Pregnancy & Postnatal Care
Pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period bring significant changes to your body. Our Women's Health Physiotherapist’s provide tailored assessment, treatment, and education to help you manage discomfort, prepare for birth, recover after delivery, and return to the activities you love with confidence.
Whether you're experiencing pregnancy-related aches and pains, pelvic floor concerns, or challenges during your postnatal recovery, our physiotherapists are here to help.
Pregnancy
As your body adapts to support your growing baby, physical changes can sometimes lead to discomfort and difficulties. Women's Health Physiotherapy can help you stay active, comfortable, and prepared for birth.
Issues that we frequently see during pregnancy include:
- Lower back, pelvic girdle (sacroiliac joint and pubic symphysis) and hip pain
- Sciatic pain
- Rib and thoracic discomfort
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Bladder and/or bowel dysfunction
Our physiotherapists can help by:
- Offering advice on posture, movement, and daily activities
- Providing hands-on treatment
- Fitting you with supports such as an SIJ belt, SRC pregnancy compression garments* or wrist splints
- Prescribe exercises to improve or maintain strength and stability, general fitness and prepare for birth
*Physio-Wise carries a range of SRC compression garment samples for you to try on however the stock we hold is very limited. We encourage ordering directly through SRC after being fitted.
Preventative Pelvic Floor Assessment and Education
Your pelvic floor muscles play an important role during pregnancy and childbirth. Physiotherapy can help you to understand how your pelvic floor works, learn effective pelvic floor exercises and help you prepare your body for labour and recovery. Doing this work early on can really help manage any issues already present and reduce your risk of developing pelvic floor dysfunction further down the track.
Postnatal
Every woman's recovery journey is unique. Whether you have had a vaginal birth or caesarean section, Women's Health Physiotherapy can help you recover safely and effectively.
We recommend that all women who have given birth have a comprehensive postnatal assessment. Ideal timing for this is 6-8 weeks after delivery as this gives your body sufficient healing time to be ready for examination and to commence exercise.
We treat each person individually based on their concerns, but a typical postnatal assessment may include:
- Pelvic floor function assessment
- Abdominal muscle assessment
- Screening for bladder and bowel concerns
- Assessment of postnatal pain or discomfort
Even if you have no major concerns, you can still benefit from physiotherapy input. Pregnancy and childbirth places considerable strain on the body, particularly pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. Physiotherapy can help you to rehabilitate these muscles safely and effectively, guiding you with advice and exercises so that you can return to regular activities and sport confidently and prevent future problems such as prolapse and incontinence.
Issues that we frequently treat postnatally include:
- General abdominal and pelvic floor rehabilitation
- Diastasis recti (abdominal muscle separation)
- Altered bladder or bowel function, including incontinence
- Prolapse
- Sexual pain
- Back and pelvic pain
- Neck and shoulder tension
- Wrist and hand pain associated with caring for a newborn
Our physiotherapists can help by:
- Providing individualised rehabilitation programs, particularly for pelvic floor and core strengthening
- Education on safe exercise options and return-to-activity planning
- Postural strategies to manage the demands of caring for a newborn
- Hands-on treatment as needed
- Fitting you with supports such as SRC recovery compression garments*, or wrist supports
*Physio-Wise carries a range of SRC compression garment samples for you to try on however the stock we hold is very limited. We encourage ordering directly through SRC after being fitted.
Book an Appointment
Whether you are planning for birth, managing pregnancy-related discomfort, or recovering after having your baby, our Women's Health Physiotherapy service is here to support you.
Contact our team today to schedule an appointment and take the next step towards a healthier, stronger, and more comfortable pregnancy and postnatal recovery.
