| When | What To Do |
|---|---|
| Every Day | Diaphragmatic Breathing (5-10 minutes) |
| Every Day | Pelvic Floor Exercises (3 sets of 10) |
| When Comfortable | Pelvic Floor Light (in place of your daily pelvic floor set) |
| From Day 3-5 | Gentle Walk (5-10 minutes, building up slowly) |
| Always | Rest. Rest is the work in this phase. |
Overview
Goal: Healing, Rest, Gentle Reconnection
Timeline: Weeks 1-6 (vaginal birth) / Weeks 1-10 (C-section)
Daily Commitment: A few gentle minutes, spread through the day
This is Part 1 of the three-part DAREBEE Postpartum Plan:
Phase 1 - Rest and Reconnect (you are here)
Phase 2 - Core Reconnection and Light Strength
Phase 3 - Return to Full Training
Phase 1 guides you through the first weeks after giving birth. Your body is healing from the inside out. Your uterus is returning to its pre-pregnancy size (a process called involution that takes 6-8 weeks), your tissues are repairing, and your hormones are shifting dramatically. The goal of this phase is not fitness. It is healing. Movement here is gentle, brief, and focused entirely on reconnecting with your breath and your pelvic floor. You do not need to rush. You do not need to push. The women who recover in the right order come back stronger than those who pushed too hard too soon.
Instructions
- Do the breathing and pelvic floor exercises daily, at any time of day, in any order. Little and often beats one long session.
- Add short walks from day 3-5 (after giving birth) only if you feel well.
- Nothing in this phase should feel like exercise. If it does, do less.
- Rest, sleep, and eating enough are part of the plan - not a break from it.
Before You Begin
This plan is not a substitute for medical clearance. Before starting any phase of this plan, you must be cleared by your doctor, OB/GYN, or midwife. Do not skip this step. Your healthcare provider knows your specific delivery, your healing, and any complications that affect what is safe for you.
C-section note: A C-section is major abdominal surgery. Every timeline in this plan has two tracks - one for vaginal birth and one for C-section. Always follow the C-section timeline if that applies to you. Recovery from a C-section runs approximately 4 weeks behind vaginal birth recovery throughout this plan.
Stop immediately and contact your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following at any point:
✗ Increased vaginal bleeding or lochia that becomes heavier or changes colour
✗ Pain, burning, or pressure in the pelvic floor during or after exercise
✗ Leaking urine or stool during exercise
✗ A visible cone, dome, or bulge along the midline of your abdomen during any movement
✗ Pain at the C-section incision site
✗ Pelvic heaviness or a feeling of "falling out"
✗ Significant joint pain in hips, knees, or back
✗ Dizziness, chest pain, or shortness of breath
These are not signs to push through. They are signs to stop, rest, and get checked.
What Happened to Your Body
Understanding your body helps you make sense of the plan. During pregnancy, your abdominal muscles stretched significantly and your linea alba (the connective tissue running down the centre of your abdomen) thinned. Up to two thirds of women have some degree of diastasis recti - a gap between the abdominal muscles - after birth. In most cases this improves naturally within 8-12 weeks, but for many women it does not close fully without targeted exercise. Sit-ups and standard crunches can make diastasis recti worse, which is why this plan avoids them entirely.
Your pelvic floor muscles supported the weight of your baby throughout pregnancy and were significantly stressed during birth. At 6 weeks postpartum, pelvic floor muscle strength is reduced by approximately 54% compared to pre-pregnancy levels. This is why pelvic floor work begins in week one and stays in the plan throughout all three phases.
The hormone relaxin, which softened your ligaments and joints during pregnancy, remains elevated in your body - especially if you are breastfeeding - for months after birth. This means your joints are more vulnerable to strain than usual. Avoid high-impact exercise, sudden direction changes, and heavy loading until Phase 3, and even then progress slowly.
What To Do Each Day
Daily - Diaphragmatic Breathing (start from day 1)
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Breathe in slowly through your nose - your belly should rise, your chest should stay relatively still. Breathe out slowly through your mouth, letting your belly fall. Do this for 5-10 minutes at a time, as often as feels comfortable. This is not just relaxation - diaphragmatic breathing directly activates the deep core and begins the process of reconnecting your transverse abdominis, the muscle most affected by pregnancy.
