3 Postpartum Recovery Priorities Every New Mother Should Focus On
Jodi Smith is a Nationally Recognised Nutritionist and Pro Natal Specialist, renowned for creating sustainable behavior changes for women. Specialising in women's health and wellness, Jodi is pioneering the revolution of raising the standards of training and recovery during the pro natal phases of life.
I left the hospital seven days after a less than ideal labour and delivery. There was no clear recovery plan and very little explanation of the physical trauma my body had just endured. Yet I walked out eager and excited to step into this glorious next phase of life, with a beautiful baby girl in tow. Motherhood is natural, right? What more information could I possibly need?
I had read the books, listened to the podcasts, attended the birthing classes, and had 8.5 years of child development experience under my belt. I thought I had it all figured out.
The truth, however, was that those first few weeks of motherhood did not feel natural at all. That realisation was both terrifying and disappointing. I struggled to feel at peace in the mind and body I was occupying, which led me on a search for my own village and answers about postpartum recovery.
What I found was an overwhelming amount of information centred on “how to bounce back in six weeks” and “how I’ve had five children and still have a flat stomach” (insert my best eye roll here). On the contrary, what I found was the lack of genuine information and not enough conversation around holistic postpartum healing, and the reality that recovery for many women can take months, and sometimes years.
Despite growing awareness around maternal mental health and physical recovery, many women are still discharged from hospital with minimal education on what evidence based postpartum recovery should actually look like.
The postpartum period, often referred to as the fourth trimester, is not about returning to who you were before having children. It is about rebuilding, recovering, and learning to care for a completely new version of yourself.
Here are three things every mother should prioritise instead of chasing the pressure to “bounce back.”
Prioritise postpartum nutrition and healing
This is one of the most critical components of postpartum recovery and one that is often overlooked. As a nationally recognised nutritionist, I encourage new mothers to view food as an essential part of their recovery toolkit rather than simply fuel. Your body has just performed one of the most physiologically demanding events it will ever experience, and it deserves to be nourished accordingly.
I plead with you, skip the fast food “push present meal” you may be craving. Your entire body and mind need to be nourished as though they are a temple, with healing foods, nourishing broths, and nutrient dense meals that support digestion, hormonal balance, tissue repair, and energy production.
Not only do these foods support your own postpartum healing, but if you choose to breastfeed, they also contribute to the foundational wellbeing of your baby. Nutrition also plays a significant role in maternal mental health, making it one of the foundational pillars of postpartum recovery.
Pelvic floor rehabilitation: An essential part of postpartum recovery
Pelvic floor conditions can create lifelong discomfort for some women, including incontinence, prolapse, and persistent pelvic pain. Most of us have heard of Kegel exercises, perhaps even during birthing classes. However, traditional Kegels often address only one component of pelvic floor recovery.
Optimal pelvic floor rehabilitation involves restoring strength, coordination, relaxation, and function. If you have been told that leaking urine during exercise, coughing, or laughing is simply part of motherhood, please know this, it may be common, but it is not normal, and it is not something you simply have to accept.
Seek support from a women’s health physiotherapist or a qualified pre and postnatal fitness specialist. Restoring pelvic floor function should be one of your top physical priorities during postpartum recovery. You deserve to move, laugh, exercise, and live your life without discomfort or embarrassment.
Why returning to exercise too quickly can delay postpartum recovery
Many mothers naturally feel the pressure to “get back to the gym” or believe they need to “train more to lose more.” However, emerging research suggests that excessive exercise during early postpartum recovery may contribute to increased fatigue, prolonged recovery times, elevated stress hormones, and delayed tissue healing.
Exercise during the postpartum period should focus on rehabilitation before performance. New mothers benefit most from a slow and steady approach to movement. Working with a postnatal specialist who can design an individualised rehabilitation program is often one of the safest and most effective ways to return to exercise.
Walking daily is one of the most underrated tools for rebuilding physical stamina, improving circulation, supporting mental health, and gently restoring confidence in your body. The goal of postpartum exercise should never be punishment. It should be recovery.
The world is quick to tell mothers what they need to do to return to their pre-baby bodies and “bounce back” within six weeks. But women do not need more pressure. They need time. They need support. They need evidence-based guidance and realistic expectations of what postpartum recovery actually looks like.
The fourth trimester should not be measured by how quickly a woman loses weight or fits back into her jeans. It should be measured by how well she heals, nourishes herself, restores function, and rebuilds confidence in her new identity.
Perhaps it is time we stop asking mothers how quickly they can bounce back and start asking how well they are recovering. Because postpartum recovery is not about returning to the woman you once were. It is about caring for the woman you are becoming and that is something worth protecting.
Read more from Jodi Smith
Jodi Smith, Nationally Recognised Nutritionist
Jodi Smith is a Nationally Recognised Nutritionist and Pro Natal Fitness Specialist, providing elite one-to-one coaching and training. With special focuses on fueling athletes for superior performance, and serving pregnant and postpartum clients through birth preparation and recovery, Jodi prides herself on fully customised care that reflects the needs of each client. Her mission: accessibility to nutritional education for all and improving the standard of women's health post-childbirth.
