Rolfing – To Iron Out Life’s Bumps
My first baby was induced and weighed 10lbs. The hard birth did not surprise me but the sensations in my body after did. I felt like a bus had hit me!
Baby No. 1 (10 lbs)
We had fertility issues on both sides of the family and we thought if we wanted no. 2 we needed to get on with it. I was lucky enough to be a newly qualified Rolfer at the time. A year after qualifying I went back to college for a week to review my first year as Rolfer. Over this week my teacher picked me out of a group to demonstrate work on, repeatedly. It honestly became embarrassing. With hindsight, I think he could see that I needed putting back together post pregnancy and birth (10lb baby!).
He gently but firmly held my abdominal muscles allowing my tummy to almost fold back together again. He worked all around my hips, head, neck and shoulders, which allowed me to sit up straight after my first 6 months of breastfeeding.
Baby No. 2 (9 lbs 7ozs)
It was later, when sitting in a pre-natal yoga class I realised what a gift this had been. Listening to the women around me say “It’s been 5 years since my last baby because I had such a hard time”. “It’s 3 years since my last baby because I had such a hard time”. I felt a little embarrassed when I said it was 18 months since my last baby.
After I had my second baby, all 9lbs 7oz of him, a colleague came to visit me. With one look at me, she asked, where is your massage table? With baby bundled in my arms, she went straight to work and once again helped to put me back together.
The only way to describe the difference this made to my physical health is that each time I got work done post-birth I felt back to my pre-pregnancy self again.
What’s interesting is that each time I was completely unaware of the treatment that I was not together…Only afterward did I know I was whole.
Baby No. 3 (10lbs 3ozs)
My third baby was induced and was born 3 hours later, all 10lbs 3ozs of him. I ended up in surgery after the birth. I left the hospital feeling like I had gone 10 rounds with Muhammad Ali and lost every one of them. Again my dear Rolfing colleague came to see me a couple of times and again helped me to come back together.
As a Rolfer over the years, I have seen many women post-birth who have needed a helping hand coming back together. Often the body just needs a bit of guidance in how to fit together again. We leave the maternity hospital with a pulse and are told we are fine but really after undertaking one of the biggest physical events of our lives a little more support is needed!
To book an introductory appointment with Caitriona or any of our clinic’s therapists please call 01 677 9859 or email info@the-elbowroom.com.