Daily - Pelvic Floor Exercises (start from day 1, or as soon as comfortable)
Lie down, sit, or stand - whichever is most comfortable. Gently squeeze and lift the muscles you would use to stop urinating. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Release fully and rest for the same amount of time. Repeat 10 times. This is one set. Aim for 3 sets per day. If you had a forceps or vacuum delivery, wait until 6 weeks before starting pelvic floor exercises and confirm with your midwife first.
Important: if you feel pain, pressure, or heaviness when doing these, stop and speak to your healthcare provider. You may need pelvic floor physiotherapy before starting.
Progression - Pelvic Floor Light
Once the basic squeezes feel comfortable and you have no symptoms, you can switch your daily pelvic floor session to Pelvic Floor Light. It is built for exactly this stage: deep belly breaths, pelvic tilts, ankle pumps, slow and quick squeezes, a 10-count hold, and knee sways. Every exercise is done lying down, nothing loads the abdominal wall, and the whole thing takes a few minutes. The ankle pumps are there for a reason - circulation in the legs slows down when you are sitting and lying far more than usual, and gentle pumping helps keep it moving. Do the workout once a day. Move slowly, breathe throughout, and stop if you feel any pain, pressure, or heaviness. The full Pelvic Floor Workout is introduced in Phase 2, once you have medical clearance.
From day 3-5 (if comfortable) - Short Walks
Start with 5-10 minutes of gentle walking. This is not exercise walking - it is slow, comfortable movement. Increase by 5 minutes every few days only if you feel well. By the end of week 6 (vaginal) or week 10 (C-section), aim to be walking 20-30 minutes comfortably at a relaxed pace. If you feel pelvic heaviness, pain, or increased bleeding after a walk, shorten the duration and progress more slowly. If getting outside is not practical, walking indoors works just as well - around the house, up and down a hallway, or marching gently on the spot. The point is easy, continuous movement, not the location.
What to avoid in Phase 1:
✗ Any sit-ups, crunches, or leg raises
✗ Planks or any exercise that creates intra-abdominal pressure
✗ Lifting anything heavier than your baby (C-section: nothing heavier than your baby for 6-8 weeks)
✗ High-impact movement of any kind
✗ Exercise that causes pain, leaking, or pelvic pressure
Rest is the work in Phase 1. Sleep when the baby sleeps if you can. Ask for help. Eat enough. Your body is doing an enormous amount of repair that you cannot see, and it needs energy and rest to do it.
When To Move On
When you reach the end of week 6 (vaginal birth) or week 10 (C-section) and you have medical clearance from your doctor, OB/GYN, or midwife, move on to Phase 2 - Core Reconnection and Light Strength. If you are not there yet, stay with Phase 1 for as long as you need. There is no falling behind - there is only your body's timeline.
A Note on Breastfeeding and Exercise
Exercise does not negatively affect breast milk supply or quality. If you are breastfeeding: stay well hydrated before, during, and after every session; eat enough - do not restrict calories, as this can reduce milk supply and energy; feed or express before exercise if breast fullness makes movement uncomfortable; wear a well-fitting, supportive bra. The relaxin hormone remains elevated while breastfeeding, so joint laxity and vulnerability to strain continues throughout this period.
A Note on Postpartum Mental Health
Exercise is one of the most effective evidence-based interventions for postpartum depression and anxiety. If you are struggling with your mood, motivation, or sense of self, moving your body - even a 10-minute walk - can make a meaningful difference. But please also talk to someone. Your doctor, your midwife, a trusted person in your life. You do not need to manage postpartum mental health alone, and exercise alone is not always enough. Both things can be true at the same time.
Important: Always consult your doctor, OB/GYN, or midwife before starting any phase of this plan. This plan is based on current evidence-based guidelines and is designed for women with uncomplicated vaginal or C-section births. It is a general guide only and is not a substitute for personalised medical advice. Your healthcare provider's guidance takes priority over anything written here at all times.
