Pelvic Floor Support Through Pregnancy, Birth & Recovery (Without Kegels)
Pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery all place real, physical demands on your pelvic floor—yet this group of muscles is often misunderstood, oversimplified, or reduced to one piece of advice: “Just do your kegels.”
At Knocked-Up Fitness, we take a very different approach.
Your pelvic floor is not just something to tighten. It’s a dynamic system that needs to lengthen, contract, respond, relax, and coordinate with your breath, core, and nervous system. When we only focus on squeezing, we miss the bigger picture—and that can actually create more issues during pregnancy, labor, and recovery.
Let’s break down what your pelvic floor really needs during each stage—and how to support it with effective, pregnancy-safe movement.
The Pelvic Floor During Pregnancy
As your baby grows, your pelvic floor is doing a lot behind the scenes:
Supporting increasing weight
Responding to changes in posture and alignment
Coordinating with your breath and deep core
Lengthening as your belly expands
This is not the time to aggressively strengthen or constantly “hold” tension. Over‑gripping the pelvic floor can lead to:
Hip and low‑back pain
Tailbone discomfort
Pelvic floor dysfunction (such as leaking or prolapse)
Difficulty relaxing during labor
Increased pelvic floor dysfunction postpartum
A potentially longer recovery after pregnancy
Instead, pregnancy is the time to learn how to connect, respond, and release.
If you’re unsure whether strengthening is even appropriate after certain births, this post may be helpful: Do you need to strengthen your pelvic floor after a C‑section? Watch this video, pelvic floor after a C-section
Preparing the Pelvic Floor for Labor & Delivery
One of the most overlooked truths about birth:
Your pelvic floor must be able to relax and lengthen in order for your baby to descend.
If you’ve spent months clenching, bracing, or doing isolated kegels, those muscles may not know how to let go when it matters most.
That’s why at Knocked‑Up Fitness:
We do not cue kegels
We do not use squeezing‑based language
We teach pelvic floor function through movement, breath, and a light connection
Labor is not a strength event—it’s a coordination event.
Why We Don’t Teach Kegels (and Don’t Use That Terminology)
Kegels aren’t inherently “bad,” but they are incomplete and often misapplied, especially during pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
Here’s why we don’t use them:
Many women already carry excess pelvic floor tension
Kegels don’t teach relaxation or lengthening
They disconnect pelvic floor function from the rest of the body
Most people perform them incorrectly without feedback
They can contribute to imbalances in the pelvic floor and surrounding tissues
Instead, we focus on functional pelvic floor activation—where the pelvic floor responds naturally to breath, load, and movement.
You can learn more about this approach here:
Strengthen Pelvic Floor Without Kegels
Pelvic Floor Activation During Pregnancy
Pelvic Floor Recovery After Birth
Whether you had a vaginal delivery or a C‑section, your pelvic floor still experienced change, pressure, and demand.
Postpartum recovery isn’t about “bouncing back”—it’s about restoring connection and capacity.
Key goals during recovery:
Re‑establish the breath ‑ pelvic floor connection
Restore strength without gripping
Improve circulation and tissue health
Rebuild confidence in movement
This is where intentional, guided movement makes a huge difference.
Pelvic Floor Movements to Strengthen and Relax
Below are a few foundational movements we use frequently inside Knocked‑Up Fitness. These help build strength and teach release—both are essential.
1. Breathing with Pelvic Floor Response
(Foundational for pregnancy & postpartum)
Inhale: feel the ribcage expand and the pelvic floor gently relax
Exhale: lengthen tall and feel the pelvic floor lift naturally, with the connection continuing up into the low belly as you “hug your baby” from underneath
This trains the pelvic floor to move with your breath—not against it.
2. Supported Squats
(Excellent for pelvic floor lengthening and strength)
Hold onto a chair, countertop, or wall
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width, toes gently turned out, and lengthen tall
Inhale and slowly lower about one-third of the way into a squat
Exhale and lightly connect the pelvic floor and deep core (remember: hug your baby from underneath) and allow that connection to lift you back to standing
Squats are one of the most functional pelvic floor exercises when done correctly and with intention. Don’t worry about depth or achieving a full squat—focus on feeling the pelvic floor and deep core working together.
3. Hip Bridges with Breath Awareness
(One of our favorite movements to connect the pelvic floor and deep core while releasing the hip flexors and low back)
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet grounded, arms gently pressing into the floor
Inhale to prepare, allowing the pelvic floor to relax, while lengthening through the crown of the head
Exhale to lightly lift the pelvic floor and continue that connection up through the low belly as you perform a small pelvic tilt, continuing into a hip roll, lifting the hips off the ground
Inhale at the top of the movement
Exhale to soften the ribs and lower down one vertebra at a time
Inhale and fully release
This builds strength without over-tightening. Focus less on range or speed and more on feeling the pelvic floor and deep core guide the movement while maintaining length through the pelvis and spine.
More examples can be found here:
Pregnancy Safe Pelvic Floor Exercises
How Knocked‑Up Fitness Supports You Through Every Stage
Inside the Knocked‑Up Fitness Membership, you’ll find:
Pregnancy‑safe workouts by trimester
Pelvic floor‑friendly strength + mobility
Labor‑prep focused movement + guidance
Postpartum recovery programs
Education that helps you understand why you’re doing what you’re doing
Live monthly calls to learn more and ask questions, plus email access for ongoing support
This is not about doing more—it’s about doing what actually supports your body. And we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Learn more about the membership here:
https://knocked-upfitness.com/knocked-up-fitness-membership/
Final Thoughts
Your pelvic floor deserves more than one‑size‑fits‑all advice.
When we stop isolating it—and start integrating it into how we breathe, move, and live—we set ourselves up for:
A more prepared pregnancy
A more coordinated birth experience
A stronger, more confident recovery
You don’t need more force or more tension.
You need support, education, and movement that respects how your body is designed to function.
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