Bounce-back culture tells us to ignore our bodies. Real recovery asks us to understand them.
I get it. Staying active during pregnancy and postpartum is challenging enough—but even harder when every woman’s experience is so different. That’s why the advice “Just listen to your body!” gets thrown around like a catch-all. Unsure how to modify a workout around your growing belly? “Just listen to your body, do what feels good!” How intense should your workout be 8 weeks after giving birth? “Just feel it out! Don’t push yourself too hard, but also YOU’VE GOT THIS!” And your OB cleared you to exercise, so it should all be fine… right?
Wrong. And here’s why that matters: vague advice in a vulnerable moment doesn’t just leave women confused—it can leave them injured.
The advice to “listen to your body” sounds promising, and it’s well-intentioned, but ultimately unhelpful. During pregnancy/postpartum, your body is changing rapidly—you may not even recognize what it’s trying to say. Hormones like relaxin (the best-named hormone ever), sleep deprivation, and pain/discomfort can all distort perception. I’d like to think that I had some kind of deep-seated intuition of what was right for my body, but my actual experience before and after both my pregnancies was this overwhelming feeling that my body was no longer my own. I felt wildly disconnected from it because it was changing so rapidly and in so many ways I didn’t understand. My hormones were at the wheel, and I was tired and overwhelmed. My joints felt weird and loose, unsure how to support my new shape.
If this inner voice was so accurate, we wouldn’t see so many women with injuries around this phase of life. According to ACOG, 1 in 3 women experience pelvic floor dysfunction after pregnancy (incontinence, prolapse, or pelvic pain), and it’s directly linked to how and when women return to activity postpartum. Similarly, research shows 45% of women report chronic discomfort in the lower back and pelvis up to 6 months postpartum—often from returning to movement too soon or without guidance. Even Renew’s own Coach Sadie landed herself in the hospital for rhabdomyolysis because she pushed way too hard too soon after giving birth. She was super fit going into pregnancy and postpartum, her OB had cleared her, and in the moment, it felt good to push herself, but she paid for it afterward because her body simply hadn’t recovered enough.
It would take a pretty loud and unwavering “inner voice” to stand against the absolute barrage of advice, pressure, and noise that floods this season of life. That voice has to contend with social media influencers touting “bounce back!” culture, family and friends giving conflicting advice, medical professionals with different approaches, and fear-based, outdated messaging. Not to mention, the entirety of the internet (for the love of everything, get off the internet [after you finish reading this]). All of this is way too much for someone dealing with the hormonal overwhelm of new motherhood. The “inner voice” is often drowned out by fear, shame, and comparison.
None of this is about telling you to ignore your body– it’s about learning a new language. Sometimes your body is sending signals, but you don’t always know how to interpret them. (“Is that the pelvic heaviness they keep talking about? Or am I just tired? Is this normal? Am I gonna prolapse??”) And that’s where programs like Rebuild come in.
Sadie’s story is why the Rebuild program was created. She landed herself in the hospital because she did what felt good, but she didn’t have anyone guiding her on what was an appropriate amount of challenge for her freshly postpartum body. She fell into the glaring gap between being medically cleared and being physically ready. She didn’t need more motivation—she needed guidance. Now, we’re using that experience to help other women avoid the same trap.
Rebuild was built in conjunction with pelvic floor physical therapists and experts in pregnancy and postpartum athleticism, so we can help guide you through this tumultuous time. “Listening to your body” is actually a skill, and sometimes it’s a team effort to relearn it. There are professionals who can help you tune in, interpret the signals, provide reassurance, and build a path to recovery– without injury, symptoms, or pain. Outside support from an expert coach or physical therapist can reduce fear and increase confidence in your body again, and women recover with much better outcomes with guided postpartum rehab. Plus all the tangible benefits of not being alone and not feeling alone is absolutely invaluable in that tender time before and after giving birth. You absolutely do not have to figure this out on your own, we would love to help you Rebuild, from the pelvic floor up!
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