Postpartum Support

The postpartum period is a time of healing, adjustment, and discovery. While rest and recovery are crucial, doing absolutely nothing for weeks can leave your body feeling stiff, disconnected, and unsupported. So how do you strike the right balance?

Let’s explore how to gently and mindfully return to exercise after birth, focusing on listening to your body, rebuilding your foundation, and progressing at a pace that supports healing.

Step 1: Start with Restorative Movements

In the first few weeks postpartum, prioritize low-effort activities that promote recovery and body awareness. Think of this as laying the groundwork for future strength.

• Diaphragmatic Breathing: Practice deep belly breaths to reconnect with your core and promote healing from the inside out.

• Pelvic Floor Awareness: Gently contract and release your pelvic floor muscles (imagine lifting a blueberry, then setting it down). This helps rebuild muscle control and connection.

• Gentle Stretches: Release tension in areas that worked hard during pregnancy, like your lower back, hips, and shoulders.
  

Step 2: Use a Readiness Checklist

Before jumping back into more structured exercise, assess your readiness with this simple checklist:

1. Bleeding: Has postpartum bleeding (lochia) stopped or significantly reduced?

2. Incision Healing: If you had a C-section or perineal tears, are the incision sites fully healed and pain-free?

3. Core Engagement: Can you lightly engage your deep core muscles without doming or coning at your midline?

4. Pelvic Floor Comfort: Are you free from significant pelvic pain, heaviness, or urinary incontinence? Are you able to connect with those muscles enough to lift/engage them on purpose?

5. Energy Levels: Do you feel rested enough to add movement into your routine without overexertion?
   

If you’re unsure about any of these, it’s a great time to consult a perinatal fitness professional for personalized guidance. Oh, look, you've got one right here!! Feel free to comment below with your questions or send me a private email at elise@mombodfitness.org :)

Step 3: Rebuild Your Core and Pelvic Floor

Your pelvic floor and core are the foundation of your movement postpartum. Start small, focusing on exercises that reconnect these areas without adding undue strain:

• Heel Slides: Lie on your back with knees bent. Slide one heel out along the floor, then bring it back. Keep your core lightly engaged to avoid doming.

• Bridge Lifts: While lying on your back, engage your glutes and core to lift your hips into a bridge, then lower slowly.

• Seated Cat-Cow: While sitting on a chair or exercise ball, gently arch and round your back to mobilize your spine and wake up your core.
  

Step 4: Add Functional Movements

Once you feel comfortable with foundational exercises, begin incorporating functional strength work that mimics everyday activities:

• Bodyweight Squats: Strengthen your legs and core for lifting and carrying.

• Modified Push-ups: Build upper body strength to support babywearing and daily parenting tasks. Do these on an incline or against a wall to go easy on your core if you experience any doming or coning in your abdomen.

• Lunges with Baby: If babywearing feels comfortable, try gentle lunges to engage your entire body.
  

Step 5: Listen to Your Body and Adjust as Needed

Even if your provider has cleared you for exercise, your body may not yet be ready for pre-pregnancy routines. Signs to slow down or scale back include:

• Pelvic pain or heaviness

• Abdominal coning or doming

• Increased bleeding or discomfort
  

Returning to fitness isn’t about rushing—it’s about reclaiming your strength in a way that protects your long-term health.

Start with gentle core and pelvic floor exercises to rebuild strength from the inside out. Gradually integrate functional movements that support your day-to-day activities as a parent, like lifting, carrying, and squatting.

For more detailed tips and practical advice, tune into my Bodies in Bloom podcast episode 7 Tips for Returning to Exercise Postpartum, where I break down what postpartum recovery can look like and how to take those first steps back into fitness with confidence.

The postpartum period can bring a lot of emotional ups and downs, and it’s important to remember that the baby blues are completely normal and temporary. After all, the hormone shift we experience after birth is the biggest any human will ever experience in their lifetime! This often appears in the first few days to weeks after birth and is

usually mild, lasting only a few weeks. The emotional shifts you’re experiencing can feel overwhelming at times, so here are a few tips to help you navigate this challenging phase:

1. Prepare for the Most Difficult Times of Day

Certain times of the day can feel especially difficult—whether it’s the late afternoon, evening, or a time when you’re feeling particularly exhausted. Preparing for these moments can help ease some of the emotional weight. Set up extra care and support during those times, whether that’s asking a friend or family member to help with baby care or planning a quiet space to retreat for self-care.

2. Find a Trusted Person to Share With

Having someone you trust to talk to during tough moments can be a game-changer. Whether it’s your partner, a friend, or a family member, sharing your feelings helps lighten the emotional load. Sometimes just being heard can make all the difference.

3. Lean on Your Support Network

You don’t have to do it all alone. Lean on your support network—whether it’s family, friends, or professionals like a postpartum doula. Let them know what you need and don’t hesitate to ask for help. It’s okay to ask for breaks or support with other children or household tasks while you focus on your recovery.

4. Prioritize Self-Care

Taking care of yourself is essential for your well-being. Even if it’s just a few minutes a day, try to carve out time for activities that help you recharge. Whether it’s taking a walk, soaking in a warm bath, or reading for a few minutes, prioritize these moments to help you feel grounded.

5. Use Simple Mindfulness Strategies

Mindfulness can be a great tool for managing the emotional waves that come with the baby blues. One simple technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 method:

• Notice 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can hear

• 3 things you can feel

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste

This exercise helps bring your awareness back to the present moment and can provide relief when emotions feel overwhelming.

Remember

The baby blues are a temporary and normal part of postpartum recovery, and they usually only last a few weeks. However, if your feelings of sadness, anxiety, or overwhelm last longer or become more intense, it may be a sign of postpartum depression or anxiety. It’s important to reach out to your healthcare provider for support so you can get the help you need.

You are not alone in this journey, and asking for help is a sign of strength. Take care of yourself and know that these difficult moments will pass. How about you? Have you experienced the baby blues? What strategies helped you through this time? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences—let’s support each other in the comments below!