Sometimes, it seems like a monumental task to not only look after yourself but also nurture the needs of your growing baby and family.
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Some days, there aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish this.
Self-care during pregnancy seems to be the furthest thing from our minds.
On occasion, we learn the importance of it the hard way by facing an impending injury or dealing with an old one that rears its ugly head again.
The aim isn't to just stop, but to back off a little bit and tune into what your body is trying to tell you.
With hormonal changes to our bodies during pregnancy, we become a little stretchier: the hormone relaxin works to soften our ligaments to widen our pelvis for child birth. Relaxin softens all the joints in the body, making it important that we have strong, active muscles to keep our joints supported.
Exercising while pregnant is one of the best ways to deal with niggles and to prepare for labour and post-partum recovery.
There are other exercises that are safe.
While avoiding single leg loading activities, deep wide squats and crunch-style exercises, there are other exercises that are safe to do.
Arm and core exercises while sitting on a fitball, or lower body exercises in side lying are just the tip of the iceberg.
Exercising while lying on your side is an optimal position to work while not straining the pelvic floor muscles.
Recovery after the arrival of your little bub is different for all of us.
In the first six weeks after giving birth, your body is undergoing massive changes, and is trying to make a comeback to its pre-pregnancy state.
Your body now has high-energy needs from producing milk, and all this while you're barely getting two to three hours of sleep.
In this time, if you've managed to get to the mailbox and back, you're doing exceptionally well.
Even though our bodies are self-healers, don't take your recovery lightly.
If something doesn't feel right, get it checked out.
In the first six months, your physiotherapist can help you with re-training your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, and help you get stronger and fitter to meet your growing baby's needs.
Return to running and sport should not be taken lightly.
It is not OK to leak when you jump or run.
If this is happening, see a women's health physiotherapist.