My Real-Life Postpartum Core Recovery Timeline

The truth behind my healing, the hard days, and how I found myself again through movement.

Let me be honest with you—my postpartum core recovery didn’t start right after birth. It didn’t even start at my six-week checkup. In fact, I didn’t begin moving consistently again until I was 7 months postpartum. And I didn’t touch Pilates or core work again until 8 months postpartum.

This wasn’t because I didn’t care. It was because I was in survival mode.

The early postpartum season was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. Postpartum depression hit me like a freight train. I was emotionally drained, physically depleted, and mentally checked out. Some days I felt like I was just trying to make it to bedtime. I didn’t get to enjoy my newborn the way I thought I would. And the guilt that came with that? Crushing.

But I also know I’m not alone in that.

This is my real-life timeline—no filters, no pressure, just truth.

Months 0–6: Survival Mode & Mental Recovery

In those first six months, my focus wasn’t on healing my core. It was on healing me. I was navigating sleepless nights, hormonal swings, and a deep fog that I now understand was postpartum depression. My body felt foreign. My mind felt fragile. My heart felt heavy.

I wasn’t working out. I wasn’t thinking about my core.

I was just doing my best to keep going.

Some days, a “win” was taking a shower. Other days, it was crying in the shower. I’m sharing that because I know there’s another mom out there feeling the same thing—and I want you to know: you are not alone, and you are not behind.

Month 7: Daily Walks & Glimpses of Clarity

At 7 months postpartum, I started walking outside every day. Not for calorie burn. Not for “bouncing back.” Just to breathe.

Those walks became my reset button—my way of reconnecting to myself without pressure. I didn’t track my steps. I didn’t wear a fitness watch. I just moved because I needed to.

That’s when the fog started to lift.

Month 8: Rediscovering Pilates—And Myself

At 8 months postpartum, I finally rolled out my mat again.

I wasn’t even sure where to begin. My core felt weak, disconnected, almost like it didn’t belong to me anymore. But I started small—with breathwork, gentle core activation, and simple Pilates movements that reminded me what strength felt like.

And that’s when everything changed.

The more I moved, the more I healed—not just physically, but emotionally. I started to feel capable again. I started to feel like me again.

Beyond 8 Months: Rebuilding from the Ground Up

That’s when The Pilates Mom Studio was born—not just as a brand, but as a lifeline. I didn’t create this community from a place of perfection. I created it from the rubble of real postpartum struggle.

My workouts became my therapy.

My community became my accountability.

And my mission became clear: help moms heal through movement, support, and grace.

I rebuilt my core slowly—with intentional movement, breathwork, and strength-building over time. I stopped chasing a flat stomach and started chasing connection. I focused on functionality, energy, confidence—and showing up even when it wasn’t perfect.

If You’re There Right Now, I See You

You don’t need to start at six weeks. You don’t need to do what anyone else is doing.

You just need to start when you’re ready. And even if that’s 8 months postpartum—or longer—you’re not too late.

You’re rebuilding something brand new, and you’re doing it with heart, grit, and grace.

Your timeline is valid. Your journey is yours.

And when you’re ready to move again, The Pilates Mom Studio is here to walk beside you—no pressure, no guilt, just support.