Postpartum Toolkit

Welcome, Mama!

You've made it to the other side! Now it's time to snuggle your little one and recover.

Becoming a mama is no joke. It's so delightful, and exciting but my goodness is it tough. My hope with sharing these poses, tips & tricks is to bring you a little bit of ease as you transition into this role for the first or second or eighth time!

I have broken this toolkit out into the following sections:

As always, I am here for you. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask!

xx a

Body Aches

Cactus Arms

Sitting or standing, take a deep inhale in raising the arms up toward your sky. As you exhale, bend the elbows brining them to shoulder height. Stay broad across the collar bones. For a deeper stretch, knock the elbows forward and tilt the hands back a little bit.

Strap work

Using a yoga strap, belt, scarf - anything long really - hold the strap palms down about shoulder width apart. As you inhale, lift the strap upward keeping the core secure to avoid the ribs popping forward. Option to bring the strap behind you down toward your sacrum or keep the strap in the air where you feel a stretch. Bonus move - with the strap above your head, hinge sideways at the hip guiding your hands down toward earth to get a sweet side stretch.

Pelvic Tilts

From a seated shape, bring the soles of the feet together making sure to support the knees with a block or pillow if there is tenderness in the pelvic floor/hip area.
Taking a deep inhale, get nice and tall in the spine. As you exhale tilt the hips up toward the ribs allowing you to tilt backward on the pelvis. Separating the shoulder blades.
The next inhale brings you back to a seated shape. As you exhale bringing belly toward earth and folding forward. Repeat this motion with the breath.

Giving birth aside, being a mama brings about a bunch of new aches and pains from just holding your babe to sleeping oddly. Here are some stretches you can try at home to ease the pain.

Note: These poses are just suggestions, it is important to check with a medical professional to make sure these are safe for you. Always be sure to listen to your body and if you feel lightheaded, discomfort or any pain get out of the pose immediately.

Chest openers

Cactus arms
Strap work
Dolphin
Downward Dog against the wall

Tight hips

Figure 4
Pigeon & 90/90
Windshield wipers
Hip circles
Pelvic tilts

Lower Back

Rocking cat
Supported forward fold
Thread the needle
Childs pose

Sleep

I hope that as you read this you have had significantly more sleep than I have had as I write this BUT it is a part of this transition. And hey - I promise you will get sleep. It just looks a little different right now.

If you are like me and can't turn your brain off at nighttime, or have a hard time winding down I found these extremely helpful to get me back to sleep in-between feedings or just a fussy night.

Yoga Nidra

You can think of this as yoga for your nervous system. Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation that helps bring you into a deep state of relaxation. Ekhart Yoga describes it wonderfully "..the breath balances and becomes quiet, unconscious and conscious aspects of the mind reveal themselves, and we fall into an innate state of deep, blissful awareness." or, in my experience, it shuts off the brain and allows you to drift off into a really restorative sleep even if it is short.

No need to be a meditation pro, since they are typically guided it is approachable for anyone. For me, Ally Boothroyd does it best. Here are 2 I have on repeat:

Playlists

Music is also a great way to shift the focus from the never-ending to-do lists, anxieties, etc. that seem to take over the mind at night. Here are a couple playlists I enjoy:

Amy lying down on a yoga mat with a blanket under her head, eyes closed.

When times get tough

Here's the thing every mama, every babe, every experience is so different and so beautiful and so hard in its own way. It can be tricky not to get wrapped up in the overstimulation and the heaviness that washes over you sometimes. In those moments, I hope you remember this section. Here are some tools you can use when things get a little bit overwhelming.

Amy holding her heart space, eyes closed

Pranayama/Breath-work

This is my go to for any time of uneasy feeling. There are so many different types of pranayama and if you have a favourite one this is a great time to pull it out. For me, a simple 5 count breath is exactly what I need. I do this breath during long nights in the rocking chair when my little one can't sleep, during meltdowns and sometimes in traffic!

How to:

Shut down the eyes if that feels safe (obviously don't do that if you are testing this out on the road!)
Take a deep breath in
Take a deep breath out
Next inhale, breathe in for 5 counts
Exhale for 5 counts
Continue this for however long you like. I find it can be really calming for babe in moments of upset.

Humming

Make some noise! This can also be a bonus for babe. Start by humming a song - my go to is "You Are My Sunshine" - or equally as fun, take a breath in and as you exhale keep the lips closed as you hum until the breath is emptied. Maybe there will be a sweet sound or maybe there will a sound of frustration comes though. Who knows! It just feels good to make noise.

Walk Away

Sometimes you just need to remove yourself. In those moments of "what is going on" or you feel like you have had it up to your eyebrows - walk away. Either to another room, outside, downstairs, the bathroom - anywhere really. Take a breath in, reset. Revisit the moment and tackle it. You got this!

Ask for help!!

This is a hard one for me. But man, it's a goodie. ASK FOR HELP. You deserve the help. You don't need to have the whole world on your shoulders. Partners, friends, family are all there to support you. Ask for an hour to yourself, a meal, advice, help with chores - the list is endless. It truly takes a village. Surround yourself with the support YOU need.

Community!

COMMUNITY! COMMUNITY! COMMUNITY! I am sure you have heard me mention in classes how important it is to have COMMUNITY! Postpartum is wild, and you know what feels great? Getting out of the house. Venting. Feeling heard. That can be hard if you don't have friends or family who are close by, or who have kiddos. There are really great resources and groups you can join to help find a little connection. Here are ones that helped me:

Mommy Connections
- This is a mommy group that is over a couple of weeks. Each week there is a new speaker, or something fun to do with the babes. Great to get out of the house, socialize and make some mom friends!
EarlyON Centres
- Free programming and courses. Mother goose and Babies on the move were my go-tos! I found some really great friends here.
Oona
- I maybe bias, but this is your go-to space for healing, community, and just all around great things. They offer yoga (ahem), fitness classes, wellness services for both mama and babe. One stop shop!

Fitness By The Lake
- Deb offers a lot of wonderful Mom & Babe fitness classes. Great for beginners or folks who want to get back into the routine. In the spring & summer, she offers stroller fit classes by the lake which are wonderful
Well Nourished Mama - Jimena Mascaro
- Jimena is just the best. (Thats her in the pic!!)
  A mama herself, she found a lot of power in the postpartum phase and she found her calling. She offers postpartum doula support, nutrition support, online workshops, women circles, wonderful tea and herbal creations and so much more. She always has an open ear and will do everything in her power to help you feel heard and heal.
Art Strollers Toronto
- I just found out about this and it sounds amazing! Art Strollers is an interactive classical music concerts for parents and children. There is space for toddlers to move around, and the music is wonderful.