Postpartum and sports panties: how to stay active safely

The period after giving birth is intense for a new mom. Welcoming a baby, a body tired from childbirth, a new routine, a totally changed daily life—everything has to be relearned, because a new life is beginning. Louloucup supports all women: young girls, teenagers, college students, adult women, women in perimenopause, as well as moms, both new and experienced.
We offer postpartum underwear that’s perfect for after childbirth, especially for very heavy periods. These washable period products absorb a heavy flow without leaking—perfect for lochia. What about exercise after giving birth? When can you start working out again after having a baby? What are the guidelines for a safe session? Louloucup has valuable information to help you feel good in your postpartum body and regain your confidence, slowly but surely. For more, check out our articles on postpartum and exercise: 

• Postpartum, lochia, and period underwear
• Engage in gentle activity during and after pregnancy
• Postpartum period underwear: a practical alternative after childbirth
• Sports and Periods: Challenges, Benefits, and Activities to Prioritize

Exercise and physical activity are important, but should only be resumed once a mom’s body has fully recovered. The postpartum period (literally, after childbirth) can last anywhere from several weeks to several months and often feels like an emotional tsunami with intense changes!

Baby blues, fluctuating hormones, slow and painful healing—the body of a new mom needs rest and patience after the birth of her baby. Her mental state also needs to be as positive as possible. Hormonal changes can make this balance very fragile.

Trust, patience, and respect for your body and mind are key. Getting back to exercise will come in time, but for now, you need to rest and enjoy your baby. 

Before resuming any physical activity, pelvic floor therapy is essential. Abdominal rehabilitation is also highly recommended—these sessions are becoming more common, which is great news.

The pelvic floor, this group of muscles at the bottom of your abdomen, worked hard during childbirth. It needs to be restored and strengthened because it’s now quite weakened.

The perineum is a very important muscle that keeps your organs in place. After leaving the maternity ward, the perineum has lost tone, and new moms may experience urinary leaks for example. Perineal rehabilitation can begin about six weeks after the baby is born. Your midwife or gynecologist will prescribe sessions (about ten or more).

During these sessions, new moms work on the perineum with a variety of contraction exercises.

In addition to pelvic floor rehab, which can be done with a midwife or gynecologist, new moms can also retrain their abdominal muscles—this is called abdominal rehabilitation.

Beyond the pelvic floor, you work your core as a whole. This targeted strengthening and deep ab work helps regain overall muscle tone. These are hypopressive abdominal rehabilitation sessions.

Getting back into sports? Yes, but not just any way! Were you a top athlete before pregnancy? Competitive at heart, you’re eager to put your leggings back on and crush your records? Be patient! Your body carried life. Whether you had a C-section or a vaginal birth, both are exhausting for your body and intimate areas. Your muscles are sore. Your pelvis has shifted. In short, you need to give your warrior body rest and comfort.

Exercising after childbirth brings many benefits to new moms:

• release stress, negative thoughts, and negativity, 

• better sleep, more peaceful, more restful sleep, 

• strengthening and toning the body’s muscles, 

• a renewed sense of confidence in yourself and your body.


Exercise helps you avoid stagnation and monotony. With exercise, you recover faster, feel better sooner, and your mood stays high.

Once you’ve completed and been cleared for pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscle rehab, and once you have your doctor’s approval, you can return to exercise.

Gentle physical activity is a great way to reconnect with your body as a whole and reclaim it. For months, a baby grew inside you. You may have gained weight, your center of gravity has shifted. Take time to rediscover yourself. Your body is also healing (episiotomy, C-section scar), so be especially gentle and patient with it.

Walking (no long, steep hikes!), swimming (if healing is complete), postnatal yoga, gentle stretching, Pilates, or biking are all excellent ways to get back into exercise. You have plenty of options. On the other hand, combat sports, cardio, weightlifting, tennis—in short, any sport that’s too intense or too rough—should be avoided at first.

While pelvic floor and abdominal rehabilitation can begin about 6 weeks after childbirth, you should wait at least 3 months before resuming sports. Of course, there should be no medical contraindications. Most importantly, you must get your doctor’s approval. Every woman and every situation is unique, so your specialist is the best person to give you the green light.

To manage lochia, postpartum bleeding, urinary leaks, and those first workouts, the right kind of hygienic protection is absolutely essential.

At Louloucup, we offer a variety of period underwear and menstrual panties that are perfect for the postpartum period. Made from organic cotton, comfortable, well-fitted, and stylish, our heavy flow period panties are incredibly practical for new moms looking for reliable solutions.

For a worry-free return to exercise, free from leaks and stress, slip on one of our Louloucup panties with confidence. Available from size XS up to XXXXL (for our plus-size range), our panties are true everyday allies!

Our top pick for getting back into sports with peace of mind? The Liv seamless heavy flow invisible period underwear—black, soft, and perfect for light urinary leaks.