Dr. Megan's Postpartum Experience: Chiropractic & the Fourth Trimester

The importance of the postpartum period shouldn’t be minimized or overlooked. It is sometimes called “the fourth trimester” for good reason; it should be treated as part of the pregnancy process. Dr. Megan shares her postpartum experience, as a chiropractor and new mom.

(If you haven’t read her birth story yet, start here!)

First 40 Days Postpartum

Continuing to care for her body and mind postpartum was beneficial for Dr. Megan. There were a few principles that she more or less followed, including some from The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou drawn from traditional Chinese culture.

The idea is to spend the first 10 days after childbirth in bed, then the next 10 around your bed, the following 10 days limited to walking around your house, the final 10 days going no farther than your yard. This means over a month of bonding with your child before leaving the house.

Dr. Megan spent about five days in bed resting before she started moving around the house more. During this time, she didn’t take on any responsibility, not even changing diapers. She nursed, bonded with her baby, and rested!

The importance of this became clear a day or so after the birth when Dr. Megan thought she’d walk the 20 feet to the nursery and nearly collapsed walking back to her bedroom. It was eye-opening to realize how much rest she needed after childbirth.

After that first week, Dr. Megan began very slowly going around the house and yard. However, she and baby Jack didn’t leave the house for two weeks. They added just a few outings per week, taking time to rest and physically heal.

Continue to care for your healing body with great nutrition, plenty of water, and chiropractic care.

Adjustments can identify and correct any subluxations that may have occurred during all the contractions of labor and delivery.

Childbirth is a major athletic event for your body, no matter the length or circumstances. You deserve to rest and heal.

Let Us Help

“Let us know if you need anything!” Often we have people in our lives who are willing to help us postpartum – and we need to let them!

Maybe it’s family members or a church or community group who want to set up a Mealtrain.

Dr. Megan had the huge blessing of her parents being retired and able to come to help out with cooking and the household for about six weeks. As part of her healing, Dr. Megan gathered Lily Nichols’ recipes for specific nourishing food to help replenish her through postpartum healing.

A great baby shower idea can be to write out ways you’d like people to help after the baby that people can signup for or choose from a box. Things like watering your plants or cleaning or running errands.

Yes, you could probably just water the plants “real quick.” But giving your mind and body the space and time to bond with your baby, to heal, and rest is essential.

Prioritizing asking for help. If someone is coming to visit, then give them a task to help out too.

Support in the Months Following

Nothing magical happens at 41 days postpartum that suddenly gives you superpowers to be able to care for this tiny human. Even beyond those first few weeks, you deserve support. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

When baby Jack was a little over 3 months old, a lot of factors accumulated one day in some postpartum depression. Dr. Megan was sensing a hormonal shift in her body and her baby wasn’t sleeping as well at night. She’d started back to work a little, taking Jack with her, but he was fussy at the office and screamed for every car ride.

Dr. Megan melted down, crying and yelling for her husband to come to help her, that she couldn’t do it anymore. For the next 24 hours, her husband Rando cared for the baby, so she could pump and sleep and rest.

“It was glorious. But I felt so guilty. I felt like the worst mom ever that I couldn’t handle it,” said Dr. Megan. “I don’t think any of this is unique! I think most moms experience this but we don’t allow ourselves to let other people help us.”

From then on, Dr. Megan’s husband has helped with nights. She felt that continued support has allowed her to just be happy again.

It’s so so so so important to pay attention to the signs that you are reaching your limit and need more help in an area. This enables you, your partner and your baby to all thrive in this new family setting!

It’s also crucial to get adjusted in the months following birth. As the Relaxin hormone decreases, the ligaments become less elastic and you’ll hold your alignment (or misalignment). The many positions of caring for your child and new stressors take a toll on your healing body.

Get adjusted to ensure that your spine is in alignment and your nervous system can function well through all these shifts and changes!

What You Can Do to Support a Postpartum Mom

Dr. Megan suggests taking charge and just doing a task (provided you have that relationship with the mom!)

Do her plants look droopy? Say, “When were these last watered – could I do that for you?” and grab the watering can!

Gather up the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Call and say you’re at the grocery store; what can you pick up for her?

Society and social media often make it seem like moms “should” be able to manage and handle everything (after all, it’s one tiny baby, right??) However, you can step in and really bless her.

Especially if you’ve already had kids, think back to what may have helped you and go for it.

Kind words can be one of the overlooked but truly most valuable things you can do for a postpartum mom.

It has meant the world to Dr. Megan when a random stranger has paused to say, “You’re doing a great job.” Especially since they don’t know her and aren’t completed by any family ties, but still call this out.

“It’s one of the best things people have done for me!” Dr. Megan said their kindness has brought her to tears.