- For
- Pregnancy & postpartum
- Duration
- 60 minutes
- The core of it
- Breathing comes first
Why it always starts with breathing
The diaphragm above, the pelvic floor below, the deep abdominal and back muscles around them — the four form one pressurised container. When breathing is shallow and held high in the chest, all four stop working together, and the pelvic floor ends up carrying on its own a pressure that was meant to be shared.
This is what gets missed when someone is told to "do Kegels" and nothing else. Tightening a pelvic floor that is already tense, or tightening it without the breath behind it, rarely fixes the problem. What we train is timing: when those muscles tighten, and when they let go.
So a session usually starts lying down with your hands on your ribs, feeling where the breath actually goes — not with anything strenuous.
What people most often bring in
Back or pelvic pain during pregnancy. An abdomen that still feels "open" down the midline after birth (diastasis). A little leaking when coughing, sneezing or jumping. A heavy or dragging feeling in the pelvis. Difficulty getting back to exercise because the body feels unstable.
The approach for all of these is the same: restore coordination before adding load. Hard abdominal work started too soon after birth often makes symptoms worse rather than better. We set out the stages, and say plainly when something is still too early.
Frequently asked questions
When can I start after giving birth?
Breathing work and gently reconnecting with the pelvic floor can usually start earlier than people expect, including after a caesarean. What has to wait is load: heavy lifting, demanding abdominal work, and impact sport. We set the order after seeing you, and we work within whatever your postnatal check has cleared.
My diastasis is still open. Do I need surgery?
Most people do not. What matters most is not the width of the gap but how well the tissue in the middle can take pressure — and that is trainable. A surgical decision belongs to a doctor, and we will say so if the findings point that way. What is clear is that sit-ups or planks started too early do not help.
How is this different from Pregnancy Exercise?
Pregnancy Exercise is about safe activity while pregnant — how much, what to avoid, when to stop. DNS Women's Health is more specific: retraining the coordination of breath, pelvic floor and deep core, and it continues long after birth. Many people do both, at different times.
Sources
The figures and recommendations on this page come from the sources below. The links go to third-party sites.
This page is educational and does not replace an examination by a doctor. If your child is unwell, or something does not feel right to you, have them seen first.