Welcome!
Hi, I’m Mary Voves – pelvic floor therapist, mother, and your guide through these first forty days. I'm a Doctor of Physical Therapy with over 6 years of experience specializing in pelvic floor rehab and postpartum recovery. With 12+ years studying human movement and a certification in Pilates, I believe that true, lasting healing requires mindful movement and embodiment. Recovering during the postpartum period is an invitation to reconnect with your body more deeply than ever before.
START HERE
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The first forty days after birth are a sacred window of rest, nourishment, and healing – a tradition honored for thousands of years in Eastern medicine systems like Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. In Western culture, this period roughly corresponds to the first six weeks postpartum. In cultures that truly honor the transition into motherhood, these first six weeks are protected. Mama is given time to rest, bond with her baby, and heal. As the book The First Forty Days says, “forty days for forty years.” That’s how significant this time is.
If possible, carve out at least two weeks for modified bedrest – laying down or sitting down as much as you can. Avoid unnecessary activity and save the long walks for later. I highly recommend the 5-5-5 rule:
5 days in the bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days near the bed
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Many medical providers advise against exercise in the first six weeks – but what they really mean is no strenuous exercise or workout classes. That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t move. In fact, you should engage in gentle, rehabilitative movement. It is essential to regaining function of your core and pelvic floor.
The exercises in this guide are gentle, restorative, and help you reconnect your core and pelvic floor in ways that lay the groundwork for long-term strength and healing. By the end of six weeks, you’ll feel more connected to your body and more coordinated in your movement. Just like you nourish yourself with healing foods postpartum, you can nourish your body with mindful movement – and that’s exactly what this guide is here for.ext goes here
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I am going to take you from birth day to your six-week appointment to help you honor the first forty days and connect back to your body. This guide is designed to take you through a progression of exercises focused on coordinating your deep core muscles. The exercises are simple, but require your thoughtful attention. This program is the exact formula of exercises that I used postpartum to recover my 4 finger diastasis recti to almost nothing by 3 weeks postpartum and prevent any unwanted pelvic floor symptoms!
Below is a recommended schedule of how to follow along. There are three levels and I encourage you to go in order. How long you stay in each level is based on your unique body. You also may be ready to progress with some exercises in the following level, but not all of them. Use this schedule as a guideline, but remember that you are the driver of your own body!
Level One — Weeks 1-2: Gentle enough to start immediately after birth and all can be done lying down in bed
Level Two — Weeks 3-4: We work up to hands and knees positions to work against gravity and load the core a bit more
Level Three — Weeks 5-6+: More complex coordination exercises and greater loads to the core
Accessing The Videos
I recommend following the playlist on YouTube which you can access below. All the videos and full descriptions of the exercises and recommended reps are listed in the caption on YouTube. I have also embedded all the videos below for easy viewing.
ONE LAST THING BEFORE YOU BEGIN…
This guide is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
This is a self-paced exercise guide. This is not medical advice, nor is this an individualized program to treat your specific postpartum conditions. Rather, this is a jumpstart to help you start feeling better right after birth. These movements are gentle and not strenuous; however, you must be your own guide and discontinue anything that doesn’t feel good in your body.
STOP IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY PAIN. Every single exercise should be pain-free, period. Do not push through pain. If you are having a lot of abdominal pain, especially if recovering from a cesarean birth, then skip over the exercises that don’t feel good. You will return to them later when the time is right :)
Need More Support?
If you need more support along the way, have questions or want 1:1 guidance, reach out to me at at info@pranaphw.com.
Alright! NOW it’s time to get moving!
Level One | Weeks 1-2
These exercises focus on breathing, gentle core activation and improving your brain and body connection. The difference from having a stretched and taught abdomen to having low abdominal tone after birth can be jarring for the body. These exercises will help you integrate and feel grounded and supported again.
Protocol:
Day 1-14: Complete each exercises 1x through, every single day. You do not need to complete them all in a row, but aim to complete every single one at some point throughout the day. All of these exercises can be done in your bed. Easy!
Notes:
If you’re not comfortable lying on your belly, and/or are recovering from a cesarean birth, skip the prone glute activation at this time
Level Two | Weeks 3-4
Now that you’re able to activate the different muscle groups, we will layer things together more and focus on coordination. In this level, we will also start to work against gravity in a hands and knees position and in sitting.
Protocol:
Day 15-21: Alternative level one exercises one day, level two exercises the next day.
Days 22-28 (Week 4): Continue with just level two exercises. If certain exercises in level one feel very effective for you, then continue those as well
Notes:
If you had any perineal tearing, wait until you are pain-free before doing the child’s pose breathing, or keep your knees together.
Level Three | Weeks 5-6
In this level, we add a hover to two of the exercises in level two. You may not be doing these exercises during weeks 5-6 and that’s okay! Please go slow and at your own pace. It is not worth it to push ahead if you’re compromising on form.
Protocol:
You’re ready to progress to exercises 15, 16, and 17 if you can feel your abdominals when you’re doing the exercise, and you can complete it without any compensation.
CAUTION:
If you notice any doming or your abdomen is bulging outwards with these exercises, then do not add the hover or do the modified planks. This is a sign of excess pressure that can lead to pelvic floor issues.
I’ve Made it to my six-week appointment! What’s Next?
Now that you’ve made it through these first six weeks, hopefully you’re feeling more connected to your body and feel a sense of strength and ease when you’re moving about your day. This guide is really meant as a kickstart to your postpartum recovery. Now that you’ve completed the guide, this is the perfect time to do one or more of the following things:
CONTINUE: Continue to progress along the above guide. Maybe you didn’t complete all the level two or level three exercises. Continue at your own pace. You can keep doing these exercises for a long time! I still do some of them well past 1 year postpartum
PELVIC PT: Schedule an appointment in-person with a pelvic floor PT — Getting an individualized assessment at how your core and pelvic floor are healing after birth is incredibly helpful. This is the best option if you are having pain, incontinence or pelvic pressure.
VIRTUAL COACHING: Schedule a virtual consult — If you can’t make it in to see a PT in person, but you want to continue improving your strength, coordination and connection to your body, you can schedule a virtual consult with me and we can develop a plan together.
Thank you!
Thank you for allowing me to guide you through these first forty days. Remember, healing takes time. You've already taken the first step toward reconnecting with your body, carved out time for yourself amidst the whirlwind of caring for a beautiful little one, and hopefully you’ve connected to your body again after a long pregnancy and birth journey. You’re doing it!
Sending you love & healing light
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