Overview

Goal: Core Restoration, Light Strength, Walking
Timeline: Weeks 6-12 (vaginal birth) / Weeks 10-16 (C-section)
Weekly Split: 4 active days, 3 rest days

This is Part 2 of the three-part DAREBEE Postpartum Plan:

Phase 1 - Rest and Reconnect
Phase 2 - Core Reconnection and Light Strength (you are here)
Phase 3 - Return to Full Training

Start this plan only after completing Phase 1 and receiving medical clearance - typically at your 6-week check (vaginal birth) or your 10-12 week check (C-section).

You have medical clearance and your body has done its primary healing. Now you begin to rebuild - slowly and deliberately. Phase 2 focuses on core restoration (not core training in the conventional sense), gentle full body strength, and building your walking duration. From this point on, the full Pelvic Floor Workout, all seven exercises, becomes your daily pelvic floor session.

Instructions

1. Follow the weekly schedule above. Do the Pelvic Floor Workout every day - it takes only a few minutes.
2. Where a day links to the database, set the difficulty level to 1 only.
3. Check yourself for diastasis recti before every session (see below).
4. Stop any exercise that causes pain, leaking, pelvic pressure, or a visible dome along your midline.
5. Rest days are part of the plan. More is not better at this stage.

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.

The Week In Detail

Monday - Core Reconnection + Walking

What To Do:

✓ Pelvic Floor Workout - full workout (daily, but do it here as your anchor)
✓ Glute bridges: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Breathe in to prepare. On the exhale, gently engage your pelvic floor and lift your hips slowly off the floor. Hold for 3 seconds. Lower slowly. 2 sets of 10. Stop if you feel any coning or pressure.
✓ Dead bug: Lie on your back, arms pointing to the ceiling, knees bent at 90 degrees. Breathe in. On the exhale, slowly lower one arm overhead and extend the opposite leg, keeping your lower back in contact with the floor. Return. Alternate sides. 2 sets of 8 per side. Do not let your back arch.
✓ 20-30 minute walk at a comfortable pace

Why? The Pelvic Floor Workout, glute bridges, and dead bugs are the safest entry points for postpartum core work. They load the transverse abdominis and pelvic floor gently and in coordination, which is exactly what is needed before progressing to more demanding exercises.

Tuesday - Rest or gentle walking only (10-15 minutes)

Wednesday - Light Full Body Strength

What To Do:

✓ Full Body Strength Workout - difficulty level 1 only. Choose seated or standing exercises. Avoid any exercise that causes abdominal coning, leaking, or pelvic pressure.
✓ 20 minute walk afterwards if energy allows

Why? Light resistance work at this stage rebuilds the neuromuscular connections between your brain and your muscles that were disrupted during pregnancy, and begins the process of rebuilding metabolic rate and functional strength. Level 1 keeps everything gentle and low-load.

Thursday - Rest or gentle walking only (10-15 minutes)

Friday - Core Reconnection + Walking

What To Do:

✓ Repeat Monday's core session (Pelvic Floor Workout, glute bridges and dead bug)
✓ Add: Wall push-ups - 2 sets of 10. Stand an arm's length from a wall, hands flat against it. Lower your chest toward the wall and push back. These rebuild upper body strength and core stability without loading the abdomen.
✓ 25-30 minute walk

Why? Two core-focused sessions per week with rest between them is the evidence-based approach to postpartum core recovery. More is not better at this stage.

Saturday - Yoga

What To Do:

✓ Yoga Routine - difficulty level 1 only. Avoid deep twists, inversions, and any pose that creates abdominal pressure or causes coning.

Why? Yoga in the postpartum period improves flexibility, reduces anxiety and depression, and supports the body awareness needed to exercise safely. It is also one of the few types of movement that genuinely fits around a baby - you can do it on the floor next to them.

Sunday - Rest

What to avoid in Phase 2:

✗ Sit-ups, crunches, or any movement that causes midline coning
✗ Planks (front or side)
✗ Running or jumping of any kind
✗ Heavy lifting
✗ Any exercise performed through leaking, pain, or pelvic heaviness

Check yourself before every session in Phase 2: Place two fingers horizontally across your navel. Lift your head as if starting a crunch. If you feel a gap wider than two fingers, or if a dome or ridge rises along the centre of your abdomen, you have active diastasis recti. This does not mean you cannot exercise - it means you must stay with Phase 2 exercises until that response reduces, and you should mention it to your doctor or a pelvic floor physiotherapist.

When To Move On

When you reach the end of week 12 (vaginal birth) or week 16 (C-section), your diastasis check is clear, and you have no leaking, pain, or pelvic pressure during exercise, move on to Phase 3 - Return to Full Training. If any of those are still present, stay with Phase 2 a little longer - your body sets the pace, not the calendar.

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.