The fourth trimester is wildly under-supported. Whether you had a vaginal birth or a C-section, your body just did something incredible — and your tissues, hormones, and nervous system all need real care, not a rushed '6-week clearance.'
Week 1–2: Rest, breathe, hydrate
Your only job is healing. Truly. Lying down beats sitting, sitting beats standing, standing beats walking.
- 360° diaphragmatic breathing — 5 minutes, 2–3x/day. This is your first 'core exercise.'
- Gentle ankle pumps and pelvic tilts in bed for circulation.
- Short, slow walks around the house. No errands, no walks 'for exercise' yet.
- Hydration + protein at every feeding/pumping session.
Week 3–4: Reconnect
Bleeding is slowing. You're (maybe) sleeping in 2–3 hour stretches. Start adding gentle reconnection work — not 'getting your body back.'
- Connection breath: inhale to soften the pelvic floor, exhale to gently lift and engage.
- Glute bridges, heel slides, and side-lying clamshells — pain-free reps only.
- Walks up to 20 minutes if you feel good after, not just during.
- Posture resets while feeding: stack ribs over hips, soften your jaw.
Week 5–6: Build a foundation
- Add bodyweight squats, rows, and carries — light loads, perfect form.
- Begin gentle core work: dead bugs, bird dogs, modified planks on incline.
- Schedule a pelvic floor therapy visit — even if you feel 'fine.' This is your real 6-week check.
Signs you need a pelvic floor therapy (not 'wait and see')
- Any leaking with cough, sneeze, laugh, or lifting baby.
- Heaviness, bulging, or dragging sensation in the pelvis.
- Pain with intercourse — ever, at any stage.
- C-section scar that feels tight, numb, or tender.
- A belly that domes, cones, or feels 'gappy' down the midline.
Pelvic floor & postpartum OT in Basking Ridge, NJ
Modern Movement is a women's health and orthopedic occupational therapy practice based in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, serving moms across Somerset County — including Bernardsville, Bedminster, Far Hills, Warren, Bridgewater, Martinsville, Gladstone, and the surrounding Somerset Hills. We work with pregnant and postpartum women on pelvic floor health, diastasis recti, core recovery, low back & hip pain, and return-to-running — in person, one-on-one, for a full hour.
Want a plan built around you?
Book a 1:1 session with Amanda in Basking Ridge for a personalized assessment.