Returning to Work Postpartum

Returning to work after having a baby can be a major transition. Whether it’s six weeks or six months postpartum, the shift back into a professional role often comes with a mix of emotions and a host of physical considerations that are often overlooked.

Your Pelvic Floor is Still Healing

As pelvic health physical therapists, we know that your body is still healing, adjusting, and adapting to new demands. Even if you had a “smooth” vaginal delivery or a cesarean birth, your pelvic floor has experienced significant strain. By the time you return to work, you may still be dealing with:

• Urinary leakage when you sneeze, lift, or laugh
• A feeling of heaviness or pressure (possible prolapse)
• Core weakness or diastasis recti (abdominal separation)
• Pain with sitting, standing, or intercourse

These are common, but not normal. You don’t have to “just deal with it.”

Sitting All Day Can Slow Recovery

Most jobs involve long periods of sitting, which can:

• Increase pelvic pressure
• Contribute to back and hip pain
• Worsen circulation and swelling

Tip: Set a reminder to stand or walk every 30–60 minutes. Use a small footstool to occasionally prop one foot up and reduce strain on your lower back and pelvis. If possible, explore a sit-stand desk option.

Breastfeeding and Pumping: Posture Matters

Many women experience upper back, neck, and wrist pain related to breastfeeding or pumping, especially at work. These repetitive positions can strain your spine and pelvic floor (yes, even your pelvic floor responds to upper body posture).

Try this:

• Support your arms with pillows or desk rests while pumping
• Keep your head stacked over your shoulders—no hunching
• Do gentle chest and shoulder stretches during breaks

Core Strength is Key—But Skip the Crunches

Your core isn’t just your abs—it’s a team effort between your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, and low back. After pregnancy, this system often needs retraining.

Doing some diaphragmatic breathing may help

• Gentle core activations (like “hugging your baby” inward)
• Pelvic floor lifts (also known as Kegels, but not just “squeezing”)

Work with a pelvic floor PT to make sure you’re activating the right muscles, not compensating or creating more pressure.

Emotional and Physical Health Are Connected

Returning to work postpartum is not just a logistical or physical change, but emotional, too. Fatigue, overwhelm, or identity shifts are all normal. But emotional stress can also show up as physical symptoms like tension, pain, or pelvic dysfunction.

Give yourself permission to ask for help, whether it’s from a therapist, a physical therapist, a friend, or your workplace.

See a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist

A postpartum check-up with a pelvic floor PT can help you:

• Understand what’s going on with your core and pelvic floor
• Learn how to safely lift, sit, stand, and move
• Address leakage, prolapse, pain, or weakness
• Build a personalized recovery plan, even if you’re months or years postpartum

Returning to work doesn’t mean pushing through pain or discomfort. It’s a new phase and your body deserves continued support. With the right guidance, you can return to work feeling stronger, more confident, and more in tune with your body than ever before.

The pelvic health therapists at CHI Health are ready to help if you have any questions or issues as you prepare to transition back to work.