Allison Oswald, PT, DPT, WCS, CPT, pelvic floor physical therapist and women’s health expert, @allisonoswald

In the beginning, remember to try to ask for help and get as much support as you can, and be aware of how your body feels. If something doesn’t seem right (e.g. you feel heaviness in your pelvic floor, you’re experiencing leaking for a long period of time, or you feel like you don’t have control over your bladder or bowel), reach out to your pelvic floor PT.

Tips on returning to movement after birth

Rest!

Reconnect with where your body is in space. PSA: for the last 9 months, you’ve housed a growing baby. You now have a new center of mass - and your body is adjusting to that. Begin to reconnect with and become aware of your body in space - namely, your alignment, your posture, and how you’re sitting or standing.

Focus on retraining your body how to breathe. Our breath is how we connect to our core. In pregnancy, we had to breathe differently. Once you find your alignment, you can focus on retraining yourself on proper breath techniques. Proper diaphragmatic breathing includes allowing the ribcage to expand 360 degrees, visualizing the pelvic floor lengthening with the inhale and recoiling up and in on the exhale, and moving the pelvic floor together with the diaphragm. If you were attuned to this during pregnancy, this brain/body neurological connection may be more accessible postpartum.

Connect to your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. The pelvic floor and abdominal muscles are very much connected - so making sure you know how to properly contract and relax the pelvic floor is important (a pelvic floor PT can help with this). When you start to use the pelvic floor, your abs start to kick in. So much of this has to do with your alignment and how you breathe.

Start to practice functional movements. Functional movements prepare you to take care of your baby and eventually get back into whatever exercise regimen you prefer. Keep in mind - your body has changed! It may take a bit more brain power to make sure you’re doing things properly. Move slowly and check in with yourself to make sure you’re not doing anything that doesn’t feel right. This process is so individualized - and it is a slow, steady progression. Be sure to have goals and find support to help you achieve them.

A great time to check in with your PFPT is around 6 weeks postpartum.