Postpartum Breathing Exercises
Rebuild the core-and-floor connection, and sleep in the gaps you get.
Before you start
Wait for your postnatal check before starting core work, and longer after a caesarean. Any pelvic pain, heaviness or leaking is a reason to see a pelvic-health physiotherapist rather than push on.
Techniques that are unsafe for this stage are filtered out of this page entirely, rather than listed with a warning. This is general information, not medical advice.
Daily practice
- Resonance Breathing — 5.5 breaths per minute for heart-brain coherence.
- Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing — Deep belly breathing for oxygen efficiency and endurance.
- Bhramari (Humming Bee) — Hum on a long exhale. The vibration quiets a racing mind.
- Wind-Down Ladder — Long exhales with a soft pause - a gentle descent into sleep.
- Three-Part Breath (Dirga) — Fill belly, ribs, then chest. The classic full yogic breath.
- Rib Room Breath — Widen the ribs sideways when there's no room left to breathe down.
- 360° Core Connection — Reconnect the diaphragm and pelvic floor before any other core work.
In the moment
- Exhale on Effort — Breathe out on the lift - car seat, pram, toddler, barbell.
Before and between
- Physiological Sigh — Double inhale + long exhale. Fastest way to calm down.
Afterwards
- Calming Breath — Extended exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
- Night Feed Reset — Get back to sleep after the 3am wake-up, not two hours later.
Other stages
Breathing Exercises for Pregnancy · Breathing Exercises for PCOS · Breathing Exercises for Period Pain · Breathing Exercises for Menopause and Hot Flushes