Your core during pregnancy & postpartum
When you are pregnant or have recently given birth, your core muscles play an important role in supporting your abdomen, spine and pelvic floor.
During exercise, your body naturally creates intra-abdominal pressure. This pressure is normal and necessary for movement, however during pregnancy and in the early postnatal period it’s important that this pressure is well managed.
If pressure is not well controlled it can place excessive strain on the linea alba, the connective tissue that runs down the centre of your abdomen. This may contribute to abdominal doming, diastasis recti (abdominal separation), or pelvic floor symptoms.
Until you are able to effectively manage this pressure and maintain good core control, some exercises may need to be modified or temporarily avoided, such as:
• Sit ups
• Crunches
• Double leg lifts
• Long lever planks
I would also advise limiting high-impact exercise such as running, jumping or HIIT classes until core function and pelvic floor strength have been re-established.
Your abdominal wall is made out of three distinctive layers:
Your first layer is your rectus abdominis (‘six-pack’ muscle). Your rectus is classified as your outer core and is a powerful muscle that flexes your trunk, such as when you crunch to get out of bed.
Your second abdominal layer, your obliques, is also a part of your outer core, and is responsible for trunk rotation, such as when you turn to look over your shoulder.
The transversus abdominis (TA) is the deepest layer of your abdominal wall and is often referred to as your deep core muscle. This muscle acts like a natural support system, helping to stabilise your spine, support your abdominal wall and assist your pelvic floor during movement.
A well-functioning TA works together with your breathing and pelvic floor muscles to help manage intra-abdominal pressure.
Training this muscle during pregnancy and after birth can help:
• Support the abdominal wall
• Improve spinal stability
• Reduce the likelihood of excessive abdominal doming
• Assist recovery from diastasis recti
A well-functioning TA helps to prevent and/or treat abdominal doming (also referred to as coning), which commonly occurs in the later stages of pregnancy and in the early postnatal period. Preventing abdominal doming reduces the risk of excessive or prolonged abdominal separation.
When your TA contracts it pulls your linea alba (midline connective tissue) taut. By pulling your linea alba taut it prepares your abdominal wall for loading, allowing your outer core to transmit/generate force, and prevents the linea alba from pushing out down the middle (abdominal doming).
Locating your Transverse Muscle
Lay on your back with your knees bent, place your fingertips between your hip bones and cough. That contraction you feel is your TA muscle.
Abdominal Doming
Abdominal doming (sometimes referred to as coning) is when the midline of the abdomen pushes outward during movement.
This is more commonly seen in the later stages of pregnancy and the early postnatal period when the abdominal wall is under greater strain.
If you notice doming during exercise, it is a sign that the abdominal wall may not be managing pressure effectively.
If this happens:
• Stop the movement
• Modify the exercise
• Reduce the load or intensity
Repeated doming may place additional strain on the linea alba, potentially contributing to prolonged abdominal separation.
Being mindful of everyday movements can also help protect your abdominal wall. For example, when getting out of bed, try rolling onto your side before pushing up, rather than sitting straight up.
Safe exercises - pregnancy
Always focus on your breathing. Exhale during the most challenging part of the movement. As you exhale, gently draw your abdominal muscles inwards. On the inhale, relax and release.
The following are some of the exercises I commonly recommend during pregnancy to help maintain core strength while supporting the abdominal wall and pelvic floor:
360 breathing -
Pallof press - https://youtube.com/shorts/7ukvLyneYYU?feature=share
Side plank level 1 & 2 -
Bird-dog -
These exercises encourage deep core activation while minimising excessive pressure on the abdominal wall.
Safe exercises - postnatal
After pregnancy, it’s important to rebuild deep core strength before progressing to more demanding abdominal exercises.
Always focus on your breathing. Exhale during the hardest part of the movement and gently draw in your abdominal muscles. On the inhale, allow your core to relax and release.
Bent Knee fallout -
Toe taps -
Tall kneeling rotation -
The exercises listed above are some of the movements I commonly use when helping clients rebuild their core strength safely after pregnancy.
Once you have regained good control of your deep core muscles and can manage intra-abdominal pressure effectively, you can gradually begin progressing to more challenging movements.
Rushing this stage can increase the risk of abdominal doming, pelvic floor dysfunction, or delayed recovery of the linea alba, so building a strong foundation is key.
