Imogen Williams Physiotherapy and Pilates

Two weeks off, lots of family time, sandy shoes still in the hallway, and now back in clinic.

Always strange going from full family mode to full clinic mode in the space of a weekend, but I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing everyone I’ve got booked in over the next few weeks.

Whether you’ve had a baby, a caesarean, or gynae surgery like an endometriosis excision or a hysterectomy, there’s no universal week number for when you’re “ready.”

Healing depends on so much.

-What kind of birth or surgery you had
-How your body is recovering
-Your energy levels
-Your sleep
-Even how much support you have around you.

Comparing your timeline to someone else’s just adds pressure you don’t need.

Focus on your own signs of progress. How you’re actually feeling and functioning matters far more than how many weeks have passed.

That said, feeling good isn’t the full picture either.

Tissue takes time to heal, often longer than symptoms suggest. Muscle and skin heal fairly quickly, but deeper connective tissue and surgical repairs can take from a few months up to a year to fully regain strength.

Feeling great at 6 weeks doesn’t mean everything underneath is fully robust yet.

So it’s not about waiting until you feel ready, or ignoring how you feel and just following a calendar. It’s both.

How you’re functioning matters, and so does giving deeper tissue the time it actually needs.

Save this for the days you need reminding that your pace is the right pace, and that healing well is worth more than healing fast.

A strong core isn’t about how it looks, it’s about how it functions.

So what should you actually pay attention to?

Can you keep breathing normally while you lift, carry or move, rather than holding your breath or gripping hard just to feel “held”?

Can you manage a cough, a sneeze or a lift without leaking or doming through your midline?

Can you get through your day, lifting kids, carrying shopping, getting up off the floor, without your core giving out?

That’s what core strength actually looks like.

What it looks like in the mirror has nothing to do with any of that.

Save this for the next time you catch yourself judging your stomach instead of noticing what it can actually do.

This is one of the most common questions I get, and honestly, there’s no single answer that fits everyone.

It depends on your birth (vaginal or caesarean), how you’re recovering, your pelvic floor and core function, your sleep, your stress levels, even how many kids you’ve had. Two women at 8 weeks postpartum can be in completely different places.

Rather than chasing a specific week number, start by rebuilding the basics. Bodyweight squats, walking, lunges, Pilates based movement. These build strength, load tolerance and control without overwhelming a system that’s still healing.

From there you gradually add intensity, more load, more impact, more speed, based on how your body responds rather than a date on a calendar.

If running, jumping or heavier lifting is the goal, it’s still there waiting for you. Building the foundation first just means you get back to it with a body that’s actually ready, not one that’s guessing.

Save this if you’re in the “not sure when to start” phase. It’s normal to feel unsure, and it’s okay to start small.

I speak to so many women who have quietly stopped running, changed routes based on toilet access, worn dark leggings “just in case”, or accepted leaking as something they have to live with after having children.

But leaking with running is common… not normal.

Your pelvic floor is part of your whole system. Running places repeated load and pressure through the body, and if the pelvic floor isn’t managing that pressure well, symptoms like leaking can happen.

That doesn’t automatically mean your pelvic floor is “weak” either.

Sometimes it’s about:

* pressure management
* breathing mechanics
* strength and coordination
* return to impact too quickly
* stiffness or tension through the pelvic floor
* fatigue and load
* core and hip strength
* running technique

And yes, pelvic floor exercises can help, but they’re only one piece of the puzzle.

You shouldn’t have to give up running because of leaking.

With the right assessment, rehab and graded return to impact, many women can get back to running confidently again.

If this is something you’re struggling with, please know you’re not alone and support is available 🤍

Save this post for later or send it to a running friend who needs to hear this.

6 weeks postpartum is often treated like some magical milestone.

But recovery after birth doesn’t work like that.

At 5 weeks postpartum, it’s not that you should be doing nothing.
And at 6 weeks, you don’t suddenly become “ready” for everything.

For many women, there are things you can start doing much earlier than 6 weeks:

- walking
- breathing work
- pelvic floor rehab
- gentle mobility
- early strength foundations (when appropriate)

The key is building things back up gradually.

What that progression looks like will be different for everyone depending on:

• your pregnancy and birth experience
• symptoms like leakage, heaviness, pain or abdominal separation
• your previous exercise levels
• your goals (general movement, strength training, running, sport etc.)
• your sleep, energy and recovery
• the support you have around you

There is no universal “return to exercise” timeline after having a baby.

The better question is:
What is my body ready for right now, and what’s my next step?

Postpartum recovery isn’t all or nothing, it’s a gradual rebuild.

Did you feel pressure around the “6 week” mark? 👇