Myofascial Release to Help During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Pregnancy is both one of the most joyful times in a woman’s life and also one of the most stressful, especially on a body that is preparing too hold a newborn and then to let it go during labor. As miraculous as this process is, it’s also very hard on the body and due to the fragility of the fetus and infant; it’s much harder to deal with the pain and discomfort than it otherwise would be. Labor is especially painful for women and there’s not a lot that can be done without a lot of drugs. The postpartum period for many women, while being a time of joy, is also a time of stress and continued discomfort as the body tries to go back to normal. Again, it can be difficult to find a way to manage this between the demands of a newborn and exhaustion from the labor and the pregnancy. However, there is a natural and highly effective way of managing and even mitigating a lot of the discomfort of pregnancy, labor and postpartum and that is through myofascial release.Pregnancy has a profound effect on the body that causes discomfort while the body is readjusting to make way for the baby. This leads to things like back aches, ranging from mild to severe, headaches, cramping, and pelvic pain. A lot of this can be linked to the fact that the fascia in the body is being stretched and twisted in the process of pregnancy and it can be very hard to put it back to normal again without assistance. Just like the stretch marks that are the visible sign of changes, the fascia becomes stretched and distorted as well. Myofascial release allows the fascia to be put back to normal, thus getting rid of much of the pain and discomfort of pregnancy.
During labor, myofascial release can be a great and natural way for the mother to handle the pain and for the birth partner, spouse or otherwise, to be directly involved. Many clinics that do myofascial release for pregnant women are willing to teach the partner so that he or she can perform this for the laboring mother. Myofascial release relaxes the fascia made taut and twisted from the muscles contracting during labor and this helps manage the incredible pain that the woman is going through. By relaxing the muscles too, the labor can go by quicker and easier.
Postpartum is also a difficult part of a woman’s life. Although the labor is over, the mother exhausted, her muscles can be stretched and painful, and she is very hormonal. Myofascial release can help with this aspect of pregnancy as well. It is a relaxing, gentle tissue treatment that can ease sore, stretched muscles and help make the woman feel more rested and relaxed afterwards which helps her deal with sleep deprivation and raging hormones with greater ease.
If you or someone you know is pregnant or postpartum, consider myofascial release as a way to deal with some of the most uncomfortable parts of the process so that you can enjoy the rest of it.