Term 2 Is Here, and Your Body Knows It

If you are reading this somewhere between packing lunches, hunting for school shoes that have mysteriously vanished, and trying to remember which day is sport and which day is library, I see you.

Term 2 is in full swing. The brief breathing room of the school holidays is already a distant memory, and the relentless rhythm of early mornings, after-school activities, homework battles, and trying to feed everyone something that is not toast has started all over again.

I know this firsthand. As a mum and a chiropractor, I live in both worlds. The one where I am helping patients with their bodies all day, and the one where I am carrying a toddler on one hip, a school bag on my shoulder, and wondering why my lower back is screaming at me by 3pm.

The truth is, mums tend to put themselves last. We wait until we are really struggling before we do anything about it. And by then, the body has usually been compensating for weeks.

Why Mums Feel It in Their Bodies Right Now

It is not your imagination. The return to routine after holidays is genuinely harder on your body. Here is why:

Sleep debt catches up. The school holidays might not have been restful (when are they ever?), and now you are waking earlier, sleeping lighter, and running on less. Poor sleep does not just make you tired. It makes your muscles tighter, your joints stiffer, and your pain threshold lower.

You are carrying more, literally. School bags, car seat transfers, groceries, the toddler who suddenly cannot walk at pick-up time. These repetitive loads add up, especially through your lower back, shoulders and hips.

Posture takes a hit. Hunching over lunchboxes at 6am, sitting in the car for school drop-offs, scrolling your phone in the pick-up line. None of it is kind to your neck and upper back.

Your core may still be recovering. If you have had a baby in the last few years, your deep core and pelvic floor may not be back to full strength. That means your lower back and hips are picking up the slack, and they will let you know about it.

Stress lives in the body. The mental load of managing a family’s schedule is enormous, and that tension does not just stay in your head. It settles into your shoulders, your jaw, your upper back. I see it every single week in the clinic.

What We Are Seeing in the Clinic Right Now

Every term, I notice the same patterns coming through the door:

• Neck and shoulder tension from stress, poor sleep, and too much time looking down at devices and lunchbox prep
• Lower back pain from car seat transfers, carrying kids, and bending over a million times a day
• Hip pain especially in mums who are still postpartum, where pelvic instability meets increased physical demands
• Headaches tension-type headaches that start at the base of the skull and creep up over the top of the head
• That “everything aches” feeling where nothing is acutely wrong, but your whole body just feels tight, heavy and worn out

Sound familiar?

Simple Things You Can Do Right Now

You do not need a gym membership or an hour to yourself (though would that not be nice). Here are a few things that genuinely help:

Stretch in the morning, even for two minutes. Before the chaos begins, stand tall, roll your shoulders back, and gently stretch your neck side to side. It sounds small, but it sets your body up for a better day.

Reset your posture at the school gate. While you are waiting for the bell, stand with your weight even on both feet, shoulders relaxed, and take three slow, deep breaths. It is a simple nervous system reset that takes 30 seconds.

Switch sides when carrying. If you always carry your toddler on the left hip or always sling the bag over the right shoulder, your body will develop an imbalance. Alternate where you can.

Gentle core activation. You do not need crunches. A simple pelvic floor lift or deep belly breath while sitting in the car can start to wake up the muscles that support your lower back. Even a few minutes a day makes a difference over time.

Prioritise sleep, even imperfect sleep. Get to bed 20 minutes earlier. Put the phone down. Your body does its repair work overnight, and even a small improvement in sleep quality can reduce how much pain and tension you carry during the day.

When It Is Time to Come In

Self-care is wonderful, but sometimes your body needs more than stretching and good intentions. Here are a few signs it might be time to book in:

• Your pain has been hanging around for more than a week or two and is not improving
• You are waking up stiff or sore most mornings
• Headaches are becoming a regular thing
• You are avoiding certain movements because they hurt
• You just feel like your body is not coping the way it used to

There is no minimum level of pain required to come and see us. You do not need to be in crisis. Sometimes a single session to release the tension that has built up and reset your alignment can make a world of difference to how you feel for the rest of the term.

I work with mums at every stage, pregnant, postpartum, and well beyond, and I understand the unique demands your body is under. My post-graduate training in paediatric and pregnancy care means I can tailor your treatment to exactly where your body is right now, not where it “should” be.

You Deserve to Feel Good Too

Mums are incredible at looking after everyone else. But your body matters too. And honestly? When you feel better physically, everything else gets a little easier. The patience lasts a bit longer, the energy stretches a bit further, and you enjoy the chaos a bit more.

If Term 2 has already started to take its toll, do not push through it. We are here for exactly this. And yes, we have Saturday morning appointments (8am to 1pm) for when weekday visits just are not possible.

Come in for a tune-up. You have earned it. 💙

Book online or call 0404 717 488.

Dr. Amanda O’Doherty (Chiropractor 3979019K), Chiropractic Moves, 21 Agars St Paddington QLD 4064

Dr. Amanda O’Doherty

Hi, I’m Amanda. Chiropractor, mum, human body nerd, keen walker (with stroller of course) and social butterfly. I work with mothers and babies to help with underlying musculoskeletal issues of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding; so that mothers can gain confidence in their body for their birthing and breastfeeding journey.