Mom Life
Hello beautiful people. I decided, as my first blog post EVER, i would get everything out on the table about myself, so that down the line, what I am about to candidly reveal to you, will be buried under much cooler, less embarrassing topics. I am hoping that this blog can be a go-to source for information, for dialogue, and a safe space to talk about the beauties and the “beasts” of motherhood, fitness struggles, and overall health and wellness.
My name is Arienne. I am a 29 year old, first time mother, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and fitness enthusiast. A few months ago, I quit my comfortable job in an outpatient orthopedic setting, working with olympic and professional athletes… because working full time (and beyond) and then coming home to my baby, already asleep in bed, was not the life that I wanted. I was missing too many milestones, and lets face it… All this “stuff” only happens once.
I have now taken a part-time per diem role, still working with athletes, and have started taking private clients on my own (hooray to being your own boss!). In doing so, I have met a barrage of women and moms, much like myself, that have questions, concerns, and stories about how their bodies have changed since bearing children.
I am here to tell you that you are not alone!
Let me just get the most embarrassing confession out of the way first.
Confession # 1: My daughter is almost 14 months old, and I STILL pee my pants from time to time. (*insert palm to face here*). I AM A PHYSICAL THERAPIST. I DID KEGEL EXERCISES MY ENTIRE PREGNANCY. WHY IS THIS STILL HAPPENING!? Guess what, ladies? If this is happening to you too, you are normal! (please, someone validate me, and tell me you are still dealing with this too!). Everybody told me (except, maybe my mother) that as long as I did kegel’s, I would be just fine. My physical therapy courses talked about pelvic floor strengthening and women’s health. I did my homework. When my daughter was 2 months, I was ok with it, knowing my body hadn’t fully recovered. Since I have started working out again, and focusing more on my inner core strength, I have noticed considerable improvements, but lets be honest, how many of the baby books, mother friends, and women at the grocery store, told you what you REALLY might be up against post-baby?
Confession # 2: What are abs? How do I “turn them on”? Not to toot my own horn, but I was the queen of six packs pre-baby. I used to get flustered when I would ask a patient to engage their core and they couldn’t. It was such an easy concept for me, UNTIL I HAD A BABY. For at least the first six months, I would stare at my stomach, willing it to “flex”, and it would just stay where it was. I had to re-learn my body, and start working at the very things that used to come so naturally to me.
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My goal, is to be able to help as many women as possible, face the challenges of having a body, that after all these years, feels like a stranger.
So, please, tell me your stories, give me ideas, let me know what it is that you want to talk about, discuss, and learn about, so that together, we can help each other navigate the sometimes stormy waters of motherhood.
When is it really safe to start working the abs again? What are some exercises I can do to begin this process again without hurting myself. I am almost 9 months post partum and have started working out again at 8 weeks post partum but didn’t do anything to single out my abs. I just tried to engage them in my typical workouts . I have lost all my baby weight but still have my mama pooch.Another are I would love to work on is my chest. I have now nursed 2 babies and would love to be a little more perky instead of having pancakes! ?By the way, I love that you are doing this! You and your baby are both beautiful! ?
Thank you! You’re so sweet!Did you have C-section or natural for either? If you had a natural birth, you can start working out (reasonably speaking) around 6 weeks PP, depending on your recovery and how YOU feel… C section you want to wait a bit longer because the way they make the incision is more discreet, but also compromises many of your abdominal muscles, so you’d need more time for tissue healingAs for exercises, at this point, you can do exercises to single out your core, as well as continue to do exercises that incorporate it. (And really, most exercises, whether a squat or deadlift, or an overhead press, should engage our core, since that is the connecting mechanism of upper and lower body, and allows us to generate more tension and therefore more force). Try planking, sideplanking, and progress to single arm planks with a wide base of support,.. also farmer carries (single arm) were huge for me to create self awareness about where my imbalances were.I plan on posting a segment on exercise variations, with videos to help explain, so I’ll keep you in the loop when I publish! :-*
First, I wanna say thanks! I’m excited to see what this page will become!Second, my question:I’m not concerned with having my “pre-baby body” per say… while I lost the weight in terms of numbers on the scale pretty quickly (thank you breastfeeding) my body composition is very different these days. I may focus on the aesthetics again at some point, but right now I would settle for being back pain free again! With toting the little one around and also changing careers and being on my feet more, the lower back pain can be kind of crazy. 4 months post partum, c-section. Is it likely from my compromised core? Any thoughts? Thanks!
Thanks Val! I am excited to see what it becomes too!As for your question, YES! Your core can be compromised regardless of whether you have a natural birth or a C-section, but when you have a C-section (especially nowadays because they make the incision horizontal so that it is more easily hidden) you are cutting through important core musculature (rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, sometimes even iliopsoas and internal/external obliques).Both our back muscles and our core muscles support our spine, and when our spine is not adequately supported by these dynamic muscles, It not only changes the way we move and the muscles we activate, but it also creates instability, changes the way that the spine absorbs forces (sitting, standing, walking, running) and ultimately, causes pain (and even injury). While aesthetics may not be your primary goal, working on exercises to regain strength and support from those muscles, will help you to go through pain free movements and activities. ?I plan on doing a few different segments on back pain, core strengthening and helpful exercises in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled!