Postpartum is a time when new moms go through a lot of physical and emotional challenges. Being so exhausted and having to be there for your new baby and your family is really challenging. 

And new moms don’t often give themselves enough space and time to heal. 

With so much new baby responsibility, you want to feel strong in your body again.

You want to hold your baby without pain shooting through your wrists.

You want to nurse without your neck locking up.

You want to take a walk, get up from the floor, or sleep through the night without aching from the inside out.

Postpartum strain can make you feel like you’re falling apart.

It's especially hard because new moms tend to feel like everyone expects them to hold it all together.

We see postpartum moms who come in exhausted, sore, and overwhelmed.

Their necks hurt, their wrists ache, and their low backs feel unstable.

Many are just a few weeks out from giving birth and already putting themselves last.

New moms often don't realize how much strain their bodies are under.

It feels great when I can support them by letting them know that what they’re feeling is common, treatable, and absolutely valid.

What's happening in your postpartum body to make you feel so achy and unstable?

Postpartum pain often shows up in your neck and shoulders from looking down at your baby and holding them all day.

You might feel wrist and thumb pain, especially if you're constantly lifting, rocking, or nursing. This is often from tendons getting overworked or irritated.

Your mid-back can ache from hunching forward.

Your low back and hips might feel unstable or weak, especially if you had a long labor or you're still recovering from a C-section.

All of this can be traced back to the changes your body went through during pregnancy.

When you were pregnant, your posture shifted and your ligaments loosened from the hormone relaxin. 

And now you’ve got the added physical demands of caring for a newborn. 

It’s a lot. And it’s exhausting. 

So how do we figure out what’s causing the pain and discomfort in your postpartum body?

We start by looking at how you’re moving and how your body is holding itself. We check for tension in your neck, shoulders, and back.

We gently feel for joint misalignments or muscle tightness that might be making things worse.

We might ask you to show us how you lift your baby or how you sit when you nurse. That gives us clues about what’s being strained over and over.

We listen closely and take it slow.

We understand that you're still healing from birth or dealing with scar sensitivity.

If we determine that something is outside our scope of practice, we'll help you get the right help.

Conditions like nerve issues or complications from delivery may require a referral, and we're happy to make a good one. 

What does postpartum chiropractic care look like?

Once we understand what’s causing your pain, we'll tailor your treatment to support healing and relieve strain.

Depending on what’s going on, your care might include:

• Gentle chiropractic adjustments to realign your spine and relieve joint pressure
• Soft tissue work to ease tension in your neck, shoulders, or wrists
• Face-up or seated treatments if lying face down isn’t comfortable yet
• Movement coaching to help you lift, carry, and feed your baby with less strain
• Posture tips and stretches to restore balance and support your core and pelvic stability

We meet you where you are, and we adjust your care plan as your body continues to heal.

We recommend postpartum self-care to stay strong after treatment.

After you start feeling better, it’s important to develop habits that support your healing. You can help prevent those aches and pains from coming back.

Some things that can make a big difference over time include:

• Monthly chiropractic or massage visits for maintenance and nervous system support
• Daily walks or gentle movement to rebuild strength and improve circulation
• Posture support tools like nursing pillows, wrist braces, or lumbar rolls
• Stretch breaks throughout the day, especially after feeding or holding your baby
• Working with our massage therapist, Kassandra, for adaptive or postpartum-focused massage

Look for the early warning signs before the problems get bigger.

If you feel:

• Neck stiffness
• Wrist soreness
• Low back fatigue
• Numbness in your hands or feet

it’s time to come in before things get worse.

What can happen if you don't get postpartum care?

When you don’t get care for the pain and strain your body is under, small discomforts can turn into long-term problems.

Here’s what can happen if you push through without support:

• Chronic wrist or thumb pain that makes lifting or holding your baby harder
• Ongoing neck and shoulder tension that leads to headaches or nerve irritation
• Low back instability that worsens with time and affects how you move
• Unresolved misalignments that lock into place as relaxin leaves your system
• Poor posture habits that strain your core, pelvic floor, and upper body

These issues can pile up fast—especially when your body is still healing.

Over time, these issues can limit your mobility, cause more intense pain, and make everyday parenting tasks harder and riskier.

Getting care early helps prevent this downward spiral.

Let us take care of you while you take care of your baby.

If you’re feeling the strain of new motherhood, know that we are here to help.

We make it easy for new moms to get care.

Your baby is always welcome in our office. You can nurse, change a diaper, or take a break—we’ll work with you.

Book your appointment online with one of our chiropractors, or schedule a restorative massage with our postpartum-trained team.

You deserve to feel better in your body. Come see us in Aptos.