Staying Active After Birth: Insights for Breastfeeding Moms
Questions about returning to exercise postpartum, and how breastfeeding fits into the picture, come up often in my work as a pelvic floor PT. Today, I want to share two fascinating studies that help shed light on both topics.
The first is a 2025 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine exploring the relationship between breastfeeding, physical activity, and musculoskeletal injury. Researchers followed 590 women to understand whether breastfeeding for six months impacted injury risk.
Their findings: there was no difference in musculoskeletal injury rates between women who breastfed for six months and those who didn’t.
What did increase injury risk during the postpartum period were two factors:
A prior or current history of an eating disorder
A significant drop in physical activity during pregnancy (a decrease of 50% or more per week)
My takeaways: nourishing, consistent eating patterns matter tremendously for postpartum recovery and a safe return to fitness. And staying active during pregnancy—within what feels right and medically appropriate for you—can be a protective factor when it’s time to return to exercise postpartum.
The second study I want to highlight looked at whether breastfeeding after a vaginal birth is linked to pelvic floor disorders one to two decades later.
The researchers found no association between breastfeeding and developing stress urinary incontinence, anal incontinence, or pelvic organ prolapse.
What stood out, though, was the sheer number of women reporting pelvic floor symptoms overall—a reminder of how common these experiences are and how much support women deserve at every stage.
In summary:
Current research does not show a link between breastfeeding and increased risk of musculoskeletal injury or pelvic floor dysfunction compared to women who don’t breastfeed. Such encouraging news.
If you’re navigating pelvic floor symptoms or need guidance on how to prevent them during pregnancy or postpartum, I’m here to help.
Sources & Resources: Jones PAT, Brockwell E, Hassan A, et al Breastfeeding-injury link: are concerns warranted? British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 10 August 2025. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-109310