I have worked as a specialist in the pre and postnatal exercise field for 18 years and during that time I have heard more birth stories than most. I have trained thousands of women prenatally and postnatally and I do so for a multitude of reasons that go far beyond their usual ‘fitness goals’.
When I first became pregnant in 2003, there was very little information about exercise in pregnancy and beyond. As a sports scientist I took it upon myself to find out all there was to know.
Over the last 18 years, I have developed training and knowledge for fitness trainers and physiotherapists, as well as for pregnant and postnatal women. I have trained groups, advised on motherhood for big companies and trained celebrity mothers from Lorraine Kelly to Kimberly Wyatt.
Since then, I’ve even created specialist pre and post-natal workouts available exclusively on community wellness and fitness app, TRUCONNECT by TV.FIT – but whoever you are, whether you’re male, female, mother, or not, there are facts surrounding motherhood that we all need to know, not least of all, just how powerful mothers are.
Birth is the most incredible, physical endurance event that goes beyond any other. Research now shows that giving birth is physically more demanding than even an ultra-marathon… but nobody ever tells you that!
For every woman out there who has given birth, do not underestimate how strong you are - that goes for any birth, whether it was vaginally or through c-section. After two hours or two days in labour, it doesn’t matter – you did it.
Yes, it's what our bodies are designed to do, but again, nobody really tells you that and nobody really instills any confidence in you to be able to do that. The fragility that surrounds pregnancy and birth puts so many women in a state of fear and the last year, in lockdown, has made it far worse. One of the beautiful Mums I know said she had to endure four hours of labour on her own because her partner wasn't allowed in the birthing suite - all she had was my voice in her head going through one of our birthing meditations to help her through.
The lack of awareness around many aspects of birth, confidence in ourselves and fear that surrounds us also means coming out the other side, whatever the medical interventions you did or didn't have, is a wholly daunting experience. The usual birth prep classes never really prepare you for what birth and becoming a mother really is - a mix of emphasised emotions, heightened hormone responses, physical endeavors, huge physical changes and a brand-new job for which you really haven't had any training, which is 24/7 and for the rest of your life!
There are of course wonderful aspects and everyone will have that cute baby picture that they send out to everyone with big smiles all round, and most of the time those smiles are genuine. But there are also so many things happening to women behind the smiles, things for which women need support. So much care is centred around the baby and this is how we have been conditioned to behave, which means we forget to look after ourselves.
This is also one of the reasons why everyone around a mother is important too - because one of the hardest things, when you are a new mum, is to reach out for support. In the last year women haven't had the usual support mechanisms of grandparents and other family members, and this has had huge consequences. Mental health issues surrounding postnatal care have risen - studies on rates of postnatal depression vary from 7% - 25% - that’s up to a quarter of women after childbirth suffering from serious mental health issues that can continue on for years and years. Given the last year, I expect to see this statistic sadly rise dramatically, and it’s why it is so important for us to all be aware and know how to support postnatal women.
Our recovery post birth is so individual and there is no way of preparing for how long the fourth trimester period will be. Look upon it as the time you take to adjust physically and psychologically to being a new mum - there really is no time limit on that one! In general, we see it as the time before resuming ‘normal’ duties, whether that's going back to work from maternity leave or resuming more normal activity, be it going to the gym or generally ramping back up to full speed ahead as you did before.
All the facts about the fourth trimester that we are never told, just knowing about them beforehand can mean you are far better prepared. This preparation can and should start well before you are pregnant…
The five things every Mum should be told:
Your birth experience
It is totally underestimated how traumatic birth can actually be and I don’t think we should shy away from that. More and more it's being recognised that many women have PTSD post giving birth. I have heard stories from five-day labours to emergency procedures where you or your baby’s life is at risk, pints and pints of blood being lost, babies being stuck, to being flown in a helicopter because the hospital you are in doesn't have the capacity to help a woman in labour with twins! Birth preparation needs to be in place for every eventuality, but also recognise that being calm and in control can go a long way to helping you have a better birth experience.
When you give birth, in whatever way, your body literally shifts structurally - bones move out of the way - organs get displaced and somehow, post birth, they are expected to all come back together again. We should be having conversations to help women understand that this is completely normal, and to help them prepare.
Your pelvic floor
New guidelines on pelvic floor health have recently been published which state that pelvic floor health should be taught in schools to 12-15-year-olds. I’d go one step further and say let's teach boys too!
Your pelvic floor muscles and your pelvis during pregnancy is going to take the brunt of all that immense pressure you carry during birth. This is why one in two women post birth have incontinence issues, and pelvic floor dysfunction can include a number of serious conditions that can affect you for the rest of your life. It’s time to make sure we educate from childhood through to parenthood in helping women understand the options available to them.
Your hips and back
Many women suffer huge hip and back pain during and after childbirth. If we were all taught to strengthen our core muscles and learned how to use them correctly and with good posture during pregnancy, then a lot of this pain could be diminished.
Being a mum is hard work - you are caring for and carrying your baby 24/7, have disturbed sleep, and are constantly bending to pick up in positions that are not good for your back health. This puts even more pressure onto an already stressed body - it's a wonder we actually can do as much as we do, and we must ensure we are giving women the tools to understand and combat postnatal pain.
Your tummy
Your abdominal area has been stretched and pulled and for anyone birthing through c-section, also cut. Again, there are both psychological and physiological concerns here. Society has been really hard on women for far too long, telling us we all need to have a flat stomach that looks like something on the front cover of a fitness magazine.
For me, the focus should be on recognising exercise as a way to re-gain strength, and exercises focused on gaining strength in your stomach will rid you of back pain, enabling you to be stronger as a mother – they’re also key to being able to return to more vigorous exercise later on.
Your hormones
During pregnancy and the postnatal period your hormones go on the biggest rollercoaster. This plays havoc on us both emotionally and physically. The two big pregnancy hormones estrogen and progesterone, which rise up exponentially during pregnancy then drop out once you’ve given birth. This puts us in hormone deficit and the change is so dramatic, it's no wonder we all suffer mentally.
The term ‘Baby Blues’, is not postnatal depression but a short period of gloom that affects 75% of us after childbirth. It happens very soon after birth that usually only lasts for a few days. If this happens, it’s important to know that you are not alone – being aware of it is important so you can be prepared with the right support around you.
Jane Wake’s ‘MummaFit’, ‘MummaFit To Be’ & ‘Mummahood’ programmes are available exclusively on community wellness and fitness app, TRUCONNECT by TV.FIT. To find out more, visit www.truconnect.fitor @fitness on Instagram. Jane is on Instagram @JaneWakeUK