IS POSTURE THERAPY RIGHT FOR YOU?
- Are you struggling to get pregnant and are worried your poor posture might be a contributing factor?
- Are you suffering from aches and pains during pregnancy and want to make your labor as quick and smooth as possible?
- Are you a new mom with aches and pains from trying to carrying/soothing your new born and breastfeeding in not-the-most-comfortable positions?
- Do you have more than one child and you feel like a jungle gym and think you have pain as a result
WE CAN HELP
Pete Egoscue's parting words to me on my last day as a therapist at Egoscue Headquarters were, "Courtney, do you plan on getting pregnant someday? If so, make sure you do your e-cise menus." This was the single most important piece of advice he felt he could leave a young female with. And I agree - working with clients since 2011 I've learned that our posture before, during, and after the pregnancy journey is that important. Our musculoskeletal system plays a big role in getting and staying pregnant, giving birth, and recovering afterwards. The more we align our body the easier all of the above become.
Take a look from the front and side views of your own posture or that of women you know and compare them to what our alignment should like below. Shoulders, hips, knees and ankles should line up from the front and side views with the head sitting directly on top of the spine. I’m guessing what you see is drastically different from the pictures below. A lot of you will see forward heads, rounded upper backs and shoulders, hips that sag forward and tip forwards or backwards and feet that point out like a duck. Women today just don’t get enough of, or the right kinds of motion that our hunter-gatherer ancestors did and this is impacting the way we carry and birth our babies.
If you’ve done any research on childbirth today I’m sure you’ll have noticed the alarming rate at which medical interventions have increased over the last 50 years. We believe that the misalignment of our body, especially the pelvis, is a contributing factor to not only difficult pregnancies and deliveries, but to infertility, miscarriage, premature birth and postpartum problems as well.
To illustrate one simple benefit proper alignment can add to pregnancy take that middle picture above – the side view – and add a big pregnant belly. The baby inside gets maximum space in the abdomen to grow, stretch, and move around. The mother’s organs (lungs, digestive organs, bladder, etc.) also get maximum space which is important as they already get somewhat compressed as the belly grows. Now picture a woman with that same pregnant belly with her feet turned out a like a duck, head forward, upper back rounded, and pelvis tipped backward. The baby inside, as well as all the organs, are getting squished. That lack of space and increased pressure not only impact the baby, but the woman’s respiratory, circulatory, digestive and urinary systems as well.
You can try imitating these these two different postures for yourself. Walk around with your feet pointed straight, your shoulder pinned gently down and back, belly relaxed, with a gentle arch in your back. Now turn your feet out, let your head go forward, your back round and pelvis tip backwards. How do each of those postures feel? Now imagine the extra weight of a pregnant belly out in front with each of those. I’m guessing you too would prefer the first one for the length of your pregnancy.
If you’re interested, contact me and we can take a look at your alignment and discuss how posture therapy can help you regain the musculoskeletal strength and structure that your body needs as you begin/continue your journey in motherhood.
If you want to learn more about how your posture can affect conception, pregnancy and labor let me know, or grab a copy of Pete Egoscue’s Pain Free for Women and check out Chapter 10, Birth Right.
Courtney offers In Person, Virtual Therapy (FaceTime/Skype/Google Hangouts), and Online Therapy as well as Group Classes. Contact her for more information on creating a group class for you and your friends. Group classes are available for Preconception, Prenatal 1st/2nd/3rd Trimesters, and the Postnatal 4th Trimester.