Catastrophising and Return to exercise

[Onlybearshere]

I gave birth 4 weeks ago. A straight forward vbac to a large 10lb baby. Third degree tear but that’s healing really well and gives me no bother, I’m fact I can barely tell. I feel very ‘lose’ down there but I guess this is normal. Start physio next week which I’m hoping will help as my bladder is also a little lower. Though I’m recovering well physically, my mind keeps catastrophising over the ‘what ifs’. What if I will never run around and pick up my 2 yo DD again due to damage? What if I can’t run again - I love running for my mental health. So please, can you tell me your positive return to exercise stories and/or positive return to normality stories post vb? And do you lift/run with your children now? I know this sounds silly but I can’t help catastrophising. Right now on reflection, recovery from my section was both mentally and physically easier!

I had a third degree tear too, I took a few months off exercise to heal/ rest, I just did some gentle yoga and pelvic floor stuff at home.

I started a postnatal fitness class at 4mo postpartum which was great and had no issues whatsoever.

Would say the tear took 12 weeks to heal completely, but I did have one stubborn stitch that wouldn't dissolve.

Sorry should have said it was a CrossFit postnatal course so involved both lifting and running. Totally fine, and obviously scaled for everyone's ability and recovery levels.

@oliveandwell thank you so much, this is so reassuring as I also love CrossFit. Did you follow any particular/available yoga or pelvic floor exercise programs? I plan to start Pilates with my physio, but have been told to wait to do anything other than hyper pressure breathing exercises until after my 6 week check to let things heal

I had a third degree test and an epsiotomy. I got back to half marathons at around the 8m mark (so started around 3-4). I did have a uterine prolapse that got gradually worse, I didn’t know what it was but squatting to Joe Wicks was the final straw and I almost felt it “go”.

Good news - I saw a woman’s health physio who helps me with a ring pessary, which stays inside and I just change every 6m. I don’t even notice it and I’m back to running halves (plus a mile or two).

I would say I will never lift or squat again - I run, cycle, horse ride and do yoga.

You're going to be ok.

I remember going for a walk 6 weeks in and crying because I wasn't 'better' and I decided if I wasn't better at 6 weeks, I would never ever be better. Hormones are a trip.

Now I'm still using a baby carrier for my 2.5 year old, lifting heavy and can do dubs without causing chaos. I followed Brianna Battles (pregnant and postpartum athlete) programme from 6 weeks.

But just give yourself some grace. As my husband so delicately put it 'you just had a baby hoovered out of you, you can go for a run next month'.

Yes, I did the BirthFit lying in program.

It's a pdf and an app, quite fiddly to use actually, but it should give you some ideas of what exercises to do. It's also an absolute steal £.

marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/program/support-program-1622137240

And also, book yourself a Mummy MOT!!

@BlueDinoRawr thank you. I must admit the sound of a prolapse terrifies me. Could you not lift with the pessary?

@Duttercup ❤️ thank you. Using the baby carrier is one of my worries. I loved using it with my DD and it a so handy having 2 little ones, but worried I would never be able to use it. If you don’t mind me asking, how long did it take you to feel back to your normal self?

@oliveandwell perfect, thank you I’ll check them out. And yes I have my Mummy MOT next week, got to say I’m a bit nervous as to what it will say.

Not a Vbac but I had a third degree tear and got back to running. I waited a while until I'd got the all clear from the womens health physio. The waiting until my body was ready was the most frustrating part but I didn't want to make matters worse by starting too early.

It sounds like you're recovering well and doing all the right things to help yourself along so I honestly wouldn't worry at all!

@Onlybearshere I definitely stopped worrying that everything was a disaster around 12 weeks, so I must have been feeling a bit better before then.

Someone else to follow is maybe MegSquats. She has a postpartum highlights on her IG and lots of her YouTube. She was very honest and took things realistically gently at first and is back to real life now.

