Our post-partum nutritional consulting and testing is an extension of work done during our pregnancy nutritional consulting and testing. If you did not use our services during pregnancy, we suggest reading through it to gather more important pregnancy-related information. Our goal through this program is to recharge your battery nutritionally in order to maximize physical recovery.
Click on any item below to learn more about Post-Partum Nutritional, Consulting, Testing, and Rehab.
If you had labs performed during pregnancy, that is wonderful. There are obvious differences physically during and after pregnancy, and, similarly, there can be differences with lab findings as well. We may or may not run various labs based on how you are feeling and your desires.
A major difference between during and post pregnancy can be mineral deficiencies. A specific element or mineral to note – copper – can be drastically depleted in you after pregnancy. Copper is a critical mineral which helps regulate oxygen correctly within the body. During the last two months of pregnancy, a baby will drain this important mineral to help itself grow. Just as in a power grid to power your house, copper is needed in ample amounts to regulate electrical flow within the human body.
Our Post-Partum Rehab Program is for any woman who is experiencing or has experienced post-partum complications such as urinary incontinence (unwanted urination), low back pain, neck pain, and more. Post-partum is a time of re-establishing the ‘core’ of the body so that a firm foundation will be laid by which to build on whatever activities the woman desires to return to.
Pregnancy can be a wonderful experience for some women while absolutely difficult for others. Sometimes, it appears there is no rhyme or reason. It is well understood and communicated, that additional supplements may make the experience more comfortable and healthier for the expecting mother and child. What is not well understood or communicated is physical post-partum care.
Currently, post-partum or after delivery care consists of a 6-week check-up with an OBGYN or midwife. A mother and her surrounding support network are to monitor the mother’s emotional state, looking for depression or psychosis complications post-delivery. The female body will go through rapid physical, chemical, and emotional changes post-delivery. These problems can occur and are quickly addressed through various hormonal interventions.
Unfortunately, post-partum care does not focus on how well the female body physically recovers during this 6-week period. Many women will admit, if possible, they would like to have their “old” body back and this can add to psychological frustrations. We are emotional beings; one thing affects another. If we can improve the physical state of the mother, it stands to reason her emotional state might be improved also. Frustrations and human experiences are rarely linear and/or logical in their conclusions.
The lack of post-delivery care, regardless of method (vaginal or C-section) has always astounded us. The general standpoint is “congratulations you’re a mom, we will see you in 6 weeks!” Let us highlight this in another way. If Patrick Mahomes blew out his knee (knock on wood), the recovery would not be, “welp congrats, we will see you in 6 weeks.” The comparison is asinine to contemplate.
Delivery of a child is the most physical and mental athletic event a woman may undergo throughout her lifetime. The current post-partum standard of care regarding hormonal control is wonderful; however, the physical rehabilitation is not. This is why we believe addressing post-partum care should improve, and women who received this had significant improvement in post-partum incontinence (or unwanted urination).1
For us, our goal is to fill this 6-week gap and tackle helping mothers reclaim their bodies. We do this through an integrative system, identifying the starting point of care for each woman. As stated earlier, women have different experiences and outcomes through the delivery system and to address all women as the same is inaccurate and a disservice.
Different women may have different starting points, from delivery to physical recovery. To think a woman who hemorrhaged during labor compared to another woman who had a picture-perfect delivery will start at the same time is ridiculous. Typically, the woman who hemorrhaged might start sooner. Recovery is more complex than one variable and so are women.
We must identify standards and/or starting points. For us, we look at delivery method and potential OBGYN approval of the delivery procedure and then move into restoring ideal breathing and basic stabilizing patterns.
We utilize our DNS training, which is based on pediatric neurology to help the brain-body connection find each other again. We will work through restoration of breathing patterns, rolling patterns, sit-stand patterns, then dynamic body weight exercises (jumping, throwing, and pulling), and finally into loading strong basic movements such as squats and deadlifts.
This is getting down to the basics and owning them. Strong mommas are our game! We need this for our society! Accountability here is everything too. You, as the momma, come to intentionally move your body. Some days this might not seem like much while other days are physically or more so mentally exhausting
In an ideal world, we prefer to start the assessment process 7-14 days post-delivery. Those first 7-10 days are crucial in creating a bond between momma and child, as well as allowing the chemical cascade to neutralize as much as possible.
We would want to start an assessment within the first 21 days. Remember, after the first 5 days post trauma, the injured cells move from the inflammatory phase and into the proliferative phase. This latter phase is where we want to start doing some level of therapy. If we miss this window, recovery may take longer. Think of it as scar tissue. If the tissue lays down inappropriately, a woman may face longer recovery times. The main issue we try to avoid, from scar tissue trauma, is incontinence (unexpected episodes of urination). Post-partum incontinence is common in our society, but it is NOT normal!
Your insurance will cover the physical rehab aspect of care. It will not cover specific aspects of our nutritional consulting. These services are typically not recognized as medically necessary which is your insurance companies’ standard approach to covering care. The current model of healthcare is based around medical necessity not prevention or optimal health and function.
We attack the weak conventional model head on. Recovery will look different for each woman. We do not expect your recovery as the same compared to another or even between one pregnancy to the next! There might be overlap in exercises induced at certain times post pregnancy, but there is a part of tailored care.
There is much more to the picture surrounding pregnancy and health. Hopefully, this information gives you a taste of the difference in our information and the standard. If you are ready to maximize your and your baby’s health starting now, please reach out and schedule. We offer in-person and Telehealth services.
Content written by Dr. Rachel Sparks, DC | Root Cause Protocol (RCP) Consultant, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) Certified Exercise Trainer, Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) Practitioner
Content reviewed by Dr. Keith Sparks, DC | Root Cause Protocol (RCP) Consultant, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) Certified Exercise Trainer, Selective Functional Movement Assessment Certified (SFMA) Certified
1 Saboia DM, Bezerra KC, Vasconcelos Neto JA, Bezerra LRPS, Oriá MOB, Vasconcelos CTM. The effectiveness of post-partum interventions to prevent urinary incontinence: a systematic review. Rev Bras Enferm. 2018;71(suppl 3):1460-1468. doi:10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0338
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