The following correct order for postpartum recovery massage is

At present, the standard operation sequence of postpartum recovery massage generally recognized in the domestic mainstream obstetrics and gynecology field is "whole body relaxation → breast care → abdominal core conditioning → pelvic and pelvic floor muscle repair → dredging of limbs and local soreness points." However, this order is not a standard answer that is universally applicable. The operating logic of different obstetrics and gynecology schools and the physical condition of the individual mother will lead to sequence adjustments. There is no "single correct template" suitable for all people.

I spent half a month squatting in the shop of a friend who is an obstetrician and nurse, and I have seen too many mothers who have just walked in. When they change their shoes with their backs turned to you, their shoulders and necks are so high that they look like a newly sunburned pig's back. Even when lying on the massage bed, they have to hold on to their waists and grit their teeth for a long time. In this case, there was no way to directly adjust the position with her hands. All the muscles in her body were in a state of tension and compensation. The pressure was so painful that she clutched the sheets, and the force could not penetrate at all, so it was in vain. Therefore, the first step of relaxing the whole body is really not a process. Usually, you will use warm massage oil to rub from the back of the neck along the trapezius muscles to the waist and hips, and rub it slowly for about ten minutes. When her tone of voice softens and she sinks into the bed, then continue the process.

Many people think that after relaxing, it’s time to rub your belly to tighten your belly? Not really. In most cases, the second step is breast care first. Think about it, in the first 3 months after delivery, 80% of breastfeeding mothers have suffered from milk blockage and engorgement to some extent. If they press the abdomen, break the pelvis, and turn over, it will easily rub against the chest, which will make people gasp. Of course, this step is not mandatory. If the mother is purely formula-fed and has no lactation problems at all, or her breasts are unobstructed and she does not feel any discomfort, many evidence-based obstetricians will skip this step directly. There is no need to do useless work. I have met a mother of her second child before. She came up to her and waved her hand and said, "Don't touch my breasts. I have no milk. Just give me a belly lift." That's totally fine.

There is a threshold when it comes to abdominal conditioning. It is not like the wild way on the Internet where you just apply some essential oil and rub it. Before starting, you must first measure the degree of separation of the rectus abdominis. Only those with less than 2 fingers can use circular massage and abdominal breathing to activate the core. Those with more than 3 fingers cannot rub with force at all. You must first do deep core activation training, otherwise it will widen the separation gap of the rectus abdominis. Believe it or not, there was a mother who read the "Tummy Shrinking in Seven Days" tutorial on the Internet and kneaded it at home for half a month. The original separation of 3 fingers was directly rubbed to almost 4 fingers. The pain was so severe that she didn't even dare to bend down to hold the baby. In the end, it took about a week to relieve the pain.

After adjusting the abdomen, the next step is the repair of the pelvis and pelvic floor that everyone is most concerned about. This step is also the most controversial in the industry. Traditional Chinese and Korean obstetric care practices include adjusting the position of the pelvis first, straightening the forward tilt and rotation of the pelvis, and then activating the pelvic floor muscles. ； However, in recent years, many obstetricians and nurses who are influenced by European and American evidence-based medicine will do the opposite. They believe that the pelvic floor muscles are the "elastic hanging net" that supports the pelvis. If the pelvic floor muscles themselves are loose and weak, even if the pelvis is straightened, it will return to its original position within a few days. Therefore, they will first perform deep activation of the pelvic floor muscles, and then adjust the pelvic shape. I once met a mother who still had slight urinary leakage and anterior pelvic tilt half a year after giving birth. She adjusted her pelvis three times according to the traditional method. The forward tilt was better but the leakage was not improved at all. Later, she changed to an evidence-based obstetrician who first performed pelvic floor click activation. After only two treatments, she said that the leakage of urine after sneezing was much lighter. In fact, both logics are correct. It just depends on the individual's physical condition.

The last step is to unblock the limbs and local areas. After all, most mothers have sore wrists and heavy arms from holding their babies every day, or their legs are so swollen that they cannot wear the shoes they used before pregnancy after lying down and standing for a long time. Finally, rub along the arms and legs, and press the tendon sheaths of the wrists and the edema spots in the calves. After doing this, many people will say that they feel that they have lost two pounds when they stand up, and they feel less heavy when walking.

In fact, if you have been doing this for a long time, you will know that there is really no "correct order" that must be stuck. I have seen many mothers hold their waists as soon as they enter the door and say that it hurts so much that they can't straighten up. So there is no need to follow the process. Just relax her waist first to relieve the discomfort. Those who follow the rigid procedures are all novices who have just started. The obstetricians who have been practicing for a long time follow the mother's body reaction. The most correct order is what is comfortable and useful to you.