find their symptoms resolve spontaneously following delivery, there are a lot of things you can do to help this process. While the muscles and nerves mend, avoiding things that cause a "pushing down" action will help to protect your pelvic floor. You can do this by: Remembering to squeeze, lift, and hold your pelvic floor when you cough, laugh, lift, or even blow your nose. This decreases the downwards movement which could stress the healing tissues. Avoid heavy lifting where possible. If someone else can lift things like the pram or groceries, let them do it! If you must lift anything heavy, then remember to squeeze your pelvic floor, as mentioned above. Avoid getting constipated. No one likes to admit to this one, but it is common during pregnancy and following birth. Eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals, and drinking 6-8 glasses of water each day should help. If you are having trouble, then it is worth speaking with your pharmacist or GP; there are several things you can take that work really well in the short-term. Don't strain when opening your bowels. Instead, sit upright on the toilet and look forwards while placing your forearms on your thighs and your feet close to the toilet (or on a small stool) with your heels up. Also, let your tummy relax and gently push, but don't strain. Aim to keep within the healthy weight range and try not to gain too much weight during pregnancy. In