It's OK to Still Be in Recovery Mode

"But 18 months after having a baby is still Postpartum."

Chrissy Teigen posted these words that a Pilates teacher had told her a year and a half after she birthed her son. Chrissy had walked into a class feeling unsure of her ability to get through it. She also wrote that when the teacher assured her that it was ok to still feel like she was in recovery mode, Chrissy wanted to kiss her. (haha, she’s great)

I was not the Pilates teacher who said these words to her, but it's definitely something I would say!

My son recently turned 18 months, and I still feel in recovery mode. I relate so much to that Chrissy post I read when I was pregnant. And what I relate to even more than the post itself is the judgement on one self. It seems like common knowledge (and something I now call a toxic timeline) that a person is fully healed and recovered by 18 months. In fact, don’t they say that it takes 9 months to complete a pregnancy and 9 months to recover?

Without even realizing, I bought into that timeline and felt shame when it ended up being so far from the truth.

I even started holding my abs in all day, which soon resulted in pelvic floor weakness and leaking around 10 months postpartum because I was putting too much pressure on my pelvic floor. Even more concerning was that I was putting too much pressure on myself.

So here is what I suggest, as a movement expert and a fellow Mama: know that your timeline is your own. These toxic timelines are HARMFUL and steeped in patriarchal ideals, not truths. Your recovery is not one to be shameful of.

In fact, recovering from birth is not something to bounce back from but rather grow from. I promise from the bottom of my heart that, through the 10 years I’ve supported postpartum clients, I’ve seen that you actually have the power to be the strongest you’ve ever been. This new strength is rooted in a knowing of who you are - physically and spiritually.

We have given birth and we are in a rite of passage. Despite the standard way people view the postpartum period, this is actually a phase of empowerment, one that deserves ample time + consideration.

If you’re looking for some guidance to help you on your recovery path, feel free to get in touch. As always, I’m here if you have any questions.