The Invisible Load of Postpartum Movement: It’s Not About Motivation
You’ve finally made it out of the house, baby is snuggled up in the carrier, and you’re sitting in the back corner of a mom-and-baby fitness class. You’re sleep-deprived, your core feels like Jell-O, and just lifting your arms makes you aware of muscles you forgot you had.
You want to feel strong again. You want to move your body. You want that part of you back.
But instead of feeling empowered, you’re wondering:
“Why is this so hard?”
“Why don’t I feel like myself?”
“What’s wrong with me?”
Nothing is wrong with you.
You’re just carrying the invisible load that no one talks about when it comes to postpartum movement—and it has nothing to do with how “motivated” you are or whether you’ve “bounced back.”
Let’s talk about what that really means.
It’s Not Just Physical—It’s Personal
In the world of postpartum fitness, we tend to focus on what someone is doing—how many squats, how many weeks postpartum, how strong the core is.
But we rarely ask:
What is this person carrying into that movement space?
For many postpartum parents, the answer includes:
Sleep deprivation that affects coordination and focus
Hormonal shifts that impact energy, mood, and connective tissue elasticity
Physical recovery from birth, whether vaginal or cesarean
Breast/chestfeeding posture, repetitive lifting, and one-sided baby-holding patterns
Identity shifts, emotional stress, and sometimes trauma
And all of this is happening while trying to move through the world (and a fitness class) with a baby strapped to your body.
Postpartum exercise isn’t just about the muscles. It’s about the whole person—body, brain, and nervous system.
The Mental Load Comes, Too (And Follows You Into Movement)
We talk a lot about the “mental load” of motherhood in general—but it doesn’t stop when you put on leggings and try to get a workout in.
In fact, it might show up louder.
Let’s look at what’s actually running through your mind when you try to move your body postpartum:
“Is this movement safe for my core? Am I doing it right?”
“Did I remember to bring enough diapers in the bag?”
“How long do I have before baby needs to feed again?”
“I can’t even feel my glutes. Is that normal?”
“My pelvic floor feels weird. Should I stop?”
“Where’s the pacifier? Please, someone find the pacifier.”
“What if the other moms are judging me?”
“Why do I feel like I’m failing at this?”
Even when you technically carve out time to exercise, your brain is juggling logistics, safety concerns, body image worries, baby’s needs, and a dozen invisible checklists.
This isn’t laziness. It’s cognitive overload—and it directly impacts your physical performance, coordination, and sense of connection with your body.
In fact, studies show that mental fatigue can significantly reduce physical endurance and motor performance, even when your body is otherwise capable ¹.
The Physical Load Is Different Now
After birth, your center of gravity has shifted. Your abdominal muscles have likely stretched or separated (diastasis recti), your pelvic floor may be healing, and your joints are still influenced by the hormone relaxin, which can linger for months postpartum ².
On top of that, your daily movement patterns have completely changed—from holding, rocking, and feeding a baby to awkwardly crawling over a crib at 3am. Your body is moving constantly, just not in the ways we used to call "exercise."
Postpartum fitness has to honor these changes, not ignore them. If your core and pelvic floor aren't ready to manage intra-abdominal pressure, even "simple" exercises can feel impossible—or lead to discomfort and injury ³.
This is where traditional fitness advice so often fails postpartum bodies. It tells you to "just start slow" without telling you how to start smart.
How Babywearing Movement Helps Lighten the Load
Here’s where babywearing movement becomes more than a convenience—it becomes a solution.
When done with care and proper alignment, babywearing movement can actually reduce some of the physical and mental load that keeps postpartum parents stuck.
Here’s how:
✅ You don’t have to choose between holding your baby and moving your body. You’re already doing both—this approach turns caregiving into connection.
✅ No extra logistics required. No separate childcare, no complicated equipment—just you, your baby, and your body.
✅ Your baby is calm and close. That means less distraction, fewer meltdowns, and less emotional tension running in the background.
✅ The rhythm and motion help regulate your nervous system. When your breath slows and your body grounds, your baby often calms, too.
✅ You feel more in control of your own experience. No rigid programming, no pressure to perform—just simple, supportive movement that meets you where you are.
When we babywear with intention and move mindfully, we shift out of the pressure to do more and into the possibility of feeling more.
More connected.
More grounded.
More like ourselves again.
You’re Not Failing—You’re Navigating
If movement feels heavy, it’s because it is.
You’re not behind. You’re not weak. You’re carrying an invisible load that deserves respect—and movement that honors it.
If you’re ready to move again in a way that feels empowering, connected, and real, you don’t have to do it alone.
✨ I created the 5-Day Babywearing Movement Reset for this exact reason. It’s free, it’s gentle, and it meets you right where you are—snacks, naps, carrier straps and all.
💬 Click here to join the Reset
References:
Marcora, S. M., Staiano, W., & Manning, V. (2009). Mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 106(3), 857–864. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.91324.2008
Bjelland, E. K., Stuge, B., & Eberhard-Gran, M. (2013). Pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy and postpartum. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 13, 111. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-13-111
Spitznagle, T. M., Leong, F. C., & Van Dillen, L. R. (2007). Prevalence of diastasis recti abdominis in a urogynecological patient population. International Urogynecology Journal, 18(3), 321–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-006-0143-5
