Congratulations! You’ve hopefully just welcomed a healthy, happy baby into your life By now you have probably noticed most of the focus is on your little one – are they sleeping well? Feeding well? Pooping well? Which is all very important, but so are you!
Many women will go to see their GP/OB for their 6 week check – which is highly recommended, but we believe that all women will ALSO benefit from a 6 week postnatal physiotherapy check. Even if you were fortunate enough to have a straightforward pregnancy and birth, your body has just undergone 9 months of many physical changes, which take longer than 6 weeks to “bounce back” from (despite what the instagram influencers might have you believe). And let’s be honest, an AFL hamstring strain seems to get a lot more attention, time and treatment than a woman’s entire body after just giving birth.
Why do we believe it’s important to get a post-natal physiotherapy assessment?
- Your body has just undergone HUGE physical and hormonal changes during pregnancy
and childbirth, and needs time and guidance to recover properly from those changes. - You may have had a cesarean section and should be gentle and gradual with your return to
your new normality as a mother. - You may have had a perineal tear that requires time and rehabilitation to heal optimally.
- Roughly 1⁄3 women who have had a baby experience pelvic floor issues at some stage of
life – build your pelvic floor knowledge now to help manage and prevent any issues occuring!
What conditions can we treat in a post-natal physiotherapy assessment?
A post-natal physiotherapy check will depend on your personal experience with pregnancy and birth, the main challenges you faced, and your goals for the future. Depending on each individual, we may need to focus on one area/issue at a time, or work on a few of the following in conjunction. Some things we may cover include:
- Pelvic floor health (bladder function, bowel function, sexual function)
- Perineal injury
- Cesarean recovery
- Abdominal separation
- Return to exercise and daily activities
- Back pain
- Pelvic pain
- Other musculoskeletal aches and pains
- Mastitis
What does the assessment involve?
A post-natal physiotherapy assessment will generally take about an hour. We advise waiting until 6 weeks after your birth before you book an appointment, as you and your body need time to rest, recover and adjust to life with your little one. If you have any pressing issues, like mastitis, you can seek treatment whenever you need. You are more than welcome to bring your little one with you to your appointment (we love babies!)
Questions, lots of questions!
We will ask for a detailed history on you, your general health, pregnancy and obstetric history, physical/exercise goals, pelvic floor health (bladder function, bowel function and sexual function) and establish what your main concerns are (if any) and what are your goals for yourself.
A physical assessment.
This will vary depending on each individual’s experience with pregnancy and birth. We usually don’t have time to cover all areas of the body thoroughly in the first appointment, so we will prioritise what is concerning you the most at the time. In general we often check:
- Abdominals – separation (DRAM) and function, cesarean scar (if you have one), deep core
(TrA – transverse abdominis) activation, appropriate core exercises that are suitable for your
stage of recovery - Pelvic floor muscles – this is usually an internal vaginal assessment (see FAQ’s below) to
check: perineal scar (if you have one), if they can contract (switch on), how they function
(many women don’t activate them correctly) and what exercises are appropriate to maximise
your pelvic floor recovery or manage any concerns you have. - Back and pelvis – if there are any lingering issues from pregnancy, or new issues that have
arisen since the birth - Neck – if you are experiencing neck pain since the birth it may be associated with
carrying/feeding posture - Breasts – if you are experiencing mastitis symptoms (such as painful, firm, red or lumpy
breast tissue) - Other areas of the body – e.g. wrists, hips, shoulders, or any area from your head to your
toes that may feel sore or not quite right during this stage in life
Treatment.
Again, this will differ depending on what your concerns and goals are. But every woman will go home with:
- More knowledge on how to manage their condition and recovery, how to enhance their
pelvic floor health, and how to return to the activities that they love to do safely and in the
appropriate timeframe for their body - Strategies to help navigate this new stage in life, often with new and demanding physical
and postural loads - Exercises – safe and gradual progressions of exercises to reach your goals, whether it be
to walk to the coffee shop and back without any leaks, lift weights at the gym or run 20km.
We will give you targeted, appropriate and safe exercises for your body at whatever stage of
recovery you are at.
Manual therapy – if required, to help your body recover and reduce your pain
FAQ’s
Can I come earlier than 6 weeks?
You can come at any stage postnatally. We generally recommend after 6 weeks to do a pelvic floor assessment, as most women have had a check from their GP/OB, their bodies have had a little time to heal from the birth, and their lochia (bleeding from the birth) has stopped.
Can I bring my baby?
Yes. There is room for a pram in the treatment room. We’d love to meet your new addition!
What does a pelvic floor assessment involve?
This is an internal vaginal assessment. It will be explained to you in detail within your appointment before requesting your informed consent to go ahead with the assessment. You do not have to consent to the assessment, and you can choose to stop the assessment at any time. The internal vaginal assessment involves undressing from the waist down, to observe the perineum, and then inserting a gloved finger into the vagina to check the pelvic floor muscles. It takes a few minutes, and should not be painful for most women.
I have my period, can I still get a pelvic floor assessment?
Yes. It is okay to have a pelvic floor assessment if you are menstruating. It is up to each individual if they feel comfortable having an assessment when they have their period. If you would like to postpone your assessment, please call reception.
My GP/OB said I’m fine at my 6wk check, do I still need a physiotherapy assessment?
We recommend all women who’ve had a baby get a thorough women’s health physiotherapy assessment. All women should rehabilitate their pelvic floor and body following a pregnancy and birth. Many women do not experience pelvic floor issues until later in life, however, we feel that if they knew more about their pelvic floor in their childbearing years, they would be much less likely to experience problems.
When can I start running/jumping/lifting/planking again?
It depends. It depends on your pre-pregnancy level of fitness, your activity levels during pregnancy, your birth experience and recovery following the birth. Even if you have always been healthy and fit, and feel like you’ve recovered well from the birth, evidence shows that the changes on a woman’s body during pregnancy and childbirth are huge, and take months to recover from. Seeking guidance from a women’s health physiotherapist is a great way to ensure that you can return to the exercises you love as soon as safely possible. We are physio’s – we understand the need to return to exercise/activities. There is ALWAYS something that you CAN do, and we will work with you to get you to your goals as fast as possible.
