Rethinking “Bounce Back”: How MumSafe Founder Jen Dugard Is Changing Postpartum Fitness for Good

When Jen Dugard became a mum, she thought she knew what to expect. After all, she was already a fitness professional. But motherhood, she quickly learned, had its own lessons — and one of them was that even the strongest women can feel completely unprepared for what comes next.

“I realised firsthand how little support existed for women post-birth — not just emotionally, but physically,” says Jen. “I saw gaps everywhere: mums returning to exercise too soon, trainers without the right education, and women living with symptoms they thought were just normal.”

That realisation sparked a mission that would transform not only her own career but an entire corner of the fitness industry.

From the Park to a Movement

Jen began with her first business, Body Beyond Baby, a community fitness program that offered something revolutionary at the time — outdoor training for mums, complete with on-site childcare and partnerships with pelvic health physiotherapists. For over a decade, she worked hands-on with mothers rebuilding strength and confidence after birth.

But she wanted to create something that could reach further. “I wrote my pre- and postnatal certification, Safe Return to Exercise™, so we could train more trainers to help more mums,” Jen explains. “Then I founded MumSafe™ to create the gold standard of exercise professionals who truly understand the pre and postnatal body.”

Through MumSafe™, Jen has built a nationwide network of certified trainers who collaborate closely with pelvic health physiotherapists — creating a safe, educated, and empowering ecosystem for women at every stage of motherhood.

Why “Bouncing Back” Needs to Go

For Jen, one of the biggest challenges lies in changing culture — not just curriculum. “There’s still an expectation that mums just bounce back,” she says. “Birth is seen as a natural event, but the preparation and recovery are rarely given the same respect. We celebrate the baby, but not the rebuilding of the woman who brought them into the world.”

She points out that while menopause and endometriosis are finally getting overdue attention, postpartum recovery remains underfunded and overlooked. “If we truly value women’s health, we need to value every stage of it — including the one that shapes the rest of her life.”

The Six-Week Check Isn’t the Finish Line

Ask any mum, and she’ll tell you: the six-week medical clearance after birth feels like a green light. But Jen says that’s one of the biggest misconceptions.

“That all-clear doesn’t mean your body is ready for burpees or running,” she says. “It just signals the end of your medical care from a doctor’s perspective. Pain, leaking, or heaviness might be common, but they’re never normal. They’re your body asking for support.”

And then there’s the social pressure — the endless feed of “before and after” transformations. “We don’t need to get our body back,” Jen says with conviction. “We need to get our body working for us again — safely, and at the right pace.”

Changing the Conversation

Much of Jen’s work now focuses on breaking the silence surrounding postpartum issues. “We change the culture by talking about it,” she says. “The more we normalise conversations about pelvic health, the less shame women feel in seeking help.”

At MumSafe™, that belief is central. “Common doesn’t mean normal,” Jen adds. “If something doesn’t feel right, you deserve to be listened to and supported — not dismissed.”

It Takes a Team

Trainers, Jen says, have an enormous role to play — and an equally big responsibility. “A pre and postnatal certification should be the minimum for anyone working with mums,” she insists. “But beyond that, we need collaboration between trainers and pelvic health physiotherapists. There’s only so much we can see from the outside. It takes a team to truly look after our mum-clients.”

MumSafe™ provides that team-based model through its Safe Return to Exercise™ certification and continued mentoring. “When a mum works with a trainer who understands her journey and collaborates with her physio, she gets a completely different outcome — one built on trust, safety, and empowerment.”

The Subtle Signs Mums Shouldn’t Ignore

Jen says there are clear indicators that a mum should seek specialist advice before jumping back into exercise. “Any leaking, heaviness, lower back or pelvic pain, or even a sense that something isn’t right — those are red flags,” she explains.

“But honestly, even if she’s symptom-free, I believe every mum should see a pelvic health physiotherapist. Some issues don’t show up straight away, and prevention is always better than repair.”

Education Starts Before Birth

One of Jen’s strongest beliefs is that pregnancy education shouldn’t stop at the baby books. “Education before birth isn’t just about labour — it’s about recovery too,” she says.

“If we understand how a woman’s body works during pregnancy, we can make a real difference to her experience of birth and beyond.” She explains how pelvic health checks during pregnancy can identify risks early and prepare the body for smoother recovery. “It used to be thought that if you didn’t exercise before pregnancy, you shouldn’t start during. But that’s simply not true. Movement, when done safely, benefits both mum and baby.”

Small Habits, Big Difference

For busy parents, Jen’s advice is to start simple. “Think small and consistent,” she says. “If every pregnant woman learned to connect her breath with her pelvic floor — relaxing on the inhale, gently contracting on the exhale — it would make a huge difference. It’s about awareness and control, not perfection.”

Stories That Inspire

When asked about the women who inspire her, Jen doesn’t hesitate. “Our MumSafe™ trainers,” she says. “Every one of them has a story that fuels why they do this work.”

She shares a few: “We have trainers who’ve experienced exercise-induced prolapse and now dedicate their careers to ensuring no other woman goes through that. Another battled postnatal depression and now uses movement as a tool for mental health. And one lives with a pelvic floor avulsion and was told she’d never move the same again — but now helps other women find strength through recovery.”

“These are women who’ve turned their challenges into purpose,” Jen says proudly. “They’ve chosen to stand up, speak out, and lead from experience.”

The Future of MumSafe™

Looking ahead, Jen has her eyes set on expansion — both in reach and impact. “We’re growing nationally and internationally, training more professionals, and reaching more mums,” she says. “My goal is for safe, evidence-based postnatal care to become the norm, not the exception.”

Her dream is simple but profound: “I want a world where every mum is screened properly before returning to exercise, where every trainer knows how to support her safely, and where no woman feels left behind after birth.”

About Jen Dugard

Jen Dugard is the founder of MumSafe™ (www.mumsafemovement.com), creator of the Safe Return to Exercise™ pre and postnatal certification, and author of How to Love Your Body as Much as Your Baby. An award-winning educator, speaker, and advocate for women’s health with over 19 years of experience, Jen’s mission is to ensure mums and the professionals who support them are educated, connected, and empowered to create lifelong change.