When Can You Start Pelvic Floor Exercises After Birth?
Copyrighted image used with permission from Pelvic Guru, LLC.
Boston Pelvic Physical Therapy did an "Ask Me Anything" on Instagram and this question was particularly popular (see HERE for the full IG video):
Q: When can you start doing simple things postpartum to reconnect to your pelvic floor?
A: You can start reconnecting with your core and pelvic floor immediately after delivery through gentle breathing exercises. This might sound simple, but it’s one of the most important and effective (if done correctly) first steps in postpartum recovery.
During pregnancy, the growing baby shifts your diaphragm upward under your ribs, which often leads to shallower breathing. After birth, your body has the opportunity to reset. Taking full, deep breaths (which includes getting all the way to the end of your exhale) helps the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and pelvic floor begin to work together again.
To practice this, try diaphragmatic breathing (also called 360 or belly breathing):
Take a slow, deep breath in, aiming to expand not just your belly, but also your back and sides.
Exhale fully, until you feel your deep abdominal muscles gently drawing in or “knitting together.”
Repeat several times, noticing how your body relaxes with each cycle.
This exercise may feel unusual at first, but it lays the foundation for safe and effective pelvic floor recovery. From here, you can gradually progress to more specific postpartum core and pelvic floor exercises with guidance from a pelvic floor physical therapist…like us!
Whether you’re pregnant or postpartum (no matter how long it’s been since you gave birth), we can help you reconnect with your pelvic floor. At Boston Pelvic Physical Therapy in Melrose, MA, our pelvic floor specialists can help you regain core strength, restore mobility, and feel strong in your everyday life again. You can conveniently schedule an initial evaluation here or email us at info@bostonpelvicpt.com with any questions.