A NEW mum was back on the rugby field less than five months after an emergency caesarean.
Annette Bevan plays for Championship 1 South side Abbey RFC Women and was back with the team after recovering from a difficult labour.
During the covid lockdowns, the 32-year-old fell pregnant, and had a difficult 63-hour labour – two-and-a-half days. The emergency c-section was unexpected and hadn’t been prepared for.
Due to rules on social distancing, there wasn’t the usual support available for new mothers, and Ms Bevan said this was an isolating period.
She says an online resource, Postpartum Plan, helped her thanks to a virtual community, webinars, yoga and well-being techniques.
“It was an invaluable resource,” she said.
“It had always been a goal of mine to return to rugby after giving birth. I had a relatively straightforward pregnancy, continued strength training throughout, and was anticipating a similarly uncomplicated birth.”
But this wasn’t the case. Her son was lying in the transverse position – horizontal rather than the usual downward-facing position. Her waters had broken, she had had a failed induction via oxytocin drip, and required an epidural before the emergency caesarean.
“This wasn’t part of the ‘plan’ at all,” she said. “I had done no prior research about c-section deliveries, births, or aftercare, and I had arrogantly assumed it would never happen to me.
“Consequently, I was completely unsure about what returning to full fitness and sports would entail, as I had only prepared for a vaginal delivery and postpartum experience.
“I was utterly exhausted and terrified.”
While the early days of motherhood were a bit of a blur, Ms Bevan said that the Postpartum Plan community helped her “twenty precious minutes to myself away from breastfeeding, diaper changes, and physical recovery”.
She set up an Instagram account @postpartumrugbymum to reach out to others in a similar position.
“I distinctly recall being immensely grateful for the deep-breathing webinars, which allowed me to take. Early postpartum yoga was another webinar, tapping into emotional freedom techniques was yet another, and sometimes they were simply delightful conversations that often became very candid and emotional, yet provided a safe space to discuss, laugh, vent, and cry about motherhood,” she recalled.
“When I suspected my son had a tongue tie, a lactation consultant whom I had connected with through the Postpartum Plan became my saviour. She offered compassionate advice via Instagram to someone she didn’t even know but wanted to assist.
“Despite having my own copy, the connections with women’s health physiotherapists were incredible, and I strongly encourage every expectant mother to read Megan Vicker’s book ‘Stronger.’
“Through it, I retrospectively learned about my c-section procedure, which gave me a better understanding of the profound healing my body needed and allowed me to establish timelines for returning to sports.
“In the first few months of becoming a mother, I gained more knowledge about my body, pregnancy, and the postpartum period than I ever did from any baby book.”
“Even though I gave birth just over two years ago, I feel like I’d be starting from square one all over again. I achieved my goal of returning to Championship rugby at four and a half months postpartum, a timeline that some might find remarkably early.
“The most valuable lesson I’ve learned as a mother is to trust your body and instincts, and with the right support network, anything can be achieved.”
