Your pelvic floor after birth: leaking is not something to put up with
Why many women leak urine after the birth, how to do pelvic floor exercises, how to check for a tummy gap and when to ask for help.
3 min read
In this article
The pelvic floor muscles hold up your bladder, womb and bowel. Pregnancy and birth stretch and weaken them, so after the birth many women leak urine when they cough, sneeze, laugh or lift, or feel a heaviness down below.
“Everyone has it after a baby, just live with it.” It is true that it is common, but it is not something to live with for life. Most of the time it improves a lot with exercises, and when it does not, there is treatment.
How to do pelvic floor exercises
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1
Find the muscles
Squeeze as if trying to stop both a wee and wind at the same time. That is the feeling. Do not actually do it while weeing.
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2
Long squeezes
Squeeze and hold for up to 10 seconds, then relax fully. Repeat up to 10 times.
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3
Quick squeezes
Squeeze and let go quickly, up to 10 times.
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4
Breathing
Breathe normally and do not pull in your tummy, or squeeze your buttocks or thighs.
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5
Three times a day
Lying down, sitting or standing. Link them to something you do anyway, such as feeding your baby.
Improvement comes after weeks or months, not straight away. Keep going even when you feel fine: these muscles need looking after for life, especially around the menopause.
A tummy gap
In pregnancy, the long tummy muscles move apart to make room for your baby. A gap of about two finger widths is common and usually closes by 8 weeks after the birth.
To check: lie on your back with your knees bent, lift your head and shoulders slightly, and use your fingertips to feel for the gap down the middle of your tummy, above and below the belly button. Check it now and then.
In the first weeks avoid sit-ups, planks, jumping and running, heavy lifting and straining on the toilet. Walking and pelvic floor exercises are the right place to start.
When to ask for help
- if leaking urine, wind or poo does not improve after a few weeks of exercises
- if you feel heaviness or something bulging in your vagina
- if the tummy gap is still obvious after 8 weeks, or you have back or tummy pain
- if sex is painful
Bring it up at your postnatal check, around 6 to 8 weeks after the birth, even if the doctor does not ask. They can refer you to a pelvic health physiotherapist. Read recovery after birth too.
Common questions
Is leaking urine normal after birth?
How often should I do the exercises?
When can I do tummy exercises?
Sources we consulted
Written by the mam.al editors as general information. It does not replace advice from your doctor or physiotherapist. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.