You’re not imagining it.
If you think your butt is looking a like more… flat after having a baby, you’re probably not seeing things.
The truth is that a flatter bum can show up postpartum because of some subtle, but significant shifts that happen during pregnancy.
And it’s important to recognize that it’s not just about looks.
Sure it’s okay if you’d rather have a rounder bum – your body, your choice. But beyond that, having strong glutes is key to having a strong pelvic floor and core (and really, a strong body).
So – while wanting to ditch the pancake bum may have brought you here – I want to make it clear that it’s about so much more than how your backside looks.
Your glutes are a key part of your core system and they’re best friends with your pelvic floor. So having strong glutes can have a huge impact on how your core, pelvic floor and entire body feels and functions.
So let’s get some glutes!
In order to build stronger glutes you need to focus on 3 essential steps.
Step One: Start with Alignment
What’s alignment? It’s how your body bits are stacked on top of one another from head to toes.
Ideally we’d spend most of our time in great alignment that supports our bones and soft tissues.
But during pregnancy – because we’re growing a beach ball of a human out the front of us – we can shift into less than ideal alignment.
There are a few different ways we can get out of alignment, but one of the biggest culprits is tucking your bum under to counterbalance the weight of your growing belly.
Now spending a couple moments here and there in not so optimal alignment is no biggie. But we don’t want to live there. And so many pregnant women end up living in that tucked under bum position during pregnancy.
Then – because you lived in that position during pregnancy – it’s so easy to just stay in that position postpartum.
Especially since you’re now carrying a baby around and tucking your bum to counterbalance the weight of them on your chest just feels natural at this point.
And overtime – after spending months and months here – some muscles in the front of our body (like our hip flexors and abs) start to get too tight, while others (like our glutes and spine stabilizers) get too weak.
We end up with an imbalance that can cause use to lose strength, mobility, and ultimately leave us with that flat as a pancake butt situation.
So in order to overcome this flat, weak butt situation, we need to start with alignment because this is going to be the foundation that sets us up to get the best results possible.
If you don’t start here – if you just skip ahead and start doing random bum-building exercises – you may end up not getting the results you were hoping for.
So check yourself out in the mirror.
Tuck your pelvis under, then untuck it. See and feel the difference.
It may feel weird at first – like you’re overly arching your back since you’re so used to being tucked. Just play with it. It’ll start to feel natural pretty soon.
And keep in mind that the idea is to find neutral – where you aren’t tucked, but you’re also not arching your back like crazy to stick your bum out. (That would be an aggressive anterior pelvic tilt and we don’t want to fix one problem by creating another.)
It shouldn’t be a huge effort. Just a small shift in your pelvis so that it’s truly neutral.
You can imagine that there is a piece of string attached to the top of your butt and someone is gently pulling it upward so that you have that slight, natural curve to your low back and your pelvis isn’t pushing forward.
Sitting, standing, walking, squatting and doing most of your daily mom life movements with a neutral pelvis will not only help you enjoy a stronger core and pelvic floor, it may also save you from experiencing those nasty aches and pains associated with misalignment – like back pain.
Step Two: Stretch It Out
Remember how I said that living in that bum tucked under position for 9+ months left you with not only some weak muscles but also some tight muscles?
Yes. Tucking your bum under for hours a day means that some muscles in the front of your body – like your hip flexors and ab muscles – end up getting tight, tight, tight.
So that means we need to bring more balance into your body by stretching out these tight muscles.
And let’s be honest – having tight muscles in your body doesn’t just impact your butt, it’s also impacting the rest of your core.
If your ab muscles are chronically tight, they’re going to have a tough time engaging well and “turning on” when they’re supposed to. They’re just honestly too tight to make a bold effort.
So we need to release those tight muscles for your bum’s sake and your core’s sake.
These guys work as a team – they’re like besties. When one isn’t doing so hot, the other isn’t doing so hot either.
So by bringing more balance into both your core and glutes we’re supporting both systems and making your entire body stronger.
Step Three: Go For the Burn
Since pregnancy has pushed your body into less than ideal alignment – and it carried on over into your postpartum life – the backside of your body (like your hamstrings and glutes) has become over-stretched and weak.
Your bum muscles are weak from not being used properly for so long.
So we need to bring them back to life with some simple, proven bum-building exercises.
And it’s not just about doing a bunch of random glute exercises and hoping it’ll work.
We need to make sure you’re focusing on 2 things:
- Doing the best, most effective bum boosters.
- Having awesome form and technique so your muscles are actually engaging well.
You’d be surprised at how many times I’ve suggested simple tweaks to clients when they’ve said “I don’t feel it in my butt, am I supposed to?”
I’ll suggest they simply change 1 or 2 things and voila, they suddenly feel it where they’re supposed to – in their glutes!
Obviously, the better your form is, the more you’re actually feeling it in your bum, the better your results can be.
That’s why I love giving my clients simple step-by-step demo videos so they know exactly how to move through the exercises with the best form possible so they can get the best results possible.
And if you’d like a taste of what my programs look like, I’ve created a free 21 day core and glute focused workout program so you can start using all 3 of these steps to build a better bum (and core!)
Just remember, it’s not only about doing the bum-building exercises.
In order to have a better balanced, strong glutes and core you need to start with alignment, gain some mobility with key stretches, and build that strength back up with proven exercises.
Because remember, this goes a lot deeper than how your jeans fit.
How strong your glutes are has a huge impact on how your core and the rest of your body feels and functions too.
So work on building that strength and you’ll enjoy feeling and functioning better.
To strong glutes! 🍑💪
Jenna
P.S. Have a friend who’s feeling bummed out by the state of her butt (yes – pun intended 😉). Send her this post!
I officially love you.
Oh my goodness! I love you too! Thanks for being here 🙂
I’m still so confused! I’ve done this and my bum is still looking saggy!! Plz help
Hey Carmen, we need to work on alignment first – untucking your booty – so that your glutes can activate properly. And then – if you’d like to change the shape of your butt (help it look less “saggy”) – you’ll want to add in some glute-building exercises. It’s not an overnight thing so it will take time to see results but with the right mix of alignment and exercise it can happen 🙂
Thank you. This will help
You’re welcome Geraldine! I hope it does 🙂
Omg this is exactly what’s happened… I’m going to set the glutes a free! 😁
Yay! Set those glutes free, Hannah! 😉 PS You are not alone. I see this in most of my postpartum clients.
Finally have an explanation
I thought I am going crazy
So glad I could help clear things up, Yulia! You’re definitely not going crazy 🙂
Thank you a lot hun…
You’re so welcome, Rindai!
Thanks a lot. Hope this could help
You’re welcome, Tessa! I hope it helps too. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Makes so much sense now. I used to be known for my ass and I can’t find it ! Lol Now I know why. Thank you
Haha! Well I’m glad you now know where it’s hiding, Danielle 😉
I feel like my backside just isn’t mine. It’s a relief to hear it’s normal and there is hope in getting it back.
My birthday cake was a 🍑, it was my trademark.
Get on up already glutes! Twerk just looks funny when I do it nowadays! Tragic stuff.Thank you so much, if you could add particular exercises that help alignment that would be wonderful
Glad the post is giving you some hope, Caroline! There are so many women who deal with this postpartum so you are definitely not alone.
I have lots of technique, alignment and workout videos on my YouTube page that could help. You can check it out here >> https://www.youtube.com/jennadaltonfitness
Enjoy!! 🙂
I use to have a nice round booty that would turn heads and after having my baby my butt got flat I’m going to try this hope it works will keep you guys updated
Sounds great, Jay! Definitely let us know how it goes 🙂
So how do I exactly get my bum back??
Hey Char,
So, like the post says, a major reason women lose their bum after baby is because of alignment – we have a tendency to tuck our bums during pregnancy and postpartum. This gives us the flat looking booty.
So step #1 would be to be mindful about your alignment and try to untuck your booty when you’re sitting, standing, moving so you maintain a more neutral pelvis. This will help retrain your glute muscles (and other muscles surrounding your glutes) so you can get a stronger, rounder booty.
