The Vital Role of Internal Pelvic Floor Assessment for New Mum’s

Esme Soan is the Director and Principal Exercise Physiologist on the team at Pear.

Becoming a mother is an incredible journey filled with joy, lack of sleep 🤪 and countless changes, both physically and emotionally. As you navigate the postpartum phase, it's crucial to prioritise your own health and well-being, especially when it comes to returning to exercise after a vaginal delivery. One essential step that often goes overlooked is getting an internal pelvic floor assessment with a pelvic floor physiotherapist. When we first started offering postnatal services at Pear, I was so excited to welcome Sami, our first Physio to the team, to provide the highest quality support and services to our new mums. In this post I'll shed light on the importance of a Pelvic Floor Physio assessment, exactly what’s involved in a visit with our gