You had a beautiful baby, you did your best to recover your energy and be the best mum possible. But your lower back still hurts.
It is not the sharp injury kind.
But the deep, dull, tired ache that never really leaves.
If you’re 7 months, 1 year, even 2 years postpartum and your lower back has never felt the same — you’re not imagining it. And it might not be just because you’re carrying a toddler.
Why Does Lower Back Pain Linger After Pregnancy?
You might have been told that it’s normal and your core is weak but persistent lower back pain after pregnancy often has deeper layers.
1. Pregnancy and Birth Are Depleting
Pregnancy requires enormous physical resources. Blood volume increases, nutrients are redirected and sleep is disrupted.
When the body is not properly rebuilt after birth, certain areas become vulnerable.
One of the first places this shows up is the lower back.
In traditional chinese medicine, the lower back is closely linked to your deep reserves — your long-term energy, resilience, structural stability and longevity.
When those reserves are low, the back doesn’t feel strong or supported.
2. C-Section Scar Tension Can Create Hidden Strain
If you had a C-section, the scar tissue can create tension patterns through the abdomen, fascia, and pelvis that subtly change how you stand, walk, and stabilize your core.
Over time, this compensation can pull on the lower back, reduce deep abdominal support, create asymmetry in the pelvis and lead to chronic dull pain.
Many women are cleared at 6 weeks but internal healing continues for months.
3. Pelvic Weakness and Instability
During pregnancy, ligaments soften, the pelvis widens and the abdominal wall stretches.
After birth, the body doesn’t automatically “snap back.”
If the deep core and pelvic support system remain weak, the lower back often compensates. And you may notice pain when standing for long periods, when getting out of bed, while carrying your child or have a feeling that your back is “fragile”
Signs Your Back Pain Is Linked to Postpartum Depletion
You feel your body has’t recovered fully
Your back feels worse at the end of the day
You also struggle with either low energy, anxiety, or irregular cycles
Your pain started during pregnancy and never fully resolved
You had a C-section and still feel tight or numb around the scar
Postpartum Doesn’t End at 6 Weeks
Exercise and movement are important.
But if your system is depleted, inflamed, or chronically stressed, pushing harder can actually worsen symptoms.
True recovery often requires:
Restoring deep energy reserves
Supporting hormonal balance
Improving scar mobility
Regulating the nervous system
Gradually rebuilding core strength
If you’re 1 year postpartum and still living with lower back pain, that doesn’t mean this is your new normal.
It often means your body never fully recovered after birth.
And that is something that can be addressed.
In my clinic, I work with women 7 months to 2 years postpartum who feel like they were never fully rebuilt after birth.
Because lower back pain is often not just a back problem.
It’s a recovery problem and it is possible for you too.
Feel free to book a free call to ask me anything or to directly book an initial Chinese Medicine Session.