The Birthing Woman - Janelle Gullan - Occupational Therapist

When we grow and birth our babies, the body is stretched. It opens wide to allow new life to come through. The pelvis has enormous capacity to expand.  

And sometimes the pelvis has difficulty closing up again after the birth experience – physically and energetically. 

Traditionally the postpartum time period involved an intensive amount of support including touch and other rituals that perhaps supported the pelvis to close more easily than in our current cultural practices around postpartum. When this open birthing pattern persists in the body we can experience it as:

🧡our pelvic floor being 'weak' or not functioning as it should – because the bones that support the pelvic floor muscles are open and putting these muscles on stretch

🧡 prolapse feeling more intense, intimacy being painful or scar tissue pulling – possibly due to the tissues tightening to try and address this openness

🧡 low back pain or over/under active glutes – as uterine ligaments pull at different tensions or the whole body tries to adapt to this ongoing openness

🧡 future pregnancies may be more uncomfortable or painful than the first – a really good sign that something in the body didn't reset after the previous birth

🧡 feeling ungrounded, overwhelmed or unsettled in the body 

As an occupational therapist it has always felt really profound that having this open birth pattern means that the brain is trying to do one thing (mother) while the body continues with a completely different activity (birth).

How hard it is to mother when the body still thinks it is birthing. It makes sense.

Mothering draws on holding energy, while birth is releasing energy. Birth requires us to be physically and energetically open while mothering and matrescence walk us back through finding our boundaries and becoming contained again. Birth and postpartum is winter; mothering is the season of summer. 

How can this openness in the body not impact our health and wellbeing?

Fortunately working with and encouraging the open birth pattern to close is something that is relatively easy to do using some specific touch based techniques. In my practice I have seen this approach create significant changes in pelvic health function and how mothers can use their body; it is also one of the most powerful mental health supports when we bring the body and the mind into alignment.

When you work with me I can't tell you exactly what will happen in a session. Your body will be the guide. But we will always start by checking whether or not the open birth pattern is closed and tend to whatever we discover there.

Because whether your mothering challenges feel like they are more closely related to the body or the mind, this step can have a significant impact on how you show up in the world. How you feel and function. And your capacity to be the mum you need or want to be.

Janelle is a women's health occupational therapist, and certified practitioner for the Institute of Birth Healing where these techniques to close the open birth pattern in the body are taught. She combines a range of touch and soft tissue based techniques that support the ligaments, muscles, organs, bones and fascia of the pelvis with visualisation, parts work, mental health strategies and somatic inquiry. She visits Wollongong on a quarterly basis to offer face to face appointments, with her next trip being May 2, 3 and 4. Find out more about working with her face to face or online at www.thewildorangetree.com.au