To the Mothers (and Those Who Mother): You Deserve Care, Too

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I’ve found myself reflecting on the incredible women I’m lucky enough to know. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with one of my oldest friends and her two little ones. Her whole world revolves around those kids—all day, every day. We rode scooters, blew bubbles, dug in the garden, danced after dinner, and read bedtime stories. It was precious.

But as sweet as those moments were, it was impossible to ignore how much she gives of herself—how little time she has to rest, to breathe, to be. Between raising two little humans and excelling in her career, her personal sacrifices are constant, invisible, and immeasurable.

My own experience as a “mother” looks a little different, but it’s been just as profound. Emily and Noah came into my life when they were already 6 and 9. I didn’t change diapers, I didn’t miss out on sleep, and I didn’t have to put my body through the physical transformation of pregnancy. I totally cheated! But becoming their stepmom is the greatest honor of my life. No matter how you become a mother—whether through birth, adoption, marriage, or simply by showing up—what we pour into others is something sacred.

On a more personal note, I’d like to share a story about my own mom, because I think it speaks volumes about the resilience so many women carry. When I was about 8 years old, my sweet, vibrant, adventurous mother was in a terrible car accident while on vacation away from me and my brother. She was in ICU in another state for what felt like weeks. When she finally came home in a wheelchair, bruised and broken—nose shattered, shoulder in a cast, ribs cracked—I knew things had changed. But what happened next still astonishes me.

She went straight to bed that first night home. And the very next day, she took us to see Paul McCartney in San Antonio. The week after that, she was back to driving me to gymnastics and my brother to guitar lessons like nothing had happened. She didn’t do physical therapy. She didn’t get massages or any sort of help to support her nervous system in recovering from what was a massive trauma.

She just… kept going.

More than 35 years later, she still lives with chronic pain and carries the weight of that accident in her nervous system. It breaks my heart that I can’t take it away. That she never felt she could pause long enough to truly heal. She prioritized us, her children, over herself—like so many women do. But if I could go back, I would gently take her by the hand and say, please, stop. Take the time to recover. You deserve to live without pain.

This story is not unique. So many women do exactly what she did. They muscle through. They minimize their own needs. And their bodies carry the cost for years to come.

That’s why I’m so passionate about creating space for women to heal—really heal.

About six years ago, a close friend casually—and with way too much embarrassment—told me she couldn’t go for a run because ever since having her son (eleven years ago!), she’d leak if she ran, jumped, or even laughed too hard. ELEVEN years. She had never sought help because she didn’t even realize help existed.

That floored me. How had I, a seasoned massage therapist, never been educated about pelvic floor therapy? Why isn’t this standard care after childbirth? The more I dug, the more frustrated I became. People are sent home after giving birth with instructions not to lift anything heavier than the baby, and… that’s it. No guidance. No care plan. No support for the body that just did the most miraculous, strenuous, and transformative thing it will ever do.

It’s no wonder so many women experience ongoing pain, dysfunction, and disconnection from their bodies. The postpartum period is not just about surviving—it should be about healing. And we can do so much better.

At Austin Lymphatic, we’re deeply committed to supporting women at every stage of the journey—whether you’re trying to conceive, currently pregnant, newly postpartum, or raising teens and just now getting around to caring for yourself. We often see women with 6- or 9-year-olds who are finally seeking help for unresolved issues from their C-sections or traumatic births. While we wish we could intervene earlier, we love working on these longer-term challenges. There is always room to heal.

Swelling during pregnancy is common, especially as hormones shift and the growing baby puts pressure on the lymphatic system. Many women also experience pelvic floor dysfunction—back pain, leakage, painful sex, constipation—the list goes on. These aren’t just “part of being a mom.” They’re treatable. And the care is often life-changing.

We want to normalize talking about these issues. You’re not alone. Your pain is not imagined. And your healing matters.

One topic I also want to address—because transparency is everything—is why we typically wait until the second trimester to begin lymphatic massage during pregnancy. Lymphatic work is safe during pregnancy, but we choose to delay sessions during the first trimester out of an abundance of caution. Miscarriages are heartbreakingly common—about 1 in 5 known pregnancies—and while there is no evidence that lymphatic massage causes or contributes to this, we never want to add even a hint of guilt or confusion to such a sensitive experience.

If you’ve experienced pregnancy loss, please know you are not alone. You are not broken. And there is no shame in your grief. We see you. We hold space for you.

At Austin Lymphatic, we’re here to support women through every season of motherhood and healing.

If you’ve experienced swelling, pain, or pelvic floor concerns, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to keep pushing through.

We offer both Pelvic Floor Therapy and Fertility, Pregnancy, and Postpartum Lymphatic sessions to help your body feel supported, cared for, and ready to heal, wherever you are on your journey.

Your healing is not a luxury—it’s essential.

So, to all the mothers and mothering hearts out there—thank you. You deserve support. You deserve rest. You deserve to feel good in your body again.

With so much love and endless appreciation,
Jess

Note: We recognize that not everyone who experiences pregnancy, birth, or pelvic health challenges identifies as a woman or mother. At times, we use language like “women” or “mothers” for ease of communication, but we deeply value and welcome all gender identities and family structures. Our care is inclusive, affirming, and rooted in respect for every body and every story. If you have language preferences or specific needs, we’re here to support you with respect and compassion.