5 Ways to Rebuild Your Body After Having a Baby

If you’ve had your baby within the past six months, first of all – congrats!  Whether you are a first-time mum or are a returning veteran, there is no doubt your body has undergone changes that might make you feel unsettled and even frustrated at times. Having had two kids (with a third on the way), I can attest that the physical challenges brought about by pregnancy and postpartum are some of the toughest we face as women.

Regardless of whether you stayed fit throughout your pregnancy or weren’t so active, early postpartum exercise can bring great benefits physically, mentally and emotionally.  Walking, proper core and pelvic floor activation, and improving upper back strength and alignment (particularly for breastfeeding mums) are crucial parts of postpartum recovery. But they are often overlooked amid the other demands of this special time, such as lactation, sleep interruptions, and birth recovery.

Here is a list of my best advice for postpartum mums to get moving again while staying safe and feeling well:

1. There is no strict timeline to follow 

Some mums are ready for exercise at six weeks postpartum while others might need just six days before introducing some gentle movement. And for many, it might be six months before they have the physical, mental, or emotional capacity to get active again.  No matter what your doctor says at your six-week postpartum visit, trust your instincts about your own postpartum exercise readiness. And know that there is nothing clinically associative between the six-week mark and doing exercise.

2. No matter when you start exercising, see a physio first 

Related to the point above, exercise readiness is best assessed by both your doctor and a women’s health physiotherapist.  Women’s health physios are specifically trained in assessing and diagnosing common post-pregnancy issues such as diastasis recti, umbilical hernia, and pelvic floor insufficiency. They can use a variety of manual and technical tools to give you a specific sense of your postpartum condition and whether rehabilitative work needs to be done prior to starting a full exercise program (hint: the answer is often yes!).  Your physiotherapist can then work alongside your certified perinatal coach or trainer on an exercise programme that is designed with your specific recovery protocol in mind.

3. Focus on function, not aesthetics

It can be tempting to jump into extreme calorie-burning exercises after pregnancy simply to “lose the baby weight” as fast as possible. But as a perinatal professional, I caution against starting any form of high-intensity exercise without first addressing the functional basics.  After getting clearance from a doctor and physiotherapist, the most important priority for a postpartum exercise programme is progressive functionality. It means you start with the most basic form of an exercise, make sure the targeted muscles can handle the relative load, pressure, or contraction, and then move slowly onto the next level.  An example would be mastering a bodyweight glute bridge, progressing into a banded glute bridge, and finally to a weighted glute bridge.  Making sure your body is fully in control at each stage of progression ensures a safe, strong return to full functionality after childbirth.

4. Balance your inputs and outputs to protect your energy 

Weight loss is a game of calories in, calories out – the relative relationship of energy intake to energy expenditure. Your postpartum energy levels work in the same way. After having a baby, especially if your labour was taxing or traumatic or if you are recovering from the major surgery of a C-section, your energy output may have reached an all-time high. Until you can manage some major energy “input” in the forms of rest, consistent healthy nutrition, establishing feeding and sleeping routines with your little one, and basic recovery (from incisions for example), you may need to delay your return to formal exercise. If this sounds like you, simply focus on gentle walking, getting out into the sunshine, and nourishing yourself. That’s “rebuilding” enough for immediate postpartum.

5. Notice the signs of too much, too soon 

Finally, remember that you know your body best. You are in the best position to observe and assess when you’re pushing too hard.  Abdominal “coning” or “doming,” back pain or spasm, extreme post-exercise fatigue or soreness, or incontinence during exercise are all signs to take a step back, regress to a more functionally appropriate level, and slow down the pace so that your newly postpartum body can truly heal and thrive.

The postpartum period looks different for every mum. Whether you are chomping at the bit to get back to your workout routine or intimidated by the idea of restarting exercise, I hope you will give yourself the grace, time, and patience to find your way back to a strong, healthy, and resilient body post-delivery.

Amanda Lim is a certified fitness and nutrition coach, perinatal specialist, and mother of two (with a third on the way!).  American by birth but Singaporean at heart, she enjoys hot yoga and CrossFit – followed by a big bowl of laksa. You can find her at @coachamandalim and .