20/09/2025
6 weeks is never just enough for the complete recovery from a pregnancy
Some mothers might take few months
Some need few years
And some might never be back to their pre pregnancy self
So please be gentle and kind to mothers who are healing from the physical and mental overhaul in the name of pregnancy and child birth
We need time to heal
🌼🌸🌼
Women are given 6 weeks to recover from pregnancy and get back to work.
This goes against basic science.
And the expectation doesn’t align with the reality of postpartum recovery.
As maternity physiotherapist Johanna Kjelseth explains, healing after pregnancy involves much more than losing baby weight. Recovery is highly individual and impacted by numerous physical and hormonal changes, including the healing of muscles, joints, and tissues; shifts in hormone levels; and the gradual return of pelvic floor function.
And for most women, this process can take a year or more — not just a matter of weeks.
While the uterus and vaginal swelling may reduce within the first six weeks, muscles like the abdominals and pelvic floor continue to recover long after. Hormones such as relaxin, which cause looseness in joints, remain elevated for months and can lead to instability or pain.
The brain also changes significantly during pregnancy. In fact, it literally shrinks in size, and it takes over a year to return to its pre-pregnancy functioning.
Add to this the mental adjustment to motherhood, sleep deprivation, and constant care demands, and it becomes clear why the “six-week rule” falls short.
Rather than rushing recovery, experts encourage new mothers to prioritize gradual movement, proper support, and mental wellbeing—and most importantly, compassion toward themselves.
Source: Kjelseth, J. (2022). It doesn’t take 6 weeks to recover from pregnancy. Expert Advice.