Postnatal Exercises

Pregnancy and childbirth will weaken your lower back, core abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles. Most of the changes that happen during pregnancy and labour will return to normal by about 6 weeks after giving birth. However your joints and ligaments may be more lax for up to 6 months due to changing hormonal levels and your posture during pregnancy, and if you had a caesarean birth or difficult birth.

Young father playing with his daughter inside with toys

Gentle exercise such as walking can usually be started as soon as you feel up to it. But avoid any high impact exercises or sports that require rapid direction changes until you have had your postnatal checkup and received the okay from a health professional.

It’s important to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles by doing exercises every day.

The weakening of muscles can cause problems such as incontinence, where you leak urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh or do exercise. Or you may have a sudden need to empty your bowels.

It’s important to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles by doing exercises every day. To help you identify these muscles, they are the ones that you tighten to stop urinating (weeing). The following exercises can be performed lying down, sitting or standing.

Young father playing with his daughter inside with toys
Young father playing with his daughter inside with toys
  • Try to relax your abdominal muscles. Don’t bear down or hold your breath.
  • Gradually squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and increase the tension until you have contracted the muscles as hard as you can. Release gently and slowly.
  • Squeeze slowly and hold for 5-10 seconds. Release slowly. Repeat 10 times.
  • Perform quick, short and hard squeezes. Repeat 10 times.
  • Squeeze, then clear your throat or cough lightly. Repeat 3 times.
  • Aim for 5-6 sets each day.

National Continence Helpline 1800 33 00 66

www.bladderbowel.gov.au

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