Hey readers! I hope you enjoyed my at home mat workout in the last issue and got some good use out of it! This issue I wanted to shift the focus to cesarean awareness. It’s important we bring attention to this topic and how it effects postpartum recovery, pelvic floor health, and overall fitness for many mothers.
According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists nearly 1 in 3 women give birth via cesarean in the United States. A medical grading website by The Leapfrog Group has an article on cesarean rates in the United States, https://www.leapfroggroup.org/ratings-reports/rate-c-sections.
When I’m working with my doula and postpartum clients who are recovering from cesareans, I always recommend waiting the full 6 weeks postpartum until receiving the green light from their physicians before beginning an exercise program. During our first lesson together we talk about recovery goals, and an important daily self care practice they can implement: cesarean scar tissue massage.
These two videos will break down examples of scar tissue massage you can preform on yourself for 5 minutes each day.
As always, make sure you are checking with your healthcare provider before attempting this at home.
1. Hold the pads of two or three fingers together. Your fingers should be slightly arched.
2. Stretch the skin by moving your fingers up and down around the entire incision.
3. Repeat step 2 by stretching side to side and clockwise/counterclockwise.
4. Massage completely around the scar repeating each movement 5-10 times.
