Stop and think about pregnancy for a minute. It鈥檚 WILD. Organs shift, a new organ grows, a new being emerges. Labor and delivery can lead to tearing or major surgery. And after that, it鈥檚 head off home to care for a whole new person.
Support for postpartum bodies is a necessary but often overlooked aspect of the pregnancy and childbirth experience. But it doesn鈥檛 have to be. Host Anita Rao talks to birth and postpartum doula , whose practice connects her with postpartum parents seeking help with recovery. Tilus is also a certified neuromuscular massage therapist, which she uses to help clients reconnect with their bodies.
Rao also speaks to , a social worker and photographer who founded the . The project features photographs and stories of postpartum bodies to normalize the countless forms these bodies take.
Also joining the conversation is Letticia Solomon, a teacher and mother of two who had both her children while serving in the Marines. She shares how the intensely physical nature of her job affected her postpartum experience.
Thank you to Kyesha Jennings, Priyanka Rao, Taylor Matthews, Amanda Magnus and for sharing their stories and shaping this episode.
Four Things Pregnancy Changes About Your Body
1. Blood Flow
鈥淭he amount of blood that your body produces increases, and they call that an increase in blood viscosity ... and that's to accommodate the growing baby.鈥� - Postpartum doula and massage therapist Lydia-Carlie Tilus
2. Joints and Ligaments
During pregnancy, the body releases the hormones relaxin and progesterone, which relax your muscles and loosen joints and ligaments. This can make tendonitis, sciatica, carpal tunnel and other joint and skeletal issues more common for pregnant people.
3. Walking
鈥淵our pelvis is being shifted 鈥� your gait will change to accommodate the fact that your center of gravity is shifting.鈥� - Lydia-Carlie
4. Breathing
As your organs shift to accommodate a growing baby, you may experience an out-of-breath feeling or an inability to take a deep breath.
Please note: The episode originally aired June 10, 2022.
