Patient education

Pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy and after birth

Your pelvic floor works hard during pregnancy and birth. A few minutes of exercises a day, started in pregnancy and kept up afterwards, helps protect your bladder and bowel control. This page explains how to do them, what to expect after your baby is born, and when to get extra help.

Why your pelvic floor matters

Your pelvic floor is a sling of muscles at the base of your pelvis. It supports your bladder, uterus (womb) and bowel, helps you control wee, wind and poo, and plays a part in sex.

The weight of your growing baby, pregnancy hormones and birth itself all stretch and strain these muscles. This happens whether you have a vaginal birth or a caesarean. Doing pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy, and keeping them up after birth, lowers your chance of leaking urine late in pregnancy and in the months after your baby is born.

Finding the right muscles

  • Sit or lie comfortably with your thighs, buttocks and tummy relaxed.
  • Imagine you are stopping yourself passing wind and holding in a wee at the same time. Squeeze and lift inside.
  • You should feel a squeeze and lift around your back passage and vagina. Your buttocks should not clench, and you should keep breathing normally.
  • Don't practise by stopping your wee mid-flow. It can stop your bladder emptying properly.
  • If you can't feel the muscles working, see a pelvic health physiotherapist. Many women need help to get the technique right, and that's normal.

Continence Health Australia has a short 3D animation showing which muscles to squeeze (opens in new tab).

Your daily routine

  1. Squeeze and lift, then hold for 6 seconds while breathing normally.
  2. Relax completely for 6 seconds.
  3. Repeat 6 times. That is one set.
  4. Do 3 sets a day, at least 5 days a week.
  5. Over the following weeks, build up to 8-second holds, 12 times per set.

Squeeze before you strain. Tighten your pelvic floor before you cough, sneeze, laugh or lift, including when you lift your baby.

Give it time. Most women notice a difference after 6 to 8 weeks. Keep going for at least 3 months, then keep the exercises up for life.

Make it a habit. Link your sets to things you already do each day, like feeding the baby, brushing your teeth or waiting for the kettle. If you like reminders, the optional Squeezy app (opens in new tab), a paid app, can prompt you. It was designed by UK NHS physiotherapists, costs about $6 one-off for iPhone and Android, and you can adjust its settings to match this routine.

This routine follows the Royal Women's Hospital program. You can download their sheet in English and 13 other languages (opens in new tab).

After the birth

  • Vaginal birth or caesarean: you can usually start gentle squeezes 1 to 2 days after the birth, as long as they don't increase your pain. Start with short, gentle holds and build up to the routine above over the next few weeks.
  • If a physiotherapist sees you in hospital, follow their advice. It is tailored to you and takes priority over this general information.
  • Look after your bladder and bowel. Don't strain on the toilet: sit with your feet on a small stool and your knees above your hips. Drink enough water and eat enough fibre to keep your bowel motions soft.

If you had a third or fourth degree tear, or a forceps or vacuum birth

These births put more strain on the pelvic floor, and you are more likely to benefit from a pelvic health physiotherapist. I'll talk with you about follow-up before you leave hospital. The Royal Women's Hospital has a detailed guide to recovering from a third or fourth degree tear (opens in new tab), including staged exercises and bowel care. It is written for their own patients, so some details, such as their clinic appointments, won't apply to you.

If your birth has left you struggling physically or emotionally, Birth Trauma Australia (opens in new tab) offers information and peer support.

Getting active again

Walking is good from early on. For at least 12 weeks, avoid sit-ups, planks, running, jumping and heavy weights. These can put too much load on a pelvic floor that is still recovering.

  1. Weeks 0–3

    Walking, gentle tummy bracing and pelvic floor exercises

  2. Weeks 3–8

    Add low-impact activity. Wait until after your 6-week check before group classes

  3. Weeks 8–12

    Gradually increase intensity and weights

  4. Weeks 12–16

    Have a pelvic health physiotherapy check before running or high-impact exercise

  5. After 16 weeks

    Return to your usual activity if your pelvic floor has recovered and you have no symptoms

Adapted from Pelvic Floor First's guide, Returning to sport or exercise after birth (opens in new tab).

When to see a pelvic health physiotherapist

See a pelvic health physiotherapist if:

  • you're not sure you're doing the exercises correctly
  • you leak urine, wind or poo, in pregnancy or after birth
  • you feel heaviness, dragging or a bulge in your vagina
  • you have pain in your pelvis, perineum or with sex that isn't settling
  • you had a third or fourth degree tear, or a forceps or vacuum birth
  • you want to get back to running, jumping or heavy lifting

A pelvic health physiotherapy check around 6 weeks after birth is worthwhile for everyone. You don't need a referral, and most private health extras policies cover physiotherapy. Check with your fund.

Finding a physio: search the Continence Health Australia physiotherapist directory (opens in new tab) by suburb. Every physio listed has postgraduate training in continence and pelvic floor care.

What happens at the appointment: the physio will ask about your pregnancy, birth and symptoms, and check how your pelvic floor is working. This may include an internal examination or an ultrasound on your tummy, but only with your consent. You'll leave with a program that suits you.

Please also tell me about any of these at your appointments.

Get help the same day

After the birth, get help the same day if:

  • you can't pass urine, or you feel your bladder isn't emptying
  • you suddenly can't control your bowels or wind
  • pain or swelling in your perineum or wound is getting worse, there is a smelly discharge, or the wound opens

In hospital, tell your midwife. At home, call the hospital where you gave birth or my rooms on 03 8400 6193. In an emergency, call 000.

Trusted resources

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Common questions

Is it safe to do pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy?

Yes. They are safe throughout pregnancy. The sooner you start, the sooner you build strength.

Will a strong pelvic floor make the birth harder?

No. Studies have not found that pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy make labour or birth harder. A physio can also teach you to relax these muscles, which is part of good pelvic floor control.

I'm having a caesarean. Do I still need to do them?

Yes. Pregnancy itself strains the pelvic floor, so the exercises help whichever way your baby is born.

Can I practise by stopping my wee mid-flow?

No. It can stop your bladder emptying properly. Use the "stop wind and hold in a wee" squeeze instead.

Is leaking after birth normal?

It's common, but it isn't something you have to put up with. Pelvic floor exercises and a pelvic health physio help most women. Let me know at your appointments.

Do I need a referral to see a pelvic health physio?

No. You can book directly. Most private health extras policies cover physiotherapy.

This page is general information and does not replace advice about your own health. Last reviewed October 2026.

Sources: Royal Women's Hospital, Pelvic floor exercises (2025); Continence Health Australia (2026); Pelvic Floor First, Returning to sport or exercise after birth (2026); Cochrane review of pelvic floor muscle training in pregnancy (Woodley et al., 2020); Australian Physiotherapy Association, physical birth trauma position statement (2025).