Pregnancy

Illustration of a pregnant woman in profile with a visible fetus inside her womb.

In pregnancy, physiotherapy can be incredibly helpful in managing pain and discomfort that is commonly present, treating and managing pelvic floor symptoms, guiding exercise and movement, providing education regarding your changing body, and preparing your body for labour, birth and beyond.

Pain during pregnancy

Pregnancy can bring a variety of aches and pains due to the changes your body undergoes. Pain can range from mild to severe. Pain is common in pregnancy, but doesn’t have to be endured. Women's health physiotherapy offers effective solutions to relieve pain and improve mobility during pregnancy.

Common Pregnancy Pain Conditions:

  • Pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain (PrPGP)

  • Symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD)

  • Mid and Lower Back Pain

  • Neck Pain

  • Round Ligament Pain

  • Hip Pain

  • Rib Pain

  • Foot Pain

  • Wrist Pain (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)

Physiotherapist performing pregnancy massage on client in treatment room.

Pelvic Floor changes in pregnancy

Pregnancy can have a large impact on your pelvic floor function, and for good reason, as your body is continually adapting to accomodate your growing baby and preparing for childbirth.

Common pelvic floor symptoms that can occur in pregnancy include, but are not limited to:

  • Incontinence

  • Constipation

  • Pelvic pain

  • Pain/discomfort with intercourse

  • Vaginal heaviness

  • Vulval Varicosities

It is important to know that although pelvic floor symptoms during pregnancy is common, it is not normal and should be addressed. A pelvic floor assessment can help identify any issues or imbalances that may arise during pregnancy and direct individualised treatment and management.

It is advised to have a pelvic floor assessment at 20 weeks of pregnancy (after your 20-week morphology scan), even in absence of concerning symptoms. This allows for:

  • Screening of any underlying pelvic floor dysfunction

  • Providing education and implementing strategies to reduce the risk of conditions e.g. prolapse, incontinence, and diastasis recti

  • Guidance to prepare your pelvic floor to be in a great position for birth and postpartum

Birth Preparation

Seeing a women’s health physiotherapist for birth preparation is a great way to equip yourself with useful tools and education to enable an informed and trauma-free birth. Birth preparation appointments involve:

  • Pelvic floor assessment: to assess the ability of the pelvic floor to stretch and lengthen, assess “push” technique, assess and treat tight pelvic floor muscles that could inhibit the pelvic floor’s ability to lengthen during second stage of labour

  • Education on the physiology of labour and birth including stages of labour, role of hormones, and foetal positioning

  • Discuss birth preferences and provide education around all types of birth interventions such as induction, epidural, forceps, vacuum, episiotomy and c-section

  • Discuss evidence of positions for labour and birth

  • Education on preventing perineal tears and how/when to start perineal massage

  • Discuss pain relief options

  • Plan for postpartum rehabilitation

It is advised to book in for your first birth preparation appointment at 32-34 weeks as this is the point in pregnancy where your hormones peak to their highest which allows for adequate assessment of where your pelvic floor is at and it’s readiness birth. This timeframe guide may be sooner if advised at your 20 week appointment.

Follow up birth preparation appointments will be from 34-36+ weeks which allows for review of your pelvic floor and discuss postpartum recovery and rehabilitation plan.

A woman holding a pelvis model with a wooden stick, demonstrating to another woman lying down on a table.