What programs are useful for postpartum recovery?

Pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation to solve pelvic floor problems such as urinary leakage and bloating, rectus abdominis separation repair to improve postpartum saggy potbelly, and postpartum posture adjustment to adjust the rounded shoulders, hunched back, and false hip width caused by pregnancy and childbirth. The rest of the amazing products on the market are probably IQ taxes to make money from anxiety.

To be honest, I have seen too many mothers being surrounded by salesmen from postpartum centers and maternity care institutions right after giving birth. My best friend gave birth to twins last year, and she was stuffed with several maternity care package leaflets right after she was delivered. She was told that her belly was big and her hips were wide, and that her husband would be disgusted if she didn't do pelvic repair. They also said that if she didn't do pelvic repair, she would suffer from uterine prolapse in old age. It was a bad job to deceive her. I ordered the 16,000 package. Fortunately, I went to a public postpartum rehabilitation department for the 42-day review. The doctor evaluated her and found that her pelvic floor muscle strength was only 52 points. Her rectus abdominis muscles were separated by two and a half fingers. The so-called hip width was not a pelvic shift at all. It was the weakness of the core during pregnancy that pulled the pelvis forward, and she had accumulated some fat, so there was no need to pinch the bones. Later, she did 12 times of pelvic floor muscle electrical stimulation and biofeedback training in the hospital, combined with 8 times of electrical stimulation of the rectus abdominis and manual relaxation. She did abdominal breathing when she got home. She had never done any exercises such as abdominal crunches and planks. She would go for a review in two months. The pelvic floor muscle score has reached 86, the rectus abdominis has returned to within one finger, the previous problem of urinary leakage when sneezing is completely gone, the belly has been mostly retracted, and the jeans I used to wear can be zipped up, and the money spent is less than one-third of the agency package.

Of course, some people say, why should I go to the hospital and spend this money? Wouldn’t it be great to practice Kegels at home? This is actually true. Another mother in the delivery room with me had a pelvic floor muscle score of 82 in the 42-day review. The rectus abdominis muscles were separated by less than a finger, and there was no discomfort from leakage of urine or swelling. The doctor directly asked her to go home and practice Kegels and blow candles to practice abdominal breathing. She persisted for three months, and her condition was better than many people who had received obstetric care. But not everyone is suitable for practicing on their own. When I browsed the group of mothers before, I saw a sister who followed an online tutorial to practice Kegels blindly. She used the wrong force and over-strained the pelvic floor muscles. They were only slightly relaxed at first. In the end, she had pain in the vagina and lower abdominal distension. She went to the hospital and did relaxation training for almost a month before she recovered.

There is also the most controversial pelvic repair, which cannot be said to be completely useless. If your pubic symphysis is separated by more than 2 centimeters after giving birth, and it hurts so much that you can't even walk or turn over, you really need to follow the doctor's instructions for corresponding fixation and rehabilitation training. However, 99% of the "wide hips" and "big butt" that mothers have after giving birth are not pubic symphysis separation at all, but are either fat accumulation or nuclear disease. For postural problems caused by heart weakness, institutions that press your bones and clamp your crotch with instruments are not only useless, but may also press the pubic symphysis, which is already slowly healing, even looser. In severe cases, it can also cause pelvic congestion and ligament damage. There is a mother next to me who suffered from pain for half a month after being pressed by the institution. When she went to the hospital for examination, she found that the separation of the pubic symphysis was even more serious.

As for full-month sweating, ovarian care, and breast shaping that can enlarge breasts and expel residual milk with just a few rubs, you really don’t want to touch it. My sister from a relative’s family spent more than 8,000 yuan on ten full-month sweats. She fainted in the institution after the fourth time. She was originally weak in energy and blood after giving birth, and sweating so much can easily lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The ovaries are hidden deep in the pelvis, and you can’t touch them with just a few rubs. Removing residual milk is a tax on your IQ. Regular doctors will never let you do this.

To be honest, postpartum recovery is really not that complicated. If you are not sure what to do, wait for the 42-day review and ask the doctor to give you a comprehensive assessment. If you need intervention, follow the doctor's advice. If not, practice slowly at home. Don't be fooled by those marketing words that "if you miss the golden period, you will never recover for the rest of your life." Your own body has a strong repair ability, and all the projects we do are just to help it go more smoothly.