How Postpartum Physio Helped Me Get My Body Back
Nobody really prepares you for what your body goes through after having a baby. You expect the exhaustion, the late nights, the emotional rollercoaster - but what caught me off guard was just how much physical recovery was involved, and how long it actually took.
For me, it wasn't just one thing. It was back pain that would quit, pelvic floor issues I didn't fully understand until I was living with them, a tailbone that ached no matter how I saw, and the one that I didn't expect - an inflamed tendon in my wrist from, of all things, holding and carrying my baby constantly.
Physio has always been a part of my family's routine, so when things started piling up, going for physio wasn't a foreign idea to me. It felt like the natural next step, the same way it always has been for other aches and injuries in my family over the past few years.
The parts nobody talks about enough
Pregnancy and birth put your body through so much your core stretches and separates to make room for a growing baby, your pelvic floor absorbs the weight and pressure of carrying and delivering a child, and your posture shifts in ways you don't even notice until you're feeling the after-effects months later. Add in the repetitive strain of lifting, carrying, and feeding a newborn, it's no wonder so many of us end up dealing with pain we didn't expect.
Sadly, a lot of this gets normalised. "Of course your back hurts, you just had a baby.", "Pelvic floor issues are common after birth." and while that's technically true, common doesn't mean you have to be ok and just live with it.
What physio actually did for me
Going for physio wasn't a quick fix - it was a process. But it made a real difference:
- For my back and tailbone pain, physio helped me understand what was actually going on with my posture and movement patterns, and gave me exercises that gradually eased the pain instead of just masking it.
- For my pelvic floor issues, this was honestly the part I wish more people talked about openly. A proper assessment and guided exercises made a noticeable difference in things I didn't realise could even improve.
- For my wrist tendon inflammation, targeted treatment and small adjustments to how I was lifting and holding my baby made carrying her so much less painful.
None of this happened overnight. But having professionals guide me through recovery - rather than just pushing through on my own made the difference between managing pain indefinitely and actually healing.
Why I'm sharing this
If you're a new mom dealing with pain you've been told is "just part of it", please know you don't have to just tough it out. Postpartum recovery is real recovery, and your body deserves the same care and attention you're giving your baby.
If any of this sounds familiar, I'd genuinely recommend looking into postpartum physio. It made a real difference for me, and it might for you too.
If you are wondering or not sure where to start, you can check out Your Physio.
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