The time frame after giving birth is hectic, not only do you have medical appointments for you and the baby, but you’re adjusting to a whole new world ahead. So it’s no surprise that many women don’t consider heading to the physio at this time. But there are some incredible things a physio can help you with when it comes to a postnatal physiotherapy appointment.
Pelvic Floor Assessment
Pelvic floor muscles are the ones that form a sling at the bottom of your pelvis, they are responsible for keeping your bladder and your bowels from leaking, holding your pelvic organs in place, supporting your lower back and allowing for sexual function. Making them quite an important muscle group.
After giving birth, whether it’s vaginal birth or cesarean, your body will have changed and most often these changes lead to pelvic floor dysfunction. So during a postnatal assessment, the physiotherapist will check your pelvic floor muscles via examination or ultrasound and see if you need to start the recovery process and how.
Abdominal Assessment
Another assessment a physio will undertake is to check for RAD or Rectus Abdominis Diastasis, which checks if the connective tissue between your abs has come back to normal after being stretched during pregnancy. These muscles are likely to be weak and disconnected after birth, but with the right help, you can get back to a good level of strength to help support your healing body.
Musculoskeletal Assessments
When undertaking this assessment, the physio will check if there’s been any pain or injury to your joints and muscles. Some complaints people see early on are back pain, wrist or arm pain and pubic bone pain. If these issues are found and managed early, they can be prevented from becoming chronic issues, and allow you to have a good quality of life going forward.
Bladder and Bowel Screening
During this assessment, the physiotherapist will ask you lots of questions about your pelvic area and although it might be embarrassing, it’s important to check in for bladder or bowel dysfunction. By screening for these issues, the physio can help make sure your body is bouncing back after birth to the best degree and find any issues as soon as possible.
Getting You Back To Exercise
Everyone has different goals after giving birth when it comes to exercise and activity. Some women want to get back to their optimum level of strength, while others just want to be free of pain when caring for their children. No matter what your personal goals are if you speak to the physiotherapist about them, you can make a path to achieving these goals that are both manageable and realistic. The idea is to view postnatal physiotherapy as a way to safely prepare your body for the future and support you during this stressful time.
It’s a monumental task to get back to a semblance of normalcy for your life and body after pregnancy, but that’s where Propel Physiotherapy and its pregnancy physiotherapy offerings come in. With everything from pre to post-natal physiotherapy, mum and bubs classes and more, you can give yourself peace of mind and prioritise your health and future. With all classes run by expert physiotherapists, they have the support to guide you through this complicated process with care.