Be gentle with yourself, you’re still in the early days. It takes time, and you’ll probably look back and be surprised at how relatively quickly you healed but at the time it feels like forever! I ‘only’ had a second degree tear and I remember crying because I felt like it was never going to heal up - but it did.

When you and the physio feel that it’s time to return to exercise, I’d book a few sessions with a PT who specialises in postpartum women. Mine is one such, she is great. You don’t want some 20-year old lad who doesn’t have a clue and sets you off doing hundreds of crunches and wotnot (obviously a 20-year old lad who does have a clue would be fine!)

My DC was over 10lb vb and tear and I run. I lift more than my body weight. I do a lot of impact exercise and no issues at all. I do empty my bladder pre workout. But otherwise it’s all fine. I’m several years on but by around 8-10 months post birth I felt ok again

I probably could lift with the pessary but I can “feel” the pressure it puts on my pelvic floor so i chose not to. I did continue for a while but just doesn’t seem worth it!

@Gymmum82 this is exactly how I want to be. Getting back to lifting my body weight, running 10ks without worrying and doing HITT workouts as they are the best in terms of time with 2 little ones. Honestly okay with it taking up to a year, as long as I get there. Can I ask, what year did you have, and does your PF feel ‘normal’ or ‘strong’ again, mine just feels so weak at the moment I’m even scared to cough let alone do anything else

Thanks @Spudlet i feel so dissapointed that I didn’t consider the length of time a vb recovery would take, I thought vb was quicker but I think the PF would be shot in even the straight forward of births, but no one talks about it, yet the recovery for c sections are commonly spoke about. I know you’re right, I’ll look back on this time and wish I hadn’t worried so much, but so much easier said than done with high anxiety levels. And yes I’ll definitely be getting a specialist womens PT to help my return

You’ll get there OP. FWIW VB’s are so overrated. I recovered much quicker from a planned section and am a bit cross how much VB’s are forced on women in the UK, despite so little research into the longer term
implications on your quality of life.

Just coming back here from a 120kg deadlift post-baby PB because I thought of you almost immediately after.

Come back to this thread in a year and tell us how you're getting on ❤️

@BlueDinoRawr i couldn’t agree more. I had a planned c section with my first as they were Breech. Got given the option with my second as they were a big baby but due to the narrative I felt compelled for a vb without really understanding potential long term impacts. Positively however, this vb has given me so much closure over my section, and it’s made me realise how bloody wonderful my section was. If we have another….a big if ….I would go section

@Duttercup 🙌👏 that’s amazing! I’ve been watching MegSquats highlight reel this morning and it’s getting me very motivated and comfortable in taking my time. Can I ask what year you had, if any? And also did you worry about prolapse? I felt a heaviness in the first weeks and it’s terrified me to my core. I’ve since taken it easy and it’s better, but now I’m in fear of my 6 week check!

@Duttercup *tear not year

So I’m nearly 7 years on now. But definitely by a year post birth it wasn’t something I worried about. Now my PF is as strong as most people my age (early 40’s) I don’t leak when I cough or anything. The only thing I need to be a bit mindful is if I’m lifting very heavy and bracing hard my bladder needs to be empty. I never have leaked. But very occasionally I’ve felt like I might and have gone for an emergency wee to be safe.
I do HIIT without a second thought, running and a lot of weights it’s not a problem at all aside from those very few instances

Third degree tear and was absolutely convinced around the same time as you that I had a prolapse. I could have written this thread, literally spent all my time googling about it because I was so heavy and uncomfortable. I was absolutely catastrophising like you, so you really have all my sympathy.

Meg's great actually. She was a bit mad before her baby but it really seems to have sorted her head out!

@Duttercup its awful isn’t it, glad I’m not the only one as it really feels like im not myself, overthinking everything and failing to be present. Did you ever ‘look’ down there? I had a nurse check my stitches which were all good, but she did mention my bladder was lower but didn’t seem concerned. I have no idea if this is something to worry about or if it’s normally after a pregnancy with a big bag and will go back with more time