Rebuilding your core doesn’t mean pushing yourself harder. It means reconnecting with the strength that’s already within you.
Your pelvic floor does a lot of heavy lifting during pregnancy and birth. These deep core muscles support your uterus, bladder, and rectum. They also help with posture, stability, and even breathing. After childbirth, they deserve time, care, and gentle strengthening.
If you're feeling unsure where to begin, you're not alone. Postpartum recovery is not about pushing through or snapping back. It's about reconnecting with your body in a way that feels doable and kind. These five movements are a gentle starting point.
Why the Pelvic Floor Matters After Birth
During pregnancy and delivery, your pelvic floor muscles stretch to make space and support your baby. Whether you had a vaginal delivery or C-section, those muscles may feel weaker, less responsive, or harder to connect with afterward. That’s normal.
Strengthening your pelvic floor helps restore core stability, reduce leaking or discomfort, and support your recovery overall. It’s not about performance. It’s about healing and building a foundation.
The Emotional Side of Recovery
It is also normal to feel frustrated if your body does not feel like it used to. Some movements may feel shaky, unfamiliar, or tiring at first. That does not mean you are failing. Recovery is as much about patience and compassion as it is about exercise. Every small, consistent step is progress.
The 5 Exercises: Gentle Strength from the Inside Out
1. Kegels
Kegels help you reconnect with your pelvic floor muscles. To find them, try stopping the flow of urine mid-stream. That contraction is your pelvic floor activating.
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Practical cue: Imagine gently lifting your pelvic floor upward as you exhale. Keep your breath steady and avoid squeezing your glutes or holding your breath.
Do 10 to 20 slow, controlled squeezes in any position: lying down, sitting, or standing.
2. Bird-Dog
This is a great core stabilization move that also engages the pelvic floor.
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Start on hands and knees in a tabletop position. Extend your left arm and right leg at the same time, keeping your back flat and stable. Return to center and repeat with the opposite side.
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Practical cue: As you extend, exhale and gently draw your belly button toward your spine. Keep your hips level to avoid twisting.
Aim for 10 to 20 slow reps per side.
3. Marches
Marches are great for engaging your deep core and pelvic floor muscles.
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Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Slowly lower one foot to tap the ground, then return and switch sides.
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Practical cue: If you notice your back arching or your ribs flaring, reduce the range of motion and keep the movement smaller.
Do 10 reps on each side.
4. Glute Bridge
Bridges help activate the pelvic floor, glutes, and lower back.
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Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. As you lift your hips, imagine gently lifting your pelvic floor too. Lower down with control.
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Practical cue: Exhale as you rise, pressing evenly into both feet. Avoid arching your back at the top.
Do 10 to 12 reps. If you are pregnant or early postpartum, lift only as high as feels comfortable.
5. Squats
Squats strengthen your legs, glutes, and pelvic floor.
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Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower down like you are sitting in a chair, then return to standing.
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Practical cue: Inhale as you lower, then exhale as you rise while gently lifting your pelvic floor. Keep your spine neutral and avoid letting your knees collapse inward.
Do 10 to 15 reps per set.
How to Build a Gentle Pelvic Floor Circuit
These five exercises can be done on their own or as a circuit. One round might look like:
- 20 Kegels
- 10 Bird-Dog reps per side
- 10 Marches per side
- 10 Glute Bridges
- 10 Squats
Start with 1 to 2 rounds, resting for 1 minute between each. You can build from there if and when it feels right.
Syncing Breath With Movement
Your breath is part of your core. When you inhale, your diaphragm lowers and your pelvic floor gently relaxes. As you exhale, your pelvic floor naturally lifts. Pairing breath with movement helps you reconnect more deeply with your body and avoid the common mistake of holding your breath or bearing down.
When Should You Start Pelvic Floor Exercises?
It is always best to talk to your provider before beginning any postpartum exercise routine. Many moms can safely begin gentle pelvic floor connection and gentle breathing exercises within a few days or weeks after delivery, even while resting or lying down. Movements that involve more effort, like bridges and marches, may come later.
If you are past the six-week mark and feeling ready, start slow and listen to your body. There is no rush.
What About During Pregnancy?
Pelvic floor exercises are also helpful during pregnancy. Kegels, squats, and Bird-Dog are typically safe and effective. As your belly grows, avoid exercises that require lying on your back for long periods, such as marches or bridges.
A strong, responsive pelvic floor may support more effective pushing and reduce your chance of tearing, although every body is different.
When to Seek Professional Support
If you notice persistent leaking, pain, or difficulty connecting with your pelvic floor, consider seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist. Even one or two sessions can give you personalized guidance and help you feel progress more quickly.
Rebuilding from the Inside Out
Your recovery is not just physical. It’s emotional too. These movements are about more than regaining strength. They are about reclaiming connection and trust in your body.
If you're looking for added support, our Postpartum Recovery Bundle was designed to help fill nutritional gaps and support healing from the inside out. It includes targeted nutrients like choline, iron, and magnesium that your body may need more of during postpartum recovery.
You are not starting over. You are starting from strength, even if you do not feel it yet.
Quick-Reference Checklist
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Reconnect, do not push
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Start with gentle movements
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Sync breath with pelvic floor
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Progress slowly when ready
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Seek support if something feels off
You are allowed to go slow. You are allowed to rest. And when you are ready, you are allowed to move.
