Vaginal Birth
If you did not birth your baby vaginally, this doesn’t automatically mean that the pelvic floor will not require any re-training of its muscle function. Pregnancy is no joke; it causes stress on the body, regardless of how “easy’ your pregnancy was and how your birth occurred.
Carrying a baby through pregnancy can result in pelvic floor muscle weakness or excessive tension or tightness in your pelvic floor muscles. Both weakness and high tension in the pelvic floor can cause issues such as incontinence, pelvic pain, frequent urination, or low back pain.
Plus, the downward pressure of your baby on your pelvic floor muscles can stretch muscles and their connective tissues, leaving them more lax than normal. Additionally, pregnancy and postpartum hormones in and of themselves will cause the connective tissues of the body to soften, which can affect the strength or speed of the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles.
Although the risks of some types of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction may be more likely in women who gave birth vaginally rather than through a C-section, this does not mean that women who had C-sections will not experience incontinence, and in fact, research shows that, “Caesarean delivery is not associated with a significant reduction in long term pelvic floor morbidity compared with spontaneous vaginal delivery [2].”
If you are experiencing any leaking or feeling like you are having difficulty or discomfort with bathroom trips, be sure to see a pelvic floor physiotherapist. Most moms can really benefit from some attention and re-training type exercises that focus on pelvic floor function.
Moreover, the incision healing process itself from a C-section can potentially affect the pelvic floor function. One way this often shows up for people is during intercourse. Many moms will report pain, burning, or stinging in the lower abdomen with vaginal penetration or clitoral stimulation.
This can be a product of the healing C-section scar, as scar tissue is laid down and adhesions to tissues in the abdominal wall are created. Once your scar is healing well (a month to six weeks postpartum), be sure to begin some gentle massage work around and over your scar, in order to maintain good blood flow to the area.
Myth 3: C-Sections Are a Failed Birth
NO! NO! NO!
There are so many equally wonderful ways to birth a baby, and this includes C-sections.
Emergency, scheduled, a few minutes of labor or many hours of labor preceding your C-section — it’s all good. C-section is giving birth. You gave birth. You have every reason to be proud of your accomplishment.
Try to avoid “birth boxing” yourself, i.e. believing that one type of birth is the best and only way to successfully give birth. There is nothing better or worse about an unmedicated vaginal birth at home, compared to a scheduled C-section. Furthermore, as C-sections can often occur in emergency circumstances, they can be coupled with a lot of difficult-to-process emotions.
Birth is unpredictable, raw, and uncontrollable. Yes, you can plan, prepare, and have preferences, but babies are born how they need to be born. I highly recommend speaking with a therapist, counselor, or coach that works with traumatic birth experiences if you’re finding yourself having difficulty processing your birth.
Do allow yourself to feel whatever you need to feel mentally and emotionally after your birth. It’s OK to be disappointed, confused, or left wondering why things happened the way they did. However, don’t think for one second that you did something wrong, or that your body let you down. You did amazing and your body did exactly what it was supposed to do.
Birth is birth is birth. There are different ways to birth babies, just as there are different ways to have a body!
Reference
Joyce A. Martin, M.P.H, Brady E. Hamilton, Ph. D., and Michelle J.K. Osterman, M.H.S, Births in the United States 2015. NCHS Data Brief, No. 258, September 2016.
The other day, our entire staff was laughing at a tweet that someone forwarded from Simon Holland: “We keep a potato masher in a drawer because sometimes it’s fun to not be able to open that drawer.” It’s funny because it’s true. We all admitted to having a drawer (or three) like that in our kitchens.
Whether it’s a potato masher, a bunch of Tupperware lids, or just a jumble of nonsense, there’s almost always something junking up a drawer. That’s why we rounded up these impressively organized drawers. Let’s all use them as inspiration — and maybe consider relocating our potato mashers.
It’s hard to dispute the fact that banana muffins are irresistible all on their own. They hardly need a helping hand, but you should give them one anyway. When you stir a handful of chocolate chips into the batter and top each muffin with lots of buttery, cinnamon-spiced crumb topping, you’ll pull a pan of banana crumb muffins from the oven that rival anything you’d buy at the bakery.
Happy Taco Tuesday! If you’ve been making the same tacos every week, it’s time to switch things up. Worried about trying out a new recipe on a busy weeknight? Don’t be. These easy chicken tacos only take 20 minutes to prepare.
I’m no stranger to testing the TSA’s boundaries when traveling with food. You’re talking to the girl who figured out how to pack hard-boiled eggs on ice to eat at the gate. I thought I took the title for Over-the-Top Airport Food Packer … until I was at a party a month ago and someone mentioned bringing a salad kit on board for dinner. She said she’d pour the dressing right into the bag and eat it in her seat — just like a Frito Pie.
The kidneys are arguably the unsung heroes of the human body. While other high flying organs and muscles like the brain, liver and heart bask in the attention of the health and medical world, the kidneys are hard at work keeping you alive. It’s a decidedly unglamorous job. Their role is to filter out all […]
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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Warrior Fit Testimonials
First, I want to say thank you for convincing me to do Tabata! I was struggling to lose weight and Finally I found something that helped! I really appreciate your coaching! - Craig T.
Ever since I was convinced to do Tabata I have seen huge results, I lost 6 pounds and gained energy in the first 3 weeks. I have been working out for 3 months before I decided to do Tabata and I struggled to lose weight.
At first I thought "How am I losing weight by bringing my heart rate up then cooling down then bringing it up again?" I don’t know how it works but it does!
Thank you!! - Theresa F.
The first day of Tabata, I wondered WHAT AM I DOING - I AM 56 !! Five weeks later I knew that it was what I needed. I learned that I could push myself well beyond my comfort zone and feel good later. I have a marked improvement in physical as well as emotional endurance. - Lyn C.
When I was first told about Tabata I was very excited from the word go, however that excitement stemmed from the fact that I had no clue what it meant. I missed the first week of class b/c I was traveling for work so when I came in during the 2nd week I had some making it up to do.
It was hard at first b/c my body wasn't used to working out at such a fast pace, but once I got into a rhythm I started to feel very good. These classes are no joke. If you stick with it you will leave there feeling stronger, healthier and overall better about yourself and what you've accomplished.
I would recommend these classes to anyone. Darrin is a great trainer and he'll keep you going with his energy.
- Jami L.
Warriors Fit Audio
Warrior Fit uses High Intensity Music to get ya Moooovin' So we can all "Get Our Sweat On"
The link below will give ya a freeee shot at Audible plus a couple audio books just to try it out and if you haven't used audio books on your commutes you are missing out. Get pumped up before you get to where you are going and exercise your mind. I use it Everyday. Go get yours now!
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
Book your class NOW!
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Carrie 'n Crew a Hoppin
