I am two weeks postpartum and still have

If any of the danger signs in section 3 are happening right now — bleeding that suddenly becomes heavy or increases, fever with belly pain or shivering, chest pain or fast or difficult breathing, one-sided calf swelling, a severe headache with blurred vision, a fit, a severe belly pain, or thoughts of harming yourself or the baby — contact your maternity unit or your local emergency service now and do not wait; if none of those is happening, tonight's job is exactly what you are already doing, gentle walking and slow breathing, with the crunches and the waist trainer back in the drawer until your own maternity clinician clears them.

This does not replace your maternity clinician or your GP, I cannot diagnose a muscle separation from a chat, and I will not change any medicine you are taking. What follows is home routine, a tracker, and the line where home work stops.

1. What you already tried, and what to do instead

Per NHS, "Your post-pregnancy body" (page last reviewed 20 July 2026; checked 19 Oct 2026): the two muscles running down the middle of the tummy commonly separate in pregnancy, usually by about two finger widths, and the separation usually returns to normal by the time the baby is about 8 weeks old. Your uterus is still shrinking through these weeks, and fluid, posture and uterine involution all change the outline. A two-week belly is not a measure of fat or muscle. Per ACOG, "Exercise After Pregnancy" (checked 19 Oct 2026): walking is a great way back to movement, even ten minutes counts, and you stop if you feel pain.

The two home exercises

*Abdominal draw-in* — lie on your side, knees slightly bent. Let your tummy relax and breathe in gently. As you breathe out, gently draw in the lower part of your stomach like a corset. Squeeze your pelvic floor at the same time. Hold for a count of 10, breathing normally, then release. Repeat up to 10 times.

*Pelvic floor squeezes* — anywhere, any time: long squeezes held as long as comfortable but no longer than about 10 seconds, then relax; and short squeezes, quick squeeze and release, until the muscles tire. Work up to 10 of each, at least 3 times a day. Keep breathing normally and don't pull your stomach in. A good habit cue is right after you finish on the toilet, not during.

Checking for a gap — for tracking only

• Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
• Lift your shoulders off the floor slightly and look down at your tummy.
• With the tips of your fingers, feel between the edges of the muscles, above and below your belly button, and see how many fingers fit into the gap.

Check now and then to see whether it is gradually getting smaller — not daily, and not as a scoreboard. Never force your fingers in, and skip it if it hurts. This cannot tell you how serious anything is; it is a tracker. NHS advice: if the gap is still obvious at 8 weeks after the birth, contact your GP, who can refer you to a physiotherapist. Your postnatal check at around 6 to 8 weeks is the natural moment to raise it.

2. Avoid list

• Sit-ups, crunches, planks and high-impact exercise for now (NHS names these specifically).
• Waist trainers or tight belts — park them until your clinician clears them.
• Heavy lifting. In the house: kneel or squat instead of bending your back for low tasks (toys, nappy, bath); bend your knees to lift; keep your back straight when pushing the pram.
• Straining on the toilet.
• Feeding positions: sit with your back supported and straight, a cushion behind your lower back, feet flat on the floor.
• No powders, no drops, no supplements, nothing bought online for this. Nothing here needs them.
• No changing any medicine on your own, including pain relief and anything you took during pregnancy.

3. Decision tree: when to stop the DIY and get help

*Go now — your maternity unit or your local emergency service — if any of these are happening:*

• Bleeding that suddenly becomes heavy, or increases rather than settles; faintness, dizziness, or a pounding heart
• Fever with belly pain or shivering, a foul-smelling discharge, or a fever with being too weak to get out of bed
• Fast or difficult breathing, or chest pain
• One-sided calf pain, redness or swelling
• Severe headache with blurred or flashing vision; pain high in the belly or under the right ribs; sudden puffiness of the face or hands
• Severe abdominal pain, a belly that changed shape, or a feeling that something gave way
• A fit or seizure
• Anything visible or felt at the vaginal opening, or leaking fluid
• Thoughts of harming yourself or the baby, or that you cannot be left alone — do not be left alone with the baby, and arrange help by phone rather than by going out

*Book in this week — not an emergency, but don't wait past it:*

• The gap still obvious at your 6–8 week check, or back pain or abdominal discomfort
• A leaky bladder or bowel, or a heavy feeling between vagina and anus — pelvic floor exercises help and your GP can refer you
• Anything about your mood. Postpartum anxiety and depression are clinical calls, and both are treatable.

*If none of the above is happening:* stay with the home routine, and let the 6–8 week postnatal check decide what comes next. Nobody needs anything bought, and no appointment is needed tonight.

What success looks like in 24 hours

Not a flatter belly. By tomorrow you can honestly say: I walked gently, I did the draw-in and the squeezes, I lifted nothing heavy, I changed one lifting habit (kneeling instead of bending), and I know my red-flag list by heart. That is the win. The gap is measured in weeks, not days.

Script for whoever is helping you (screenshot this)

> "I'm two weeks postpartum and I'm staying on gentle walking and breathing only this week — no heavy lifting. Could you take [the laundry / the water / the nappy bin] so I don't have to lift it? If I do need to go to the maternity unit, please come with me and stay with the baby."

One thing I'd need to know

Was the birth vaginal or by caesarean, were there any complications, and do you already have a postnatal check booked? That decides whether home work is the whole plan for now, or whether your clinician wants to see you before you add anything.

Monday reminder

I haven't set it — all I have is "after the shower," with no clock time, and a reminder needs an hour. Tell me what time on Monday and I'll set it then.

Sources checked 19 Oct 2026: NHS, "Your post-pregnancy body" (page last reviewed 20 July 2026); ACOG, "Exercise After Pregnancy."

Not covered here: a measurement or a diagnosis of your gap, and any date on which your own clinician will clear heavier exercise. Those two answers come from your postnatal check, not from me.