There’s something nobody warned you about before having a baby: your pelvic floor basically becomes a stranger to you after birth. One minute you’re fine, the next you’re crossing your legs every time you sneeze. Sound familiar? This 8-minute postpartum pelvic floor exercises routine is about to become your new best friend.
Your pelvic floor isn’t just about avoiding those awkward “oops” moments (though that’s definitely a perk).
These muscles are literally the foundation of your core, supporting your uterus, bladder, and bowel.
After birth, they need some serious TLC to get back to doing their job properly.
This routine helps your uterus shrink back into place, increases blood flow to speed healing, and yes – gives you back control over your bladder.
The 8-Minute Postpartum Pelvic Floor Exercises
These 8-minute postpartum pelvic floor exercises work wonders.
Keep reding to learn about the specific benefits of each one, plus extra tips.
Basic Pelvic Floor Contractions (The Foundation)
Let’s start with the basics. Find a comfortable position, sitting, lying down, or even on an exercise ball if that feels good. The key here is keeping your glutes relaxed. I know, I know, it sounds weird, but trust me on this one.
The Blueberry Technique: Picture a blueberry at the opening of your vagina. On your exhale, imagine sucking that blueberry in and up. Then fully release and let everything relax. The relaxation part is just as important as the contraction.
Why exhale during contraction? Sounds counter-intuitive, right? Like normally you would think of inhaling and contracting. But what happens is that your diaphragm and pelvic floor work together like dance partners. When you exhale, your diaphragm moves up, which naturally helps your pelvic floor lift too.
The Exercise: Hold each contraction for up to 10 seconds, but don’t stress if you can only manage 5-6 seconds at first. Building strength takes time, just like learning to parallel park (some of us are still working on that one).
Quick Kegels (The Speed Round)
After those longer holds, we’re switching to quick pulses. Think of these as the espresso shots of pelvic floor exercises – short, intense, and energizing.
The Technique: Contract for 1 second, release for 1 second. Focus on that full relaxation between each pulse. Your pelvic floor should feel like it’s doing a little happy dance.
These quick contractions train your muscles for those surprise moments – like when your toddler tells their first joke and you laugh so hard you nearly lose it (literally).
Bridge Pose + Pelvic Floor Combo
Now we’re getting fancy! Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. As you exhale and contract your pelvic floor, lift your hips into a bridge.
Why bridges work so well: This position activates your glutes, hamstrings, and core while giving your pelvic floor some extra support. It’s like having a whole team working together instead of going solo.
Pro tip: If you have a pillow or block, squeeze it between your knees while you’re in the bridge. This activates your inner thighs (adductors) and gives you even more bang for your buck.
Bridge with Adductor Squeeze
Keep that bridge going, but now we’re adding an inner thigh squeeze. This targets your adductors, which are besties with your pelvic floor muscles.
The connection: Your inner thighs and pelvic floor are like that friend group that does everything together. When one gets stronger, they all benefit. It’s the muscle equivalent of “we rise together.”
Heel Slides (The Coordination Challenge)
Still lying on your back, this time we’re sliding one heel away from your body while maintaining that pelvic floor contraction. It’s like patting your head and rubbing your stomach, but for your core.
Why this matters: After pregnancy, your brain needs to relearn how to coordinate these muscles with movement. Heel slides teach your core to stay engaged while your limbs move – crucial for real-life activities like chasing toddlers or carrying groceries.
The technique: As you exhale, pull everything in (pelvic floor, transverse abdominals, the whole gang) while sliding your heel away. Your ribs should stay down and your shoulders relaxed.
Pelvic Tilts
Last but not least, we’re doing some pelvic tilts. Press the small of your back into the ground as you exhale and engage your core.
What’s happening: You’re teaching your pelvis to find its happy place again. Pregnancy can throw off your alignment, and pelvic tilts help reset everything back to neutral.
How Often Should You Do These Pelvic Floor Exercises?
Here’s where I’m going to be your realistic mom friend: aim for daily, but don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Or three days. Or that week when everyone got sick and you survived on coffee and goldfish crackers.
Start with this 8-minute routine and gradually build up. Your pelvic floor is like any other muscle – it needs consistent training to get stronger, but it also needs rest to recover.
When Can You Start This Workout After Birth?
Unless you have complications, you can start gentle pelvic floor contractions immediately after birth. Yes, immediately! Even in the hospital, between visitors and trying to figure out if that cry means hungry or tired.
For the bridge poses and more dynamic movements, wait until you feel ready. Listen to your body, it’s smarter than any blog post (including this one).
Can You Do These If…
You had a C-section? Absolutely! Your pelvic floor still went through pregnancy and needs rehabilitation.
You’re months or years postpartum? It’s never too late to start. Your pelvic floor doesn’t have an expiration date.
You think your pelvic floor is too tight? This is actually more common than you’d think. If you have pain or can’t relax your muscles, focus on the breathing and relaxation parts of these exercises, and consider seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist.
Ready for More Postpartum Exercises?
Once you’ve mastered these pelvic floor exercises (or at least made friends with it), you might be ready to tackle more comprehensive postpartum fitness.
Check out these routines:
- Postpartum full body workout for when you’re ready to level up your entire routine
- Postpartum mommy pooch workout to really target that midsection.
Remember, taking care of your pelvic floor is important, don’t skip these exercises for your body. Your future self (and your underwear drawer) will thank you.
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