11 months post partum - body feels broken!

[BerryBee]

Just wondering if it's normal to feel like this. My lower back bloody kills - DD going through a bad sleep phase and all the picking up, holding, putting down is taking its toll.

I feel like a shadow of my former self - still too fat, pelvic floor needs work, I have no core strength and I think there is no bloody way that my body could physically cope with another baby. And DH and I would ideally like more than 1. The pregnancy and then all the physical strain afterwards.

Not sure how normal it is to feel like this. I'm still bf which probably doesn't help.

Not sure what I'm asking really - do most mums have lower back pain and feel done in?!

Yy to being broken by lack of sleep! Have you tried a postnatal Pilates class for your back? If you can hone your core muscles to support your back then that should help the aches, and then once you are using your muscles correctly you can put all the baby-lifting to good use and treat that as daily exercise! Plus I found a Pilates class to be a lovely mental escape - like an hour of meditative concentration. You will feel better- hang in there!

I had the same problem. When my babies (twins) were about 8 months old I got so much back pain that I needed help. Couldn‘t lift them out of bed, put them in car seats, nothing. It took me 2 years to physically feel like myself again. But I always had lower back problems so it was not entirely unexpected. Your body goes through a lot in pregnancy, and looking after a baby is exhausting! I would recommend you go see your doctor about it, and get some physiotherapy or other targeted exercise (pilates?) to strengthen your back and stomach muscles. Good luck.

What I found was that if I improved my core, everything else fell into place. I used yoga, Barbra Currey 10 minute miracle DVD , about £5 on findDVD.com. because it's in small chunks I never put it off.
Look up the Alexander technique semi supine position for backs, it's first aid for backs, and really helps relieve pain.
No advice for lack of sleep, except get you r oh to sleep with your baby.
I was 38 with first and managed second at 40 .
Good luck x

I feel you're pain on this one. Although I'm currently also pregnant. God knows why I thought it was a good idea as it's so physically tough.

Thanks everyone. I was really struggling earlier - whinging baby who is poorly and I think also teething and I was in a lot of pain myself.

ohyesiam - thank you. I've googled and just tried out the semi suppine position. I'll make sure I do that every day. I can't find that specific dvd but I've enquired with a local yoga teacher. I'm 38, so it's great to know that you managed 2 at a similar age. I used to feel quite young and fit before I had my baby - hopefully I'll be able to get some of that back.

I think you're all right about the yoga / pilates. I've been saying I must do this for months so I need to just get on and sort it out.

Thank you.

I went back to my gp at 9 months to say I was still broken and they smiled and said it was completely normal.

I also think just as you are getting some strength the baby is getting heavier. Mine is 2 now and I can’t carry her for any length of time without massive core pain.

I feel like this too. I've been doing Pilates but DS is already over 9kg at 5 months and I worry about my back (had issues prior to Pg).

katy yes my gp said something similar...she said that she started to feel less achy once she'd stopped breastfeeding.

Have to say the Alexander technique semi suppine position recommended by PP definitely helped me yesterday.

12 months pp and I feel exactly the same. Keep trying to get back in to running but lacking the energy. The pilates class I used to go to clashes with baby's bedtime and I'm still breastfeeding in the evening so that's out. I've become that person that says ooof every time I stand up. My knees crunch. I feel ancient. Even went to the doctor for blood tests because I felt there may be some underlying problem. Nope, nothing there, just tired, unfit and overweight. I feel like everyone else was back to normal within a few months and I'm still reeling. I think the answer lies in good diet, vitamin supplements and exercises but I'm too tired to implement any of those consistently. Vicious circle.

I keep looking ahead to the promised land of baby sleeping through and imagining it will all get better but there was a thread on here the other day comparing how much sleep your Fitbit says you get and it seems that actually I'm doing ok on the sleep front. I can't imagine being physically ready for another pregnancy and once I finally get there I'm afraid I won't want to put my body through all this again.

Are you still on mat leave? The one thing I did find really eased my back pain and plantar fasciitis was going back to work because I wasn't hauling a baby around all day every day.

Re the vitamins, I am finding a combo of iron, glucosamine and fish oil is helping the ancient bones creaky knee feeling (when I remember to take them).

Triangularsquare your message sums up exactly how I feel. I think you're right - the answer is more exercise but it's the making time to do it.

I'm still on mat leave but back at work soon and yes that might help - my commute will involve a bit of walking as well which is good. I too want to get back into running (I've done half marathons in the past - seems so long ago). But I leak when I run. Need to sort pelvic floor. The whole thing is so depressing. I told DH that I'd gladly give up the mat leave if he could go through the pregnancy, birth and the breastfeeding!

YY to everything you've said. I'm not here with advice, just to sympathise. I'm 14m post partum and some days I feel like my body is fucked.

I was always slim - now I'm significantly overweight
I used to go to the gym - haven't been since before I was pregnant and can barely run down the stairs
Piss myself whenever I laugh, sneeze or cough
My joints ache and I don't know why - thought it would have stopped by now (and I'm not bf)
Not taking care of myself
Barely any sex drive
Couldn't have sex for ten months anyway due to episiotomy pain

But recently I'm feeling better - I've booked a personal trainer, started losing weight, using the NHS Squeezy app for my pelvic floor, trying to shave/wash face properly etc and put some nice products on my Xmas list. I feel so much better already!

It's not normal to feel like that, common but not normal despite what your GP says. I'd try and look into a really good quality post natal group, where I live we have a working midwife who's trained in post natal fitness who runs private health and fitness sessions concentrating mainly on the core and pelvic floor. She'll see people from 6 weeks post partum to 10 years pp. You need to make sure you get your pelvic floor issues sorted before you start running again or you could do more damage.

My little boy will be 3 in January and I'm still in pain. Having been misdiagnosed by 2 physios I finally found out in June that my pelvic floor muscle is in spasm which is why its so painful. Physio wanted me to work on my pelvic floor strength for 6 weeks before she tried to release the spasm. She then went off sick. My new appointment is 2nd January. I will literally cry if she's off sick again. (I should have seen her in the first place but she was off on long term sick leave).

Oof yes. No pelvic floor issues, but 10kg heavier than I should be (although I am tall so still in the same size clothes), crunchy knees, my hips are fucked and DD2 doesn't sleep either (now 15 months). DD1 I started to feel much better when she slept through at 2 and could do some exercise.

I saw the osteopath quite a few times last time and she said that if you don't get 3 clear hours of sleep in a chunk your body doesn't start to heal. Plus all that relaxin from extended breastfeeding (when I tried to start running again a few months ago my hip flexors bust).

This is why I won't be having another one. It might finish me off, especially if I get a bad sleeper.

Yoga helps, when I get time. Pilates I love but for some reason my postpartum body doesn't like it as much and it kept making my back worse despite having a great teacher.

@Cutesbabasmummy My pelvic floor was in spasm for about a year after having DS. It sounds like you're pretty much sorted with physio (fingers crossed for your appt in Jan!), but thought I'd mention that it was an osteopath who fixed me, in case that's useful to you/others reading. Two treatments (a week apart) and I was sorted for good - it's now more than 4 years later and I'm waiting to see how badly DC2 messes me up! 😬

I was physically wrecked by the sleep deprivation stage and then it took me months again to recover from the sleep deprivation stage

Dc2 is 21 months and I am just now feeling physically back to normal and comfortable in my body and able to exercise properly with doing myself a mischief. It's an amazing feeling and I think I had given up expecting it to come back. There's hope!

Yes. Osteopath regularly for 8 sessions and Pilates got me back to normal. MUCH more broken after no 2 though.