Coaching the Quiet Weeks: Supporting Clients 0–6 Weeks Postpartum

Founder and physio/coach Kat leads your performance coaching and business modules for HATCH COACH. In this 7 minute read, she dives into how perinatal coaches can fill the gap in those early 0-6 weeks after their client has given birth, with practical tools and strategies you can use to support your clients in the first six weeks postpartum whilst sustaining your coaching business. 

It's D-Day!

Your client has just had her baby. She’s sent you the cutest little snap of her new arrival, maybe even shared a few details about her birth. She reassures you she’s doing “great”—but really, it’s that hazy, surface-level “great” that new mums often default to when they’re still finding their feet. Right now, she’s wrapped up in feeding schedules, sleepless nights, and a whole new identity, and she’s promised she’ll be in touch when she’s ready to train again.

So where does that leave you? As her perinatal coach, you want to support her without overstepping. As her 1-to-1 trainer, you also have to think about the gap—both in her fitness journey and in your income. The first 0–6 weeks postpartum can feel like a holding pattern for both coach and client. But it doesn’t have to be.

The Boundaries Balance

It's a delicate thing. As her fitness professional your role has just experienced its first lull. You want to be supportive but also respect her space. There's a fine line between being the supportive coach she needs and not intruding during what can be a very private and vulnerable time. 

In the very early days postpartum, your role is to hold space rather than step in with solutions. Your client might want to tell you everything about her birth and recovery, or she might want to keep it brief. Either way, follow her lead.

A good approach is to blend warmth with professionalism. For example, when she sends that first baby photo, you might reply with something like:

“Congratulations, she’s beautiful! I’m so happy to hear you’re both doing well. I’ll leave you to soak up these precious early days, but just know I’m here if you need anything at all - whether that’s a quick chat, some gentle tips for recovery, or simply to share how you’re feeling.”

This does a few things at once:

• Acknowledges the joy;

• Shows care without prying;

• Signals availability without pressure;

• Keeps the door open for her to reach out whenever she feels ready.

Don't make training the focus of early messages. Instead of asking “When do you want to get back to the gym?”, ask open, gentle questions like “How are you feeling in your body this week?” or “How are you finding these first few days?” If she wants to talk recovery or training, she will.

Practical Support for Weeks 0-2

If your client has had an uncomplicated delivery (either vaginal delivery or c-section), has expressed an interest in what she can be doing, and you have screened her with a Get Active Questionnaire from your HATCH COACH course materials, here are some go-to suggestions on where to start.

• Diaphragmatic breathwork
• Gentle pain-free mobility and postural work
• Education re body mechanics and pain-free lifting, carrying and activities of daily living
• Light TVA contraction and pelvic floor contraction/relax
• Minimise cardiovascular stress to protect and promote healing
• Reassurance that rest and recovery and slowness are part of the athletic journey too

• Return to Training after Vaginal Birth
• Return to Training after C-Section

Exercise Ideas for Weeks 2-4

This is where you will need to start to use your autonomous judgement as a HATCH COACH, to ascertain what appropriate exercises are suitable for your client based on the information she has given you. Again ensure you have screened her before you begin with your Get Active Questionnaire.

Yours (and her) priorities for these early weeks are to increase cardiovascular activity, 

• Short walks 10-15 mins and then increase slowly
• Static bike at a low RPE (if tolerated/saddle area is comfortable/not impacting on any wound healing)
• Practice coordination between TVA and PF contraction and relax 5 second holds in different positions: sitting, lying, standing, childs pose
• Mini crunches, bridges, bird dogs
• It might be possible to begin full bodyweight movements like bodyweight squat and lunge and functional movements i.e. up and down off the floor
• Stretching and mobility

For more examples please refer to your HATCH COACH certification content for your Postpartum Framework and your Postpartum ToolKit (over 150+ postpartum exercise suggestions). 

Please be mindful of any abnormal sensations in the vaginal area, or any increases in lochea (postpartum bleeding) and reduce intensity of exercise accordingly.

At this point as her coach you might be aware of a building momentum, so it's just worth a reminder here to continue to be mindful of those boundaries at all times, and also that chronic sleep deprivation and the impact of lifestyle adjustments might be building with your client. It could be that you get off to a good start but don't be too surprised if early-days setbacks occur - this is incredibly common. With the right flexible and empathetic approach you can support your client through these.

Exercise Ideas for Weeks 5-6

Now is a really good time to encourage your client to go and see their women's health physio for their postpartum assessment. They can assess your client's posture, their pelvic floor, their abdominal wall and will be able to provide some more guidance and clearance for how to approach the next level of exercise.

Remember: always practice flexibility and be mindful that client is still in acute healing stage and balance sessions with fuelling and rest/recovery advice in order for your client to recover well

With your uncomplicated and asymptomatic client, you may find they can now progress to:

• Increase the intensity and speed of their walks
• Increase the intensity of static bike sessions to moderate RPE
• Work on the coordination of deep core with the TVA/PA/breath with functional movement patterns
• Postural strength and postural work (especially with those clients baby-wearing and breastfeeding)
• PF contract and relax with 10 second hold
• Hip strength with PF contract and relax with 10 second holds
• Introduce single leg strength - step ups, spit squat, functional movement patterns
• Introduce light upper body weights 

For more examples please refer to your HATCH COACH certification content for your Postpartum Framework and your Postpartum ToolKit (over 150+ postpartum exercise suggestions). 

Please be mindful of any abnormal sensations in the vaginal area, or any increases in lochea (postpartum bleeding) and reduce intensity of exercise accordingly.

Managing the Gap in Income as a 1-to-1 Coach

This is where you have an opportunity to become resourceful if your business is a 1-to-1 coaching business.

There will be inevitable peaks and troughs with your client flow and it's important that you guard yourself for these times so you can continue to be solvent as a business. Some ideas on how to add some padding to your 1-to-1 HATCH COACH business are:

• Consider writing a simple online guide or weeks 0-6 online course which your newly postpartum clients can subscribe to in those early, more hands-off days
• Frame your expertise as a HATCH COACH as valuable by launching digital consults with a flexible, online booking system for more verbal and consultative advice in the early weeks
• Membership or group model: host weekly Q&As for your postpartum clients who can't make it into the gym
• Diversify with other clients: use any downtime to bring in new pregnancy clients, run workshops, or deliver educational talks at gyms/clinics
  
  

Don't Forget the Soft Skills

I think it's always very exciting when clients come back into the training space postpartum and it's easy to get very caught up with the 'exercise' side. I'd love to encourage all HATCH COACHes to set the standard when it comes to being empathetic, responsive and flexible with their clients' comeback.

Reassurance with your client is key. Rushing back is possibly the slowest way to return to exercise so it does need to be done in the right order for the quickest success.

Show her that you're invested in her whole wellbeing and not just her physical self by continuing to check in with her, respect boundaries and respond to any changes in her situation, especially in those early weeks and months. By positioning yourself as her long-term coach, you’re not just waiting for her return, you’re supporting her through every stage of recovery. This approach helps to deepen her trust, and develop a longer term relationship with your client.

By handling these early weeks with care you set your client up for success and the strongest possible return to exercise. This not only helps your client as an individual but will increase your business' reputation, increase your referrals, lead to a more sustainable income and sets you apart as a go-to perinatal coach. 

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