Prenatal and Postnatal Physiotherapy: Supporting Your Body Through Pre

Prenatal and Postnatal Physiotherapy: Supporting Your Body Through Pregnancy and Beyond

Not everyone is aware how physiotherapy can help women during their pregnancy, upon childbirth and even postpartum. As the world advances, we have access to more information that highlights the role and importance of physiotherapy for expecting mothers. Due to this, an increased number of pregnant women are finally seeking professional opinions to help them during pre and postnatal period.

So how can physiotherapy help during this one of the most important chapters in women's life? This is by simply guiding them to correct information that can help resolve some general muscle and joint pains, on how to safely start doing exercises or continuing a previous workout regime, any additional knowledge with regards in preparation for labor and delivery and lastly, to aid them postnatally if ever they would have certain conditions such as abdominal separation (diastasis recti), incontinence, prolapse, and pelvic pain.

October 3, 2024

When should I start Prenatal Physiotherapy?

It is important during pregnancy to keep on moving and be active, except with cases that the pregnancy is delicate and you were advised to be on bedrest. Our experts at Healthagon recommend Prenatal Physiotherapy as soon as you experience even mild symptoms of strain caused due to the pregnancy. For some, this may start as early as the first trimester.

What are the Benefits of Prenatal Physiotherapy?

1. Improved posture: A woman’s body changes dramatically during pregnancy and Prenatal Physiotherapy reducing the risk of discomfort specifically to the back and neck.

2. Pain management: Prenatal Physiotherapy helps women find relief from common pregnancy related discomforts like Sciatica and lower back pain by providing the required muscle strengthening.

3. Helps prepare for labour: During Prenatal Physiotherapy, expecting mothers are taught breathing techniques and other exercises that help prepare them for labour.

4. Helps reduce swelling: Prenatal Physiotherapy helps improve blood flow and circulation, thus reducing the swelling in feet, which is common during pregnancy.

What are the benefits of Postnatal Physiotherapy?

1. Re-Strengthening of the core
2. Enhanced mobility and flexibility
3. Postnatal pain relief

Here are the examples of exercises you can do during pregnancy :

1. Breathing exercises - very simple yet very helpful exercise especially during labour of a normal delivery.

A. DEEP BREATHING EX - inhale through nose, hold breath for 5 seconds and slowly exhale through mouth like blowing a candle.

B. J BREATHING - it is when you will exhale while you exert effort. Inhale through your nose, and while exhaling visualize that you are pushing the baby from abdomen down to the birth canal. This is a good technique to minimize chances of tearing and episiotomy.

2. Ball exercises - by using a vestibular ball, do pelvic movements such as figure-of-eight pattern, up and down, side to side and circle motions to promote opening the hip area and strengthen pelvic floor muscles.

3. Pelvic floor exercises - to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to avoid loss of bladder control after giving birth.

For certain conditions that you may be dealing with, reach out to your OB-Gyn or come to have a consultation and assessment with us at Healthagon so we can guide you immediately regarding your concerns.

Dr. Maureen Agustin

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