Rebuilding Your Core After Pregnancy

• Curl ups: Lying on your back, begin with arms outstretched, exhale, and pull your belly into your spine as you slowly reach with your hands towards your knees. Only roll up until your shoulder blades lift off, then inhale and slowly lower. Be sure your stomach flattens (not expands) as you rise. Also, do diagonal curl ups by reaching right arm past left knee as you curl up, and vice versa. Increase difficulty by changing arm positions, from easiest to hardest - arms outstretched, arms crossed across chest, and arms crossed behind head.

CESAREAN DELIVERY
*See instructions above

• Diaphragmatic breathing*
• Huffing: This is important if general anesthesia was used - it helps clear mucous out of the throat and lungs. Take quick forceful outward breaths while tightening the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.
• Ankle/foot movements help prevent blood clots after anesthesia.
• Pelvic Tilt*
• Bridges with a twist*: While hips are elevated, drop one hip toward mat, then the other, so that you are gently twisting your hips. This helps alleviate gas pain as well as working your core.
• Kegels*
• Straight and diagonal curl ups* (if no diastisis present)
• Active posture check*

BOTH VAGINAL AND CESAREAN DELIVERIES

Move on to exercises listed below as tolerated.

• Single leg lowering: Lying on your back with knees bent, do a pelvic tilt and lift one leg up. Straighten out the leg, maintaining pelvic tilt as you return leg. Progress by lifting both legs and doing a bicycle motion. Your abdomen should be flattening with exhale, not bulging.
• Double leg lowering: Maintain pelvic tilt as you lower your legs, starting with knees bent and straightening legs out as you lower. Only lower as far as you can maintain your pelvic tilt. Once you feel your back begin to arch, return legs one at a time to starting position. Double leg raising will work your hip muscles and is too much pressure on your spine and abdominal muscles - LOWER with both legs but RAISE one at a time.