From Childbirth to the Starting Blocks: Are We Providing the Best Care to Our Postpartum Athletes?

Abstract

There is minimal evidence to guide return to exercise after pregnancy and childbirth, and even less information on safe return to competitive sport. The International Olympic Committee has suggested a 3-phase approach to postpartum recovery in athletes. This Viewpoint expands on that 3-phase model and incorporates a multidisciplinary approach to ensure comprehensive care of postpartum athletes to facilitate safe return to sport with optimal health and performance outcomes. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach may also open new research avenues to ameliorate the dearth of knowledge regarding musculoskeletal recovery and facilitate the development of guidelines to inform clinicians and postpartum women about safe return to exercise, particularly, high-intensity or high-impact activities. <i>J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2020;50(6):281-284. doi:10.2519/jospt.2020.0607</i>.