C-Section Recovery: A Return to Play Protocol for New Moms
- Yazmin Gutierrez
- Oct 16, 2024
- 2 min read
As a fellow C-section mom, former D1 athlete, and Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist, I often draw parallels between sports recovery and the journey many women experience after a C-section. Just like an athlete returning to their sport after injury, recovering from a C-section requires a thoughtful, phased approach to ensure both physical and emotional well-being. Here’s how you can navigate this unique recovery process.
Phase 1: Immediate Post-Op (Days 1-14)
Focus: Rest and basic mobility.
Gentle Bed Mobility: Practice moving from lying to sitting and vice versa. Use your arms to help push up and roll to your side before sitting up.
Short Walks: If cleared by your healthcare provider, take brief walks around your room or home. Aim for 5-10 minutes, focusing on slow, steady movement.
Deep Breathing: Engage in deep diaphragmatic breathing to promote relaxation and facilitate circulation.
Phase 2: Early Recovery (Days 14-28)
Focus: Gradual increase in movement and core awareness.
Seated Marching: While sitting, lift your knees gently as if marching in place. This helps activate your hip flexors without straining your abdomen.
Pelvic Tilts: Lying on your back (with knees bent), gently rock your pelvis back and forth. This can help alleviate discomfort and improve pelvic mobility.
Side-Lying Leg Lifts: Lying on your side, lift your top leg gently to work on hip stability and strength. Ensure it feels comfortable and doesn’t strain your incision.
Phase 3: Core Activation (Weeks 4-8)
Focus: Reinforcing core stability and increasing mobility.
Heel Slides: While lying on your back, slide one heel toward your buttocks and then back out. Alternate legs, focusing on engaging your core.
Modified Cat-Cow: On hands and knees, gently arch and round your back to promote spinal flexibility and engage your core muscles.
Scar Mobilization: If cleared by your physican, you can start desensitizing your scar by gently touching around the scar.
Phase 4: Strengthening and Functional Movements (Weeks 8-12)
Focus: Building strength and preparing for daily activities.
Bridges: Lying on your back with knees bent, lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes. This strengthens the posterior chain and engages your core.
Core Engagment: Start to progress to more difficult abdomenal engagement.
Scar Mobilization: With guidance from a professional, start scar mobilization.
Phase 5: Return to Full Activity (3+ Months)
Focus: Reintegrating higher-impact activities.
Dynamic Movements: Incorporate exercises like lunges or gentle jumping, as long as they feel comfortable and you have the clearance from your healthcare provider.
Core and Pelvic Floor Work: Continue exercises focusing on the core and pelvic floor to ensure ongoing stability and strength. This can include planks, side-lying leg lifts, and Kegel exercises.
Scar Mobilization: If cleared by a physican, you may start deep scar tissue massaging at this point or even cupping.
Comments