Redefining ‘Bouncing Back’: Postnatal Recovery on Your Terms

If you’re a new mum, or even a few months post-birth, I bet you’ve heard the phrase “bouncing back” more times than you can count. The pressure to get your body back - quickly, effortlessly, perfectly - is everywhere. But here’s a truth I want to share with you: postnatal recovery isn’t about bouncing anywhere. It’s about softening, healing, and embracing your body on your own unique terms.

Why ‘Bouncing Back’ Isn’t the Goal

Our culture loves a quick fix. Before-and-after photos flood social media, and new mums often feel like they need to snap back to their pre-pregnancy shape fast. But the reality of your postnatal body is so much richer and more complex.

Your body has just been through an incredible journey. Over the past months, your abdominal muscles and connective tissues stretched to make space for your growing baby. Your pelvic floor has carried a huge load and might still be recovering from birth trauma or strain. Your ribs and diaphragm shifted position to accommodate your baby, and the hormone relaxin, which softens your ligaments to help with birth, can keep your joints more flexible for months afterward - especially if you’re breastfeeding.

All these changes mean your body isn’t “broken” or “lost” - it’s transformed. Instead of rushing to bounce back, it deserves gentle care, time, and respect.

Yoga: The Perfect Companion for Postnatal Healing

One of the most beautiful ways to nurture your postnatal body is through yoga. But not just any yoga - postnatal yoga that honours where you are right now.

Yoga helps you reconnect with your breath, which is foundational to restoring your diaphragm’s movement and healing your core from the inside out. It guides you to strengthen your deep abdominal muscles and pelvic floor gently, without strain. Plus, it releases tension in those areas that can feel tight and achy from feeding, carrying, and soothing your baby - like your shoulders, neck, and back.

Perhaps most importantly, yoga helps regulate your nervous system, calming that ‘wired but tired’ feeling so your body can truly rest and heal.

In postnatal yoga, it’s never about doing more. It’s about doing what feels right for you in this moment - moving with kindness, listening deeply, and allowing space for healing.

Rebuilding Your Relationship with Your Body

After birth, many mums tell me they feel disconnected from their bodies. Maybe your body looks or feels different, or you experience aches, leaks, or other challenges that make it hard to feel at home in your skin.

This is where the wisdom of yoga philosophy shines through. Yoga teaches us Ahimsa - kindness and non-violence towards ourselves, and Svadhyaya - self-study without judgement.

By practising yoga, you give yourself the gift of time and space to listen to your body without pressure or criticism. Every time you roll out your mat, you’re saying: “I’m here. I’m listening. I’m willing to work with you, not against you.”

Self-Compassion: Your Postnatal Superpower

If there’s one message I want to leave you with, it’s this: self-compassion isn’t just a nice idea - it’s essential for your healing.

Research shows that being kind to yourself after birth can reduce anxiety, improve your mood, and help you feel more at peace with your body. When you honour your need for rest and celebrate small victories, you’re sending a powerful message of safety to your nervous system - and safety is the foundation of recovery.

Yoga provides a gentle reminder to practise this compassion every day: if you need to pause mid-practice, that’s progress. If you lose your balance, smile and try again. If your breath feels tight, notice it and breathe into that space with kindness.

A Simple Breath Awareness Practice to Try Now

To help you connect with your body and cultivate self-compassion, here’s a short breath awareness exercise you can try anytime:

1. Find a comfortable position - sitting, lying down, or even holding your baby. Close your eyes if you like, or soften your gaze.

2. Notice how your body feels. Where do you feel supported? Where do you feel tired or tense? No need to change anything - just observe.

3. Bring your attention to your breath. Notice its natural rhythm without changing it. Feel your belly or chest rise as you inhale, and soften as you exhale.

4. When you’re ready, take a deeper breath in through your nose, expanding your ribs like an umbrella opening. Exhale slowly through your mouth, sighing out tension.

5. Silently say to yourself as you inhale: “I nourish my body.”

6. Silently say as you exhale: “I release the pressure to be anywhere but here.”

7. Repeat this for a few breaths, at your own pace, then return to your natural breathing.

   
   

This simple practice invites your body and mind to slow down, rest, and reconnect - a perfect little moment of kindness for your postnatal journey.

Moving Forward — At Your Own Pace

So next time you hear “bouncing back,” I invite you to pause and smile. Because you’re not bouncing back - you’re moving forward, with patience, kindness, and deep respect for everything your body has done.

Your postnatal recovery is a journey worth taking slowly, gently, and lovingly. And yoga can be a beautiful companion on that path, helping you rebuild strength, connection, and self-compassion, one breath at a time.

If you’d like to explore more gentle, yoga-based postnatal recovery support, I’d love for you to join one of my classes or 1:1 support packages.

Take care of yourself - your body, your heart, and your mind. You’re doing an incredible job.