Reclaiming My Body After Birth: What I Wish I had known about Postpartum Recovery
When I became a mother, I knew recovery would take time — but I didn’t realize just how ignored and misunderstood postpartum healing can be. Two days before giving birth, I developed severe sciatic pain — I was literally crawling around my house and could hardly bear weight on my right leg. I thought it was just pressure from the baby descending, and surely it would resolve after birth. After my daughter arrived, I could barely walk. Around 4 weeks postpartum, I could walk one block. At my 6 week check up, my doctor told me I didn’t need physical therapy — that it would “resolve on its own.” I had several close friends that had given birth around the same time and they were taking walks with their babies while I was hobbling around my own (very small) house limping and using the walls for support.
As the sciatic pain slowly resolved, I also struggled with low back pain, pelvic heaviness, and a sinking feeling — like my vagina was falling out. I knew in my gut this wasn’t “normal,” but the system wasn’t set up to support me.
The Truth About “Normal” Postpartum Symptoms
There’s a dangerous myth that postpartum pain, leaking, pressure, or pelvic dysfunction are just the “new normal” of motherhood.
They’re not.
You deserve to feel strong and supported in your body again. Common postpartum symptoms — like pelvic heaviness, tailbone pain, diastasis, urinary incontinence or sciatica — are signs your body needs rehabilitation, not resignation. These are real injuries that can and should be treated through targeted exercises and/or informed physical therapy.
Unfortunately, too many women are dismissed, underdiagnosed, and sent home without the tools they need to heal.
Finding Hope: The Mama Method
After months of frustration and minimal progress with a traditional physical therapist, I finally found Emma Bromley’s program — The Mama Method. This program is online and consists of short videos (literally 10-15 min) you follow along with. Perfectly flexible and accessible for a new solo mama.
Within three weeks, everything started to shift.
My endurance with standing and walking improved dramatically. The sharp low back pain eased. For the first time since birth, I didn’t feel broken — I felt like my body was coming back to me.
The Mama Method focuses on gentle, functional movements designed specifically for postpartum recovery — reconnecting the core, rebuilding stability, and retraining the body to support daily movement. It was the missing piece my healthcare team overlooked. I cannot overstate how much this program changed the trajectory of my recovery.
Why We Need to Talk About Post-Partum Recovery
Talking about postpartum symptoms or pain shouldn’t feel taboo.
There is strength in saying: “Something doesn’t feel right.”
Tell someone! You’re not complaining. You’re not weak. You’re advocating for the only body you have — and for the next generation of mothers who deserve better care.
If your provider dismisses your concerns, get a second opinion. Try Mama Method — or find a physical therapist that understands post-partum recovery. You are not asking for too much. You are asking for what’s right.
A Message to Every Mama in Recovery
If you’re in the thick of postpartum healing — whether you’re six weeks out or six years — it’s not too late to start.
Your body is resilient. With the right guidance, you can feel grounded, strong, and capable again. Keep going mama. Keep talking about what you want to change. Continue seeking support.
I highly recommend the Mama Method specifically because it is to accessible for new mothers. The videos are short and specific. Some days have multiple videos — you can break them up and fit them in throughout the day. My physical therapist was giving me 1 hour + exercises per day in spite of me explicitly telling her this isn’t possible for me. Emma is a mother herself and understands what new mothers can fit in to their schedules.
Healing is possible. You are not broken. You are rebuilding.
Resources
If you’re curious about the program that changed everything for me, visit Mama Method.
For some samples from The Bromley Method, try:
Pelvic Floor 101 Free Training
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