Daily movement patterns MATTER!
As a new mum, you will find yourself doing some movement patterns A LOT. These movement patterns include sitting to breast feed, picking up your baby from the ground, change table, from the pram and cot etc, carrying the baby and playing with your baby which can also involve holding them as you entertain them!! Although initially your baby may only be between 3-5kg, this can quickly feel alot heavier when we are holding the baby for long periods of time to settle it each day and they can quickly grow to a weight of double digits before the age of 12 months.
Relaxin is the hormone that is responsible for relaxing your joints during pregnancy to allow your body to accommodate the growing bump and to open up the pelvis to birth your baby. This hormone can remain in your body for up to 12 months after giving birth meaning that your joints are more mobile than normal. When we have poor posture habits performed frequently AND a mobile body, this can lead to muscle imbalances, pain, tension and injury.
We want to use this time the best we can to develop healthy movement patterns and posture to support our body during the healing process and to build a strong foundation on which we can carry out daily life activities as a mum and of course carrying our bub that will be getting heavier and heavier as it grows!!
You will be lifting your bub in and out of the car, pram, cot and up off the ground sometimes several times a day, each day for around 2 years or until they are big enough to do these themselves. Maintaining alignment of the spine is important to prevent injuries.
Below are some images of typical everyday movement patterns mummas do. We have a not so great posture/movement pattern (left image) and then the posture we are wanting to aim for each time we do these patterns of lifting and carrying our bubs. At fit4bub we like to train our mums to think of the analogy of “stacking your lego blocks” and by that we make, think of stacking your ribs over your hips. This helps to ensure a neutral spine alignment so that our back is safe and our trunk is in the best position to heal any abdominal separation.
Back is rounded vs keeping back flat by bending the knees more
Bending from the hips and loading lower back vs kneeling down to pick up the baby
Shifting body weight to one leg to hold the baby on the hip vs standing with weight evenly on both legs and holding the baby above the hip. Always try to change the side you hold the baby on to prevent muscle imbalances
Standing with hips pushing forwards vs standing with lego blocks “stacked” ribs over hips
Pushing hips forward putting load and pressure into the lower back vs standing in neutral alignment – ribs stacked over hips.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch should you have any questions or would like some more information about our personal training services 🙂
Happy mummy moves!
Kat 0403 687 461
