Postpartum Alignment · Folsom, CA
Rebuild Your Foundation After Baby. Start With Your Hips.
Pregnancy, birth and months of carrying, feeding and lifting a baby change how your hips and pelvis carry you. AlignSmart® measures your alignment so you can see where your body has shifted and build a plan to move well again.
- Hips & Pelvis
- Low Back
- Carrying Baby
- Getting Back to Activity
Can pregnancy and birth change hip alignment?
Often, yes. During pregnancy your center of gravity shifts and hormones soften the ligaments that hold the pelvis and hips in place. After birth, everyday habits like carrying a baby on one hip, nursing, and lifting a car seat keep the pelvis and hips working unevenly. AlignSmart® is a patented posture assessment that measures 20 points, including how your pelvis is positioned, and gives you a Symmetry Score. A practitioner can then show you where your body has shifted and build a plan around your structure. It is educational, not a diagnosis, and it works alongside your OB-GYN, midwife or doctor.
Before you start: check with your OB-GYN, midwife or doctor about when you are cleared for exercise and activity. Symmetry for Health is not a medical provider.
What changes in your body during and after pregnancy?
Think of a car whose load has changed. Carry something heavy on one side for months and the alignment shifts to match. A new mom’s body does the same thing, and then asks it to keep going on very little sleep.
A new center of gravity
As the belly grows, posture shifts to stay balanced, and the pelvis and low back adapt.
Softer ligaments
Pregnancy hormones loosen connective tissue, which can leave the hips and pelvis less stable for a while.
One-sided carrying
The hip carry, the car seat and the diaper bag all load one side more than the other.
Feeding and hunching
Hours of nursing, bottle feeding and leaning over a crib round the shoulders and tighten the hips.
Most people don’t realize their alignment has shifted, and even a slight degree can cause problems. It takes objective measurement to see it.
Where alignment can show up for new moms
Hips are the center of the picture because they connect everything above and below. When they work unevenly, the body compensates elsewhere.
Hips & pelvis
One side doing more of the work can leave the hips feeling tight, uneven or unsteady.
Low back
The low back often picks up the slack when the hips and pelvis aren’t sharing the load.
Neck & shoulders
Leaning over a baby for hours can keep the neck and upper back working overtime.
Knees & feet
A shift at the hips can change how the knees and feet take load with every step.
What happens at your assessment
- MeasureThe patented AlignSmart® device captures 20 points across three planes of motion and produces your Symmetry Score.
- EducateYour practitioner shows you where your hips, pelvis and the rest of your body have adapted, in plain language.
- CorrectYou get a custom correction plan built around your structure and where you are in your recovery.
- EmpowerYou learn how to keep your alignment through the daily work of carrying, feeding and lifting.
Works with your care team, not instead of it
AlignSmart® is designed to work alongside your OB-GYN, midwife, pelvic floor physical therapist, chiropractor and doctor. It adds objective alignment data to the picture. If you have pain, bleeding, pelvic pressure or any other concern after birth, please talk to your healthcare provider first. Nothing on this page replaces their advice.
Postpartum alignment questions, answered
Can pregnancy change hip alignment?
It can. Your center of gravity shifts and pregnancy hormones loosen the ligaments around the pelvis. After birth, carrying, feeding and lifting a baby keep the hips and pelvis working in uneven ways.
How soon after giving birth can I come in?
Once your doctor has cleared you for activities such as stretching. Talk with your OB-GYN, midwife or doctor first, then you are welcome to come in.
Can I tell on my own if my hips are aligned?
Not reliably. Most people don’t realize they are misaligned, and even a slight degree can cause problems. That is why Symmetry for Health uses objective measurement rather than a visual guess.
Does this replace pelvic floor therapy or my doctor’s care?
No. AlignSmart® is designed to work alongside your care team and adds objective alignment data and a plan built around your structure.
What is a Symmetry Score?
It is a number from 0 to 81 that shows how well your body is structurally aligned, based on the 20 points AlignSmart® measures. It becomes the foundation of your correction plan.
Where is Symmetry for Health located?
We are in Folsom, CA, and serve moms from Roseville, El Dorado Hills, Granite Bay, Rocklin, Cameron Park and greater Sacramento.
Take care of the one carrying everyone
Start with a free posture evaluation and see where your alignment stands. Prefer to talk first? Call (916) 467-7764.
Get My Free Posture Evaluation →This page is for general educational purposes and is not medical advice, diagnosis or a treatment recommendation. Symmetry for Health is not a medical provider. If you have pain, an injury or a health concern, see a qualified healthcare provider, and ask your OB-GYN, midwife or doctor when you are cleared for exercise after birth.