
Pregnancy Care & Pelvic Floor
Research shows that pregnant women should undertake supervised pelvic floor muscle training throughout their pregnancy however clinically we see many women do not know how to correctly contract and relax these muscles. In a pregnancy physiotherapy appointment at Flow, we can assess these muscles and teach you how to strengthen them correctly.
Regardless of whether you have any unwanted symptoms, prenatal pelvic floor physiotherapy focuses on prevention of symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, preparation for birth and recovery during the early postnatal stages (i.e the fourth trimester).
Physiotherapy can also help manage common complaints in pregnancy including:
Pelvic Floor symptoms such as leakage, constipation, pelvic pain and vulvar varicosities
Pelvic Girdle Pain and ‘lightening crotch’
Low Back Pain
Hip Pain
Diastasis Recti ‘abdominal separation’
Rib Pain
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Exercise Guidelines in Pregnancy
Birth Preparation
Caesarean sections preparation and recovery
Preparation for the Postpartum period
If you have any concerns we recommend booking an appointment as soon as you are able. If you do not have any concerns and would like a general pregnancy assessment, we recommend this appointment from the start of your second trimester (i.e after your 13/40 scan).
Birth preparation appointments (including perineal massage) is recommended at 34-36/40.