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Birth Is a Marathon — Here's Your Postpartum Training Plan

You trained for months. You prepared your body, mind, and heart for your baby’s birth, just like an athlete prepares for a marathon.

But here’s the thing: no marathoner runs the race and skips recovery.

So why do we so often skip recovery when it comes to childbirth?

The truth is, birth is not the finish line, it’s the starting line of postpartum recovery. And yet, most moms are sent home with little more than a six-week checkup, a wave, and a “good luck.”

At Lighthouse Family Chiropractic, we’re here to change that narrative.

The Hidden Toll of the Fourth Trimester

You spent so much time preparing for labor, but did anyone tell you what recovery would actually feel like? If you’re like most moms, you probably weren’t prepared for:

  • Feeling physically depleted and achy

  • Struggling with sleep (even when the baby sleeps)

  • Breastfeeding challenges and frustration

  • Mood swings or emotional ups and downs

Studies show that 70-80% of new moms experience the “baby blues,” and up to 20% struggle with postpartum depression — but that’s just the emotional side. Physically, your body has endured an intense experience of stretching, straining, and in some cases, trauma.

And while your baby’s birth was beautiful, it also brought extreme compression forces on both of you — with your baby experiencing up to 500 mmHg of pressure on their tiny head and neck during delivery.

Yet, no one is scanning, checking, or supporting the nervous system after birth — and that’s a problem.

Birth, Hormones, and the Nervous System “Cliff”

Immediately after birth, your body experiences a hormonal cliff. Within 24 hours, estrogen and progesterone levels plummet, leaving your nervous system scrambling to recalibrate.

Since these hormones directly impact neurotransmitters in the brain and regulate the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), their sudden drop can lead to:

  • Sleep troubles

  • Anxiety or mood shifts

  • Temperature swings

  • Digestive issues

  • Heightened sensitivity or overwhelm

If your nervous system becomes dysregulated during this time, it can feel impossible to “bounce back” — and instead, you’re left running on fumes.

The Mother-Baby Neurological Connection

But it’s not just about you. Your nervous system health directly impacts your baby through something called co-regulation.

Your baby’s nervous system is immature and depends on yours for stability. When your nervous system is balanced and calm, your baby can regulate better too, meaning:

  • Easier feeding

  • More consistent sleep

  • Better digestion

  • Lower stress levels

When you’re dysregulated, your baby often struggles to settle, creating a challenging cycle of frustration and exhaustion for you both.

Common Postpartum Challenges & Your Nervous System

Many of the most common postpartum struggles are actually rooted in nervous system dysfunction:

  • Breastfeeding issues often involve the vagus nerve, which supports the let-down reflex.

  • Sleep problems happen when your nervous system is stuck in sympathetic (fight or flight) mode.

  • Mood challenges arise when your brain’s neurochemical balance is disrupted.

  • Pelvic pain, incontinence, and core weakness often tie back to poor neurological communication, not just tissue damage.

This is why postpartum chiropractic care is so essential, because it addresses the root cause, not just the symptoms.

How Lighthouse Family Chiropractic Supports Postpartum Recovery

At Lighthouse Family Chiropractic, we start with INSiGHT Scans — a safe, non-invasive way to assess your nervous system’s function and see exactly where it’s stuck or stressed.

From there, we use gentle, specific adjustments to:

  • Restore pelvic alignment and function

  • Improve sleep and relaxation by balancing your Autonomic Nervous System

  • Support hormone regulation

  • Help your body engage muscles correctly for core recovery

  • Promote healthy breast tissue drainage to support breastfeeding

For your baby, pediatric adjustments are even gentler, using no more pressure than you’d use to check a tomato’s ripeness, to release birth tension and support healthy development.

Ready to Heal and Thrive?

You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through the fourth trimester. There’s a better way, and it starts with supporting your nervous system.

👉 Click here to schedule your postpartum neurological assessment at Lighthouse Family Chiropractic.

Because you didn’t run a marathon just to crash at the finish line. Let’s help you recover, regulate, and truly thrive — for both you and your baby.

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