Postpartum Essentials: Bodywork

After you’ve had a baby, whether vaginally or as a cesarean birth, one of the essential ways for a new mother to be cared for is through body work. There are many different modalities that range from free to very expensive. I first learned about some of the benefits of bodywork when I trained with Valerie Lynn to learn traditional postpartum practices of Malaysia and later with Rachelle Seliga in her comprehensive Innate Traditions postpartum training. In the US, postpartum care is not integrated into the maternal health care systems so many women are left feeling very alone and don’t know what they don’t know regarding the postpartum time. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a midwife or a doula who integrates postpartum care into their services, or you’re surrounded by wise people who recognize the needs of new mothers during this time, it’s really easy to believe it is possible to go on like “normal” after we’ve had a baby and never get the care our bodies, minds and spirits need as we move from maiden to mother. This can lead to many negative consequences during the postpartum period and beyond. The good news is it’s never too late to receive postpartum care even years after you’ve had your baby(ies).

Below is a list of some modalities that I recommend that can be extremely supportive to a new mother after they’ve given birth. I believe all of these modalities can be very beneficial in the postpartum time. Which modalities you choose may depend on a variety of factors including how you gave birth, any birth injuries, whether you are breastfeeding or not, where you carry tension in your body, if you had any tearing or surgery among others. Here’s my list in no particular order:

  1. Abdominal Massage

  2. Acupuncture

  3. Chiropractic work

  4. Physical Therapy

  5. Cranial Sacral Therapy

  6. Internal Pelvic Massage (by a pelvic floor physical therapist,

  7. Vaginal Steaming

  8. Sitz Baths

  9. Castor Oil packs

  10. Massage

  11. Belly Binding

  12. Reiki/Energy Healing

  13. Closing of the Bones Ceremony

Contact me if you’re interested in any of the above services and I’ll gladly share a referral if it’s a service that I don’t offer.

Elizabeth MekuriaPostpartum Bodywork, Postpartum, postpartum support, reiki, closing of the bones