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This is a short list on purpose. There are hundreds of products sold to women for pelvic health, recovery and intimacy, and most of them are the same few things with different branding. What follows is what we would actually point a reader toward, grouped by the problem it solves rather than by category.
You do not need to buy any of it. The most effective thing on this page costs nothing, and it comes first.
Table of Contents
- Start with what costs nothing
- Pelvic floor tools, by the problem they solve
- Early postpartum comfort
- Movement, breath and recovery
- Good to have, not essential
- Three books worth starting with
Start with what costs nothing
Pelvic floor training needs no equipment at all. Devices help with one specific thing — knowing whether you are doing it correctly — and that only matters once you have a routine to be correct about. Work through these three steps first, and buy nothing until you hit a wall.
- Learn the movement itself. Most people either squeeze the wrong muscles or hold their breath. Our guide to pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy covers what the contraction actually is and what it should not feel like.
- Build the habit before the intensity. Short and daily beats long and occasional. If you are past birth, rebuilding the pelvic floor after birth sets out a realistic starting point and a realistic timeline.
- Get one professional assessment if you can. A single appointment with a pelvic health physiotherapist tells you more than any device, and it is the one thing on this page we would prioritise above every product below.
Pelvic floor tools, by the problem they solve
If you have done the free version for a few weeks and something is still not working, the useful question is which thing is not working. Each of these solves a genuinely different problem, and buying the wrong one is the most common mistake here. Our full comparison of pelvic floor devices goes deeper on all three.
Early postpartum comfort
Nothing here trains anything or speeds recovery. These are practical items for the first few weeks, when the problem is usually simple discomfort and nobody warned you about it.
| Product | Best for | Worth knowing | Approx. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frida Mom upside-down peri bottle | The first two weeks, particularly after stitches | The angled neck is the entire point — a standard bottle requires a position that is uncomfortable when you are sore. Cheapest useful thing on this page. | ~$9–16 |
| Frida Mom postpartum essentials kit, 11 pieces | Buying once rather than working out each item separately | Convenience rather than value — you will use some of it more than the rest. Sensible as a gift, or if you would rather not research this while heavily pregnant. | ~$35–50 |
| Trideer birthing ball, 65 cm | Late pregnancy positioning, and sitting comfortably afterwards | Check the size guide against your height rather than defaulting to 65 cm. It is an exercise ball, not a medical device, and it does not treat anything. | ~$30–35 |
| Frida Mom 2-in-1 postpartum pads with instant ice | The first few days, when swelling is the problem rather than soreness | Pad and cold pack in one, so there is nothing to hold in place. Single use, so a box goes quickly — useful for the first week rather than the first month. | ~$19–20 |
Movement, breath and recovery
The other half of this site is about breath, movement and body awareness rather than devices, and that half needs even less equipment. What follows is the short list that genuinely earns its place. None of it treats a pelvic condition, none of it replaces the free routine above or a physiotherapist’s plan, and the floor you already have works for most of it.
| Product | Best for | Worth knowing | Approx. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaiam yoga block 2-pack + strap | Buying one thing before anything else | Blocks bring the floor closer so a position is reachable without straining for it, and the strap does the same for stretches your hands cannot reach. Cheapest item here and the one that changes the most. | ~$15–17 |
| Retrospec Solana mat, 1 inch thick | Practising at home, on a hard floor, with knees or hips that object | Thick and cushioned. That is the point, and it is also why it is bulky — this is a mat that lives in one room rather than one that travels. | ~$40 |
| Manduka eKO SuperLite, 1.5 mm | The opposite problem — a mat that folds into a bag | Packs down to roughly the size of a jumper and weighs about a kilo. It is deliberately thin, so it is grip and hygiene rather than cushioning; put it over a mat or a carpet, not over floorboards. | ~$54 |
| TriggerPoint GRID foam roller, 13 inch | General muscle tightness in the back, hips, glutes and legs | Useful for the large muscles around the pelvis, not for the pelvic floor itself — that is the wand’s job, and only with guidance. The 13-inch is the travel size; the 26-inch is easier for beginners along the spine. | ~$36–40 |
| Loop Quiet 2 reusable ear plugs | Breath or stillness practice in a house that is never quiet | They lower noise rather than remove it, which is what you want — you can still hear a child. Reusable, four ear-tip sizes, and they double for sleep and travel. | ~$25 |
| Breath — James Nestor | Understanding why breathing is worth paying attention to at all | Journalism rather than a manual, and it overstates in places, but it is the book that makes most people take nasal and slow breathing seriously. Read it for the why; get the how from a teacher. | ~$16–20 |
Good to have, not essential
None of these solve a problem on their own. They are the small, cheap things that make the rest more comfortable, and they are worth knowing about mainly because nobody mentions them.
| Product | Best for | Worth knowing | Approx. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slippery Stuff water-based lubricant | Comfort in the moment — including with a dilator or wand | Water-based, unscented, paraben-free, and safe with condoms and silicone. Plain rather than warming or tingling, which is the right call when comfort is the point. | ~$8–15 |
| Replens long-lasting moisturiser | Ongoing dryness rather than a single occasion | A different product from lubricant and often confused with it: used every few days regardless of activity, rather than at the time. If dryness is persistent, raise it with a doctor — it is a common and very treatable thing to be assessed for. | ~$14–18 |
| MZOO contoured sleep mask | The recovery lever nobody sells as one | Moulded so it does not press on your eyes, which is the difference between a mask you keep on and one you push off at 3am. Sleep does more for recovery than anything else on this page and costs the least. | ~$10–20 |
Three books worth starting with
Deliberately three, and deliberately different from each other: one on the mechanics, one on the anatomy and the myths, one on desire. Between them they answer most of what brings people to this site, and a library will have all three.
| Book | Best for | Worth knowing | Approx. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floored — Sara Reardon | Understanding what the pelvic floor actually does at each life stage | Written by a pelvic floor physical therapist, which makes it the most directly useful book here if leaking, prolapse or postpartum recovery is why you came. | ~$18–22 |
| The Vagina Bible — Dr Jen Gunter | Separating evidence from marketing | A gynaecologist working through what is true, what is sold, and what is neither. The reference book to own if you only own one. | ~$17–20 |
| Come As You Are — Emily Nagoski | Desire that does not behave the way you expected | The book most often recommended for “is this normal?”, and the reason responsive desire is now a mainstream idea. Get the revised edition. | ~$18–22 |
Nothing on this page is here to fill it out. If something stops being available, or stops being the honest answer, it comes off rather than getting replaced with the next-best thing.