Postpartum recovery can be anything and everything but familiar. Sometimes it goes exactly as planned and sometimes it can veer off the rails more than you ever anticipated.
This weekend, Iceland’s Annie Thorisdottir absolutely dominated the CrossFit Games as a postpartum mom! She is less than one year postpartum and has definitely had a difficult time coming back to the competition floor. Over the last year she has been very candid about her postpartum recovery. She has shared numerous times on social media that her postpartum recovery has not been what she had anticipated, even leading up to the games. During a brief interview following an incredible 200 pound snatch in Event 12 at the CrossFit Games she discussed how even 2-2.5 months ago she wasn’t sure if we would be seeing her hit the competition floor. She said that everything eventually began to fall in place and this weekend we saw her bring her strength and that amazing Annie smile!
Even the elite don’t always recover in 6 weeks. Realistically most people do not, no matter how active or healthy you were during pregnancy. Unfortunately, all too often social media depicts how easy the postpartum period can be and offers tips, tricks and guides on how to get your pre-baby body back in weeks. For most women it will take 9-12 months to come back postpartum. Come back can mean a variety of different things. It could mean feeling like yourself again, having the stamina to run, not having any MSK or pelvic floor symptoms and even hitting some big numbers on the barbell. Although I have not had a baby, postpartum PR’s have to be one of the best feelings for an athlete, whether they are competitive or not. I definitely teared up watching Annie hit that amazing 200lbs snatch and win the bronze medal this past weekend!
As always, it is very important to listen to your body. Pushing yourself too early can be detrimental to your physical, mental and emotional health. Putting together a realistic postpartum recovery plan is going to be helpful as you navigate this new time in your life.
If you have questions about your postpartum health, whether it be with regard to MSK symptoms, pelvic floor symptoms or even exercise, please reach out to me today!