Then you can also do some glute-focused exercises to help even more. There are some gooders in this post – https://sweetmombod.com/6-exercises-to-get-your-butt-back-after-baby/
Let me know if you have anymore questions 🙂
Wait so what do I do?
Hey Elizabeth – check out my response to Char above and let me know if you have any follow-up questions 🙂
How long will it take to get your posture back to normal without consciously trying? (And your booty looking better.)
I know you’d love a clear answer, Amy but it honestly really depends. Every woman is different so it’s hard to say for sure. Some of the women I’ve worked with have seen changes within a week or two. Others start to see changes within 1-3 months. It really is dependent on a few different factors.
The good news is that it should start to become more of an automatic thing (untucking without having to think about it) within a couple weeks of consciously reminding yourself to untuck as much as possible. And remember – you don’t have to have “perfect” posture 24/7 for you to see the changes you want.
Thank you for writing this! I swear I got home from the hospital with baby #4 and noticed that my naturally perky and round butt was GONE 😭 about the only thing I love about my body! Looking forward to using these tips to get it back!
You’re so welcome, Heather! Isn’t it crazy how it feels like it just suddenly disappears?! Hope this helps. And congratulations on baby #4! #supermama 🙂
I literally had to sit down before finishing this article because I was about to puke or pass out. I’d been wondering about my lower back pain, flat butt, and my need to always have my hips thrust forward ever since pregnancy. This information is hard to swallow because my body reacts badly to information that I’m currently harming it. Thank you and I will heed this advice
Oh my goodness Emily, please don’t stress too much! You aren’t doing crazy amounts of harm to your body. It’s simply something you’ll want to be mindful about. Yes you want to focus on great alignment and all that but you don’t have to be perfect and you certainly shouldn’t beat yourself up for something you didn’t know about before now ❤️
I’m realizing I even sleep with tucked bum. I cant sleep ynless my knees are up in the air
That’s totally fine! You don’t need to have an untucked butt ALL the time – and when you’re sleeping your body is at rest so you aren’t putting a lot of pressure on your muscles, tissues and bones (even if you’re out of “ideal” alignment). So sleep however you feel most comfortable!
Thank you so much for this article Jenna! I am known for my butt among friends and after my first baby I couldn’t see much of it but then I thought I’ve lose too much weight overall maybe.But now I had another baby and so did my sister and she brought this up with me and so I realised that this is real! She’s lost her butt too! I really miss mine!!
I’m gonna share this with her also work on my alignment.
You’re so welcome, Vaishnavi! I’m so glad this post gave you some answers. Thank you for sharing the post with your sister and good luck finding your booty 😉
I’m definitely going to give this a try! Thank you for your time in creating this! Your a blessing!
You’re so welcome, Lauren! ❤️
I’ve always been in great shape and been with my husband 10 years- after our son he had made a joke about my butt and I thought it was just me going crazy that my butt got smaller! I lost 70 lbs post partum and even tho I lift heavy and do a HIT cardio in the middle to mix it up- i still struggle with mom butt 😭😭😭 wtf 🤦♀️
I hear you, Andi. It’s frustrating. And this is exactly why it’s not just about exercise – or even doing glute-focused exercises. You need the right strategies (like alignment) during your workouts and in your everyday life to truly make a difference. Because you can lift all the weights you want, but if you don’t have the right strategies, you’re not going to get the results you’re hoping for (like a better butt).
To give you an example, are you butt tucker in your squats? Do you tuck your butt under at the bottom or top (or both) of your squats? This is something that is super common, but it can actually be contributing to your flatter butt situation. You want to focus on keeping your butt untucked throughout the entire movement. It’s a small shift that can make a huge difference.
And this is just one example out of hundreds on why form and technique really matters. Even if you’ve been lifting for years, there may be some subtle shifts and tendencies that happened during pregnancy – that you’ve carried over into postpartum period – which made your butt disappear.
If you’d like some help learning the strategies you need to get it back – and having some glute-focused exercises to help – sign up for my Mom Booty Booster program. It’s great for even advanced lifters like you who need a refresh and re-training of how to move your body postpartum in a way that supports your core and pelvic floor and helps you build your booty (especially since a strong booty is necessary if you want a strong core and pelvic floor).
Hello, where do I find the Mom Booty Booster program? Thank you
Hey Sophie,
I’m not currently offering the program, but you can sign up for a free call and I can give you details on other programs and coaching packages I offer 🙂
Send me an email if you’re interested: https://jennadalton.com/contact/
I’m having a hard time finding what “tucking” and “untucking” the pelvis feels like or look like. And pulling the string analogy doesn’t help me at all. Is there a way I can understand and make sure my alignment is right?
I hear you, Delphia. It can be a bit tricky. Try laying down on your back. Tuck your butt under so your back is completely flat. Now stick your butt out so you have a big arch in your low back. Then try finding a middle ground where your butt isn’t tucked and it’s also not aggressively sticking out. That’s what we’re aiming for – more of a neutral position. Does that make sense?
OMG! I love you!! My baby is 2 1/2 month and Im getting ready to go back to the office. So I started getting new outfits. I literally started crying when I looked at my behind on this beautiful pencils dress. Ive been known my whole life doe having a big round and firm booty and its all went down hill. I didn’t notice until a few days ago but wanst sure if it was all in my head. So, i asked my best friend and she confirmed the ball drop! I immediately started t freak out and thinking how the hell I let that happen and how to fix it. Thought about start squatting like crazy. But this article gave me hope and a better Idea of what to do. Thanks so much! I willl update my results as soon as they happen 😊😂.
PS. During my last month of pregnancy I was using an exercise ball to sit at my desk to help with labor, and I was thinking of keep using it now since I noticed my back was more relaxed by sitting on it. Will this be a good idea to work on my #buttlift?
You are definitely not alone, Michelle. I hear this A LOT! I’m glad you found this post and definitely keep me posted on how things are going. I’d love to hear from you!
If it’s comfortable to sit on your exercise ball, go for it. It can give you some tight hip flexors though. So if you feel tightness throughout the front of your legs and into your abs, be sure to incorporate some mobility and stretching in there to help 🙂
Thank you so much I used to have a fat butt when I looked at my pants in back I was like I need a new mirror lol age and children sure do a full on a body I appreciate the info I’ll buy your workout soon !!
You’re so welcome, Melissa! It’s so common and honestly we don’t need to look like we’re 20 forever. That’s just impossible and it’s totally okay to let that go 🙂 Take care!
Hi Jenna
Is it safe for me to do the alignment, stretching and at least some of the booty builiding exercises whilst I’m actually pregnant?
I’m currently 22 weeks but so depressed about how flat my bum has become. I’ve never had a great one but I made some gains about 6 months before I got pregnant but you really wouldn’t know it now!
Thanks
Hey Michelle,
I hear you. It can be discouraging seeing your body change and feel helpless about it.
As long as your doctor or midwife has cleared you for these exercises, absolutely. Go for it!
Just geez, ladies. Try walking up some stairs or doing some donkey kicks if you want your ass to protrude. And, exactly why do you want your ass to protrude? Never mind, let’s not discuss that with kids present.
This comment shows that you didn’t even read the post and have no idea that it’s not about having an “ass that protrudes” 🙄 Take your trolling, misogynistic attitude somewhere else. It’s not welcome here.
Very good tips. Thank you for this, Jenna!
You’re welcome, Andy!
If I’m still babywearing my kid I’m probably still out of alignment pretty often out of necessity, do you think? Does that change what I should do?
Hey K,
Not necessarily. You can babywear and have great form and breathing. The key is to be extra mindful of your form and ensure the carrier is secure and snug – without being too tight that you have trouble breathing well. You also want to take breaks as often as you need to – especially if you feel any pain or pressure in your back, core, pelvic floor, hips, or knees.
I have a couple babywearing posts that can give you some more tips:
https://jennadalton.com/babywearing-safe-exercise/
https://jennadalton.com/3-babywearing-mistakes-you-might-be-making/
Let me know if you have any more questions!