Motivate Mums

This is the value of working with someone who understands the realities of postpartum recovery. You deserve more than a one-size-fits-all programme.

Every mum's recovery is different and the right support takes that into account. If you're ready for an approach that meets you where you are, the link in my bio is where to start!!

Not all core exercises are created equal after birth and timing matters more than most people think.

Here are the four phases of postpartum core rebuilding, what each one involves and how to know when you're ready to move forward.

Save this one for when you need it!

The postpartum core is more than a set of abdominal muscles, recovery involves restoring the relationship between your diaphragm, pelvic floor, deep abdominals and spine.

The deep core is a group of structures working together: the diaphragm at the top, the pelvic floor at the base, the transversus abdominis wrapping around the front and sides and the multifidus supporting the spine from behind.

These four structures create what you might think of as a canister of pressure management and after pregnancy and birth, that canister needs to be reconnected and retrained before it can handle load.

What this means in practice is that the timeline for returning to core-intensive exercise is based on what your body is demonstrating, not on how many weeks it has been since you gave birth.

This week we are talking through what a properly progressive return to core training actually looks like, so you know what to expect and why each phase matters.

I want to know how you can relate to this, did anyone explain postpartum core recovery to you in a way that made sense?

So much of what happens to the body during menopause gets dismissed as something to accept without question and I don’t think that is good enough.

Understanding what is actually happening in your body is the first step toward doing something about it, whatever that looks like for you.

What's one thing you wish you'd known about menopause sooner?

Share it in the comments below.

Not every mum who follows this page is in the newborn stage and not every mum who trains with me is either.

Many of the women in this community are years, even decades, past having their babies and moving through a completely different chapter, peri-menopause and menopause.

Their pelvic floor is still important and so is their core. Bodies at this stage are also going through significant change and they deserve the same depth of support and information as a mum bringing home her first baby.

So this week we are talking about menopause and the pelvic floor, what actually happens in the body during this transition and why so many women are never told about it.

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause, often shortened to GSM, is the clinical term for a group of changes that happen to the va**na, v***a, bladder and pelvic floor as oestrogen declines. Research suggests it significantly affects quality of life for around half of women going through menopause, yet only around one in four ever seek treatment for it.

That gap between how common this is and how rarely it gets addressed is exactly why we are opening the week here.

Save this and stay with us, this is information every woman deserves regardless of her age or stage.

I want to know how if can relate to this.

Something nobody tells you before your first labour: the pushing stage has a timeframe and knowing it in advance can stop you panicking that something is wrong.

For a first-time mum, the pushing stage can last up to two hours with subsequent births; it is typically shorter, often as little as five to ten minutes.

So if you are in the second stage of labour and it has been an hour, that is completely within the range of normal and understanding that beforehand is the kind of knowledge that can help you stay calm.

Equally, active labour for a first birth may last up to 18 hours. It is supposed to be a long time. Your body is doing extraordinary, gradual work and it has its own pace.

The more clearly you understand what is likely to happen, the less each stage feels like something is going wrong.

Was this something you knew before your first labour? I want to know how you can relate to this.

I got this question from a client and I think many mums wonder the same thing.

"How will I know when I am actually in labour versus just having Braxton Hicks?"

This is one of the most common questions I hear from first-time mums and it is a completely reasonable one because Braxton Hicks can feel surprisingly strong in the third trimester.

The key difference is in the pattern. Braxton Hicks contractions tend to be irregular, they don’t get progressively closer together or stronger and they often ease when you move around or change position.

Labour contractions do the opposite: they become more regular, they get closer together, they get longer and they intensify over time regardless of what you do.

In terms of timing, active labour is generally considered to have begun when contractions are regular and you are having them about every 3 to 4 minutes, lasting between 45 and 60 seconds. For a first-time mum, active labour is unlikely to last longer than about 18 hours once it is established.

A fast or rapid labour is defined as one that is completed in under three hours from the start of regular contractions which is much less common but worth knowing about.

The best guidance I can give is to talk through your hospital's or midwifery team's specific advice at your antenatal appointments because each provider has their own guidance on when to come in. Knowledge is preparation and the more clearly you understand what to look for, the calmer you are likely to feel when the time comes.

Did you know the difference before your first labour?