New motherhood is a mixture of excitement and sleep deprivation, of joy and exhaustion. It’s all too easy to overlook your need to restore optimal strength and functional joint stability to meet the physical and emotional needs of being a mother.

Postpartum is an important time to protect, heal and re-strengthen the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, as these muscles are central to restoring abdominal and trunk muscle length and synergistic function.

After a belly birth, smooth healing is a priority (along with enjoying your baby). Accept all offers of help with cooking, housework and shopping. The uterus and deep abdominal layers take 3 to 6 months to fully heal, so allow time to regain abdominal shape and strength.

Start with regular postural corrections, slow paced walks and begin to slowly strengthen from the inside out with the Hold It Mama ‘Shrink the Jellybelly’ program when your scar feels more comfortable.

During pregnancy you may have noticed an abdominal bulging when you sat up from lying down. Sometimes in mid to late pregnancy, the layers of abdominal muscles and connective tissues separate as the uterus expands. It is more common in women with more than one baby, multi-births or in caesarean and non-exercising mothers.

Don’t despair if your tummy is soft and floppy after baby is born as all the abdominal muscles have been stretched to their limits. All of a sudden, you have gone from muscles tightly stretched over an expanded uterus, to a softer abdomen with weaker control. Be assured your tummy will strengthen and shrink back with commitment to the right exercises.