Your body carries the effects of pregnancy and delivery well beyond the newborn stage. Pelvic floor weakness, lingering lower back or pelvic pain, and diastasis recti — widening of the space between the abdominal muscles — are common after birth, yet they’re rarely talked about beyond the first postpartum checkup.
What’s Happening in Your Body
Pregnancy places significant stretch and load on the abdominal wall and pelvic floor to accommodate a growing baby. For some people, changes in core strength and the separation between the abdominal muscles can persist after delivery, contributing to a visible bulge along the midline, reduced core function, or ongoing pelvic discomfort — sometimes months after delivery.
How Massage Therapy Supports Recovery
Registered Massage Therapy can help address tension in areas working harder during the postpartum period — often the lower back, hips, neck, and shoulders from carrying and feeding a baby — while supporting relaxation and managing muscular discomfort.
Postnatal Pilates: Rebuilding Core Strength
Pilates tailored to the postpartum body focuses on gradually rebuilding deep core and pelvic floor strength, improving control and function without placing unnecessary strain on a body that’s still recovering.
If you’re navigating pelvic pain or core weakness after having a baby, our massage therapy and Pilates team at Joayo Therapy in Brentwood, Burnaby can build a recovery plan suited to where you are.
