By Anna Scammell

Bringing a baby into the world is no easy feat! Whether you’ve had a vaginal birth or c-section, implementing intentional strategies can make all the difference in how you feel physically.

Prioritise Daily Rest (Yes, Lying Down Matters!)

Many new mums do too much too soon post-birth, which can slow healing and increase the risk of pain or pelvic floor dysfunction (like prolapse). The first 6 weeks are crucial for recovery, so daily horizontal rest (at least 30–60 minutes) is a necessity.

Why? Lying down removes the pressure of gravity and allows your body to shift into healing mode (the parasympathetic nervous system). A great way I managed additional rest after giving birth was breastfeeding my baby in side-lying, so I highly recommend trying this.

Start Pelvic Floor Activation Early

Your pelvic floor muscles worked hard during pregnancy and then stretched up to 3 times their length if you had a vaginal birth, so reconnecting with them straight after delivery is key!

• Begin with 4-5 gentlepelvic floor contractions the day after birth (or once your catheter is removed, if you had one).
• Over the next 2 weeks gradually work up to 10 x slow holds of your endurance and 10 x fast contractions, 3 x daily.
• Try different positions: lying down, sitting and standing.

Your pelvic floor will likely feel weak at first – this is completely normal and was definitely the case for me! This will improve over time with consistent exercises.

Keep Your Bowels Moving (No Straining!)

Using your bowels for the first time post-birth is daunting, so let’s make sure it’s as smooth as possible (pardon the pun!). Constipation/straining puts extra pressure on healing tissues, whether you had a vaginal birth or c-section.

To keep your bowels happy:

• Stay hydrated – aim for 3L of water per day.
• Eat fibre-rich foods like kiwi, stone fruit, porridge, cooked veggies, chia pudding, yoghurt, wholegrains, slow-cooked meat. Decrease “drying” foods like white bread, cheese, crackers, bananas.
• For optimal alignment, use a stool under your feet, lean forwards with a straight back, resting your elbows on your thighs and breathe into your belly.
• If needed, use gentle laxatives like Movicol(especially if you’ve had a perineal tear).
• Support your perineum with toilet paperif you had a vaginal birth or place light pressure on your c-section scar to provide extra comfort.

Ease Into Walking

Early movement is important, but listen to your body and avoid pushing through symptoms like vaginal heaviness, pain or leakage.

Follow this program:

• Day 1: Walk around your hospital room
• Day 2–3: Walk down the hospital hallway
• Day 4-5: Walk to cafeteria and back
• Once home: Walk down the street and back
• Gradually increaseby 5-minute increments every 1-2 days
• Alternate between using the pram and a baby carrier to avoid overloading your pelvic floor
• Stick to flat ground as much as possible

By 6 weeks postpartum, some mums are comfortably walking 2–3 km, while others manage 5–6 km. Both are completely normal.

Delegate the Housework!

Most women love this tip! Jokes aside, it really is essential to prioritise rest and recovery during the first 6 weeks, and steer clear of physical household chores – even if you feel fine. Have a discussion with your partner about them taking over these responsibilities while you’re healing.

Also make sure you ask for and accept help from family & friends. Loved ones or paid help can assist with tasks like meal preparation, errands, cleaning or caring for other children.

Support Your Core With Compression

After pregnancy and birth, your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles require support in the form of medical grade compression to facilitate healing.

I recommend wearing SRC recovery shorts or leggings daily for the first 6–12 weeks. I wore mine for 9 weeks and couldn’t have lived without them!

Early + Gentle Strengthening

While rest is crucial, reconnecting to your core muscles early can improve posture, mobility, and strength – all essential when caring for a newborn!

If you’re looking for structured guidance, focusing on healing abdominal separation & the pelvic floor, The Postpartum Academy provides Pilates exercises from 1–2 weeks postpartum through to 4+ months. This program helped me regain my strength with short videos I could fit in while my baby napped!

Book Appointment with Women’s Health Physiotherapist at 6 Weeks

Your 6-week GP or Obstetrician check-up is not enough when it comes to postpartum recovery. A Women’s Health Physio specialises in:

• Abdominal separation (diastasis)
• Pelvic floor function
• Scar tissue mobility (for c-section or perineal tears)
• Bladder, bowel & sexual health
• A safe return-to-exercise plan
• Ongoing guidance and management to achieve your goals

Even if you feel great, these appointments can help prevent long-term issues, such as pelvic floor dysfunction.

Anna Scammell is a Masters-trained Women’s Health Physiotherapist in Sydney, Founder of The Whole Mother and mum to a beautiful little girl. Anna specialises in pregnancy, postpartum & the pelvic floor, offering home visits, clinic consults and online sessions. She is also the Founder of The Pregnancy Academy and The Postpartum Academy – online programs teaching women how to have a healthier pregnancy, informed birth and an empowered, stronger recovery.

Connect with Anna:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thewholemother.com

Social: @the.whole.mother