We all experience it, mother or not, poor posture. Ever just walk around or sit in a chair and think to yourself “Gee I feel like the hunchback of Notre Dame”? It happens. Naturally gravity pulls the front of our body forward. Also back to cavemen days, humans would hunch forward to protect their internal organs from predators, LOL I know bonkers. Motherhood is no exception for these changes in posture to occur. Fact of the matter, posture matters heavily for everyBODY. The way you carry your body impacts what you look like on the outside but more importantly the inside. Like organs and fascia and fun stuff like that. I won’t bore you with the details of that, just know it’s essential to be “mindful” of your posture, you’ll thank me later gator. 

Pregnancy and Postures

Even early on in pregnancy, heck during ovulation, you may notice you carry your body differently. Whether you already feel aches and pain or this protective instinct to shield your bitty bebe away from the harsh world.  Some people carry this weight in their low back, some in their shoulders, others in their elvis pelvis. A common pregnancy posture is tucking our butts in order to accommodate for a growing belly pushing forward. SO early on in pregnancy, step in front of a floor length mirror and take notice of your posture. Pull your shoulder blade back, stack your shoulders over your hips, and bring your ribs to a neutral spot. Ask yourself, am I breathing? Am I clenching any muscles? Am I dumping into my back or popping over into one side or the other? Carrying a toddler around and popping them on one hip? ALLLLLL of this is something to consider.

Postnatal and Postures

Ah the joys of early on postnatal period or the fourth trimester into the first years of bebe’s life. We just carried a monster in our body that hosted BIG changes anatomically to bones and muscles to now picking up a small sack of potatoes that grows into a chubby wiggling toddler. Our bodies aren’t necessarily equipped to handle these different positions we are in for longer periods of time including: feeding baby (breastfeeding and bottle), constantly staring at the baby (are they still breathing?!?), laying on the floor during bebe tummy time, carrying that god-forsaken heavy pumpkin car seat all over, you name it we are throwing our bodies into these atypical positions that takes a toll on our bodies. BUT setting ourselves up with a decent postural stance will help us in the long run! Just as above, get in front of a mirror and take notice of your alignment ask all of those lovely questions above. With the focus on stacking your shoulders over your hips and avoiding dumping into one side or the other or your low back. Analyze what you could change. Pro tip: baby wearing can be a game changer with posture, as long as you find the right baby carrier for you and bebe (not all are created equally). 

Here’s some pics for referencing! 

The good ole side popping hip to lay that baby or toddler on your “shelf” is asking for low back pain or hips hiked to the side. 

Or this next one, holding baby in front and dumping completely into your low back, OUCH Ma! 

See the pics below, try and stack your shoulders over your hips and untuck your tailbone. It’s HARD. See how the pic on the right my shoulders aren’t perfectly stacked? Ceci bug is surprisingly heavy and my postnatal core needs work. Just something to *think* about mamas.

Seeing a pelvic floor therapist has been the number 1 recommendation I have made to anyone and everyone. 

Love and Light,

Becca