Wall Sits and Squats After Birth, When and How to Return

Every time you pick up your baby off the floor, put them in a cot, or sit down on a low chair, you're squatting. Weak squats become chronic knee pain, back pain and pelvic floor overload. Here's how to rebuild them safely.

The postpartum squat progression

Weeks 1 to 3: sit-to-stand

• From a firm chair, feet flat, hip-width apart
• Exhale, lean forward from the hips, drive through the heels
• Stand up without using your hands
• Sit back down with control
• 10 reps, 2 sets, daily

If sit-to-stand causes leaking, heaviness or pain, stop and see a pelvic floor physio before progressing.

Weeks 4 to 6: wall sit

• Back against a wall, feet 30 cm out and hip-width apart
• Slide down until knees are at a comfortable angle (start at 45 degrees, not 90)
• Hold 15 seconds, build to 30 seconds
• 3 rounds, daily
• Focus on breath, don't hold it

Weeks 6 to 8: bodyweight box squat

• Stand in front of a low chair or bench
• Feet hip-width, toes pointing slightly out
• Inhale as you lower back and down, tapping the chair with your glutes
• Exhale as you drive up through the heels
• 10 to 12 reps, 2 to 3 sets

Weeks 8+: full bodyweight squat

• Same setup, no chair
• Squat to depth where your form stays clean (thigh parallel to floor is the goal, not the starting point)
• Progress to holding weight (start with 2 to 4 kg) once bodyweight squats feel controlled

The pelvic floor cue

Every squat, without exception:

• Inhale on the way down. Pelvic floor lengthens.
• Exhale on the way up. Pelvic floor lifts. Deep core zips in.

If you flip the breath (exhale down, inhale up), you're pushing pressure straight into a healing pelvic floor. Common mistake, easy to fix.

The three most common form problems

1. Knees cave in. Weak glutes. Cue "spread the floor apart with your feet" or loop a resistance band above the knees.

2. Heels lift off the floor. Tight calves or ankles. Work on ankle mobility, or squat with a folded mat under the heels while you improve mobility.

3. Chest collapses forward. Weak upper back. Hold a light dumbbell at chest height in front of you (goblet squat position) to reset posture.

Red flags, stop and see a physio

• Leaking urine on any squat variation
• Heaviness or a bulging sensation in the vagina during or after
• Sharp pain in the front of the pubic bone (pelvic girdle pain)
• Knee pain that lingers after the session

Why squats matter more than crunches

Squats train your core in the position you actually use it, upright, moving, loaded. They also load bone (protecting against postpartum bone density loss from breastfeeding), fire the glutes, and rehearse the pelvic floor coordination you need for the rest of your life.