Pregnant (Again!) 10 Steps to Prepare your Body for Baby #2

Pregnancy. Birth. Raising a newborn. You’ve been there, done that. 

Maybe you had the pregnancy of your dreams first time around. Or maybe it didn't exactly go to plan and you want to do it right this time around. 

EMP Founder and Titled Women's Health Physiotherapist Lyz Evans shares the ten steps you can take to prepare your body for baby number two.

One. Prioritise exercise


The research on the benefits of exercise during pregnancy for both your and your baby's health can't be ignored. The recommended guidelines for exercise in pregnancy are 30 mins per day, including 2 x strength sessions per week.

As a Mum of two, I know just how hard it is to prioritise yourself, but it is incredibly important. Make sure you schedule movement into your day or join our Empowered Motherhood Pregnancy Program and take the guesswork out of safe-exercise for a strong pregnancy.

Two. Be clear about your birth desires


Reflect on how you feel about your first birth. Is there anything that you wish you had done differently?

Debriefing your birth with a health professional or empathetic friend can help you to process your birth and heal from any birth trauma that you may still be carrying.

In the EMP Pregnancy Program,  we have expert content on how to heal from a Traumatic Birth and how to prepare your body physically and mentally for birth. These videos will help you to process trauma and be fully informed and prepared for your birth.  

For many women, a second pregnancy is a chance to “ rewrite” their birth experience.  No two births are the same, so make sure you are open about your hopes for your second birth with your health providers and ensure they are supportive.

If not, consider seeking a different doctor or midwife if possible.

Three. Pelvic floor exercises…. WAY MORE this time!


The hormones of pregnancy soften the pelvic floor. In second pregnancies, your hormone receptors are extra-sensitive. This means that your pelvic floor tends to soften much earlier the second time around!


Learn how to do your pelvic floor exercises properly (watch our free Pelvic Floor for Pregnancy Essentials video) and then set yourself a reminder to do them daily, just once a day is all you need.

Four. Drink more water and learn how to “ poo like a pro”

Water is not only essential for the production of amniotic fluid, blood pressure regulation and breast milk development but it plays a crucial role in your long-term pelvic floor health!

It's one reason we created our Poo Like a Pro video! To help you to avoid prenatal constipation and reduce the load on your pelvic floor!

If you don’t drink enough fluid, you are more likely to have hard dehydrated poo’s, which means you are more likely to strain on the toilet.

This is the last thing an already overloaded pelvic floor needs in pregnancy. Not to mention haemorrhoids or vulval varicosities, that are common in strainers.

So go on, drink up and aim to get your 2-2.5 litres in per day. 


Five. Mum bum is real, build those glutes.

During pregnancy, the connective tissue surrounding and supporting your pelvis starts to lengthen and soften to allow the pelvis to expand. 

Likewise, your glute muscles also start to soften and lengthen. Cue Mum bum.

As your glutes weaken there is less support around the pelvis, meaning more chance of pelvic girdle pain. It also means that in the post-natal period you are more likely to have that “ pancake” butt so many mums have, which can predispose you to hip, back, and pelvic floor issues.

In the EMP we have a range of core and glute workouts as well as our specialised program for Pelvic Girdle and Pubic Pain - no mum bums here!

Six. Posture. Posture. Posture

Believe it or not, posture makes all the difference to your abdominal and pelvic floor function.

By putting in the work in pregnancy to build your postural muscles, not only will your abdominals look and feel better, but you are less likely to get less back and neck pain!  Win-win.

Seven. Toddler Training

Train your toddler to be as independent as possible.

Teach them to climb the stairs, get in and out of the car by themselves. stand up in the cot so you can lift them and climb onto a higher surface for you to lift them.

By training your toddler in pregnancy, you are preparing them to take a load off your body in the postnatal period. We know you'll be incredibly grateful for this in the long run. 


Eight. Make friends with a Women’s Health Physiotherapist.

If you haven’t already, get a women’s health physiotherapist in your life!

A Women's Health Physio will help to make sure you have good pelvic floor activation and will check how you recovered after your first birth. 

They will also give you advice on how to best approach birth and the post-natal period for your individual body.

I find by starting this relationship in pregnancy, women are more likely to return in the early postnatal period and get set on the right path.

Nine. Your mental health needs as much support as your physical health

If you are feeling anxious, a little flat, or a traumatised after your first birth then consider seeing a psychologist or counsellor. It is incredibly common for second-time mums to feel anxious and worried as to how this second little child will impact the family dynamic. It is also harder for second-time mums to be able to process their emotions due to insomnia, fatigue and a lack of personal time and space.

In the Empowered Motherhood Program, we have an expert series with psychologist and founder of the Centre of Perinatal Excellence, Dr Nicole Highet. We hope that these videos will help you to cope with the challenges of pregnancy and prepare yourself for birth.

We know that dealing with issues and concerns in pregnancy makes a huge difference to both birth and postnatal mental health outcomes.

Ten. Listen in deeply to yourself,  what do you really need?

Carrying a baby is hard, especially with another little person to care for.

So just take a moment to think about yourself, and what YOU really need. I see so many mums go into their second birth with bodies and nervous systems that are burnt out, stressed and depleted. 

Do your best to make sure this is not you. 
 Take up those offers of help, rest, pamper, do mini-meditation sessions, and just do that thing that you know your body needs to unwind and feel more like itself.

Especially in that last month of pregnancy.You are about to become a mum all over again, and in order to give that baby the best of you, remember that the carer needs a little care as well.

I hope these tips really help you to work out how you can best prepare your body for your next pregnancy.

Goodluck Mumma, you've got this!

Lyz x

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