Written by: Jen Landry, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Women are strong, powerful, and smart. This is tenfold when we have children. So why do women wear bandaids instead of really living in their strength when it comes to our health and wellness? For those of you reading this who just gave me a giant eye roll, hear me out.
Being pregnant, giving birth (vaginally or via c-section), and living postpartum can be very hard on a woman’s body. It causes a lot of physical, mental, and personal changes. During pregnancy, your posture changes, muscles move and change, ligaments get lax, and the pressure inside your system is different. Giving birth can be emotional, difficult, dangerous, and wreak havoc on the pelvic floor and vagina. Then after the baby arrives, there are the emotional and physical challenges that come with that. These changes are much more widely known, however, we are not given the tools to deal with them properly. This is when we insert the bandaids.
Women are not taught to control their internal pressure or core during pregnancy, instead, they are given pregnancy belts. Bandaid.
Women are not taught better ways to give birth and are not provided proper breathing techniques during labor. They are given stirrups. Good for providers, not mothers. Bandaid.
Women are not taught how to bring their posture, core, and pelvic floor back to proper homeostasis after pregnancy and birth. Instead, they are given pads, and period underwear, and told to avoid jumping. Bandaid.
I am here to tell you that if you are taught good posture and body mechanics during pregnancy, quality ways to labor (FOR YOU), and what it takes to start recovering after you bring your baby home, then you can rip the bandaid off and never use them again.
Life does not have to be lived by constantly changing bandaids or moving from one to the other. Instead, it should be lived learning to adjust for each phase of life. Even if you never have kids, this is true too.
Stop giving into the back pain or hip pain while pregnant because it is just “part of being pregnant”. Drop the waist belts for good, use your muscles the way they are intended instead.
Stop laboring on your back just because it is easier for your doctor, take control of your birth.
Stop wearing pads or period underwear to the gym so you can jump rope with everyone. Instead, work on having the strongest core and pelvic floor in the room so you can jump rope with everyone.
Stop worrying about not being able to find time or motivation to work out. All of these “bandaids” can be removed with a few simple exercises and movements a day. Exercises that can be done with your kids, around your family, watching tv, relaxing at home, or driving in the car. It can be optimized by including the exercises in a workout and learning to lift properly in each phase, but it is not necessary to make changes
Find a pelvic floor therapist that can help assess your pelvic floor and do an internal exam. Continue to work with them to get your pelvic floor back on track. Then find a qualified personal trainer to help you learn the right techniques and walk through proper workouts or exercises. By starting with a Pelvic Floor therapist, you will have an amazing understanding of how to use and control your pelvic floor. This will allow you to be more prepared and ready for workouts with a trainer.
Women’s health is changing and the conversations around it are changing. It’s time we change too. It is time to remove the bandaids and step into our own power. Leave the period panties behind ladies and enjoy life again!
Jen Landry, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jen Landry is a leader in functional fitness. She specializes in pregnant, postpartum, and everyday women. As a mother of two little girls and two pregnancies that left Jen feeling weak, broken, and in need of answers, she discovered the Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Certification. Obtaining this certification changed the way Jen looked at pregnancy and postpartum fitness as well as female health in general. It ignited a fire to help as many women as possible, so they could avoid what Jen experienced. She is the CEO and Owner of Moms Fit Life. Her Mission: Teach Moms they can trust their bodies again and rock mom life with confidence!
