Welcome to GrowCo – Post-Partum Rehab
Written by Dr. Madolyn Linka | March 19, 2021
To all the mothers who have babies, are planning on having babies and who’s babies are grown up – we at HPW have something amazing in store for you.
We have recently been working through a cohesive post-partum rehabilitation program for moms! We, as a team of healthcare professionals with a special interest in prenatal and perinatal care have always supported, encouraged and rehabilitated mothers navigating the 4th Trimester and beyond. There is currently no standardized of care for post-partum women. My colleague, Dr. Alli Cain, founder of GrowCo, compares it often to the cohesive assessment and treatment for an ankle sprain. Why do we know the steps to take when someone “athletically” injures themselves, but not know how to properly diagnose, assess and treat new moms who have undergone major physical, hormonal and emotional changes during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond? It seems a bit odd that there is this massive gap in the standard of care for women, but we are here to fill it!
The framework that GrowCo provides will allow us to thoroughly lead mamas through post-partum rehabilitation that is designed to work for and with their bodies after they give birth. Since the pandemic, one year ago, this cohort of new mother who are our patients, clients and community have felt isolated, alone and out of touch with the social connections that typically come from mommy groups, swimming lessons, exercise classes etc.
There are 3 items that make little logic in the current model of post-partum health:
1. “THAT pain, oh… that’s because you had kids.” For some reason we make excuses for what we are designed to do through in pregnancy and motherhood. Our bodies carrying our babies for 10 months before labouring and birthing them into the world. That is MAJOR athletic abilities, no matter what you do for exercise in your prenatal life, it is a marathon to bring a baby into this world. You are not supposed to continue to suffer with physical ailments, as you now raise your little person in the world. Your body has the innate ability to heal, under the right conditions and circumstances. MOTHERHOOD IS NOT A DIAGNOSIS. Let’s help moms find the proper care at the right time to empower her to be and feel the best every day.
2. “Your baby needs you 24/7, how are you taking time to go to… (that appointment, or do that activity etc.)?” I’m curious, WHEN did this happened in society… when did taking care of yourself become SELFISH? Taking care of mom is one of the most important and underrated pillars of motherhood for the betterment and long-term health of the entire family unit. Creating an opportunity for mom to dedicate time and energy to her physical, mental and emotional health in the post-partum period sets up healthy boundaries, routines and habits for the future of that mom and the family she surrounds herself with.
3. “You’ll always pee your pants a bit after having babies – welcome to the club!” Okay, let’s clear this up once and for all – THIS IS NOT NORMAL. FULL STOP. But it is common in varying degrees during the post-partum stage and can last longer if not properly addressed, diagnosed or treated. This is why it continues to be a common phrase that is thrown around at the brunch table on Sunday mornings with other moms. The two major types of incontinence mothers experience are urge & stress incontinence. Urge is when you feel like you have to pee all the time, and stress incontinence is when you step off a curb, start running or skipping and dribble or pee a little with that activity. Both of these types of incontinence are due to pressure on your pelvic floor over the course of your pregnancy or pregnancies, and/or due to methods of birthing your babies. Your pelvic floor goes through MEGA changes to accommodate the birth of your child – c-sections have the best pelvic floor outcomes, while episiotomies have the worst. All this means, is that there is a trajectory of possibilities to pelvic floor health and getting properly diagnosed by a pelvic floor therapist and then gaining the tools to properly and safely rehabilitate your body goes a long way to changing that breakfast table conversation, where peeing is not the “normal” outcome.
GrowCo aims to reduce the pain, discomfort and surgical interventions that come with mis or undiagnosed injuries from childbirth. We do this by raising the standard of care for post-partum women in our clinic and giving them the methods and safe ways to change this narrative. The pillars that the GrowCo methodology are founded on are: Breathwork, Postural Strengthening, Core & Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation, and Glute Strengthening.
Our goals are to increase core strength, decrease and resolve incontinence, prevent pelvic organ prolapse, improve posture, reduce and resolve aches and pain and empower women to take their rehab and post-partum journey into their own hands.
We are really looking forward to putting this rehabilitation program together for our community – stay tuned!
NOTE: Since this blog was published, we have launched our comprehensive GrowCo Postpartum Rehabilitation Series, and it is incredible!! Check it out and learn more HERE.
Dr. Madolyn Linka
Chiropractor, Acupuncture Provider, Yoga Instructor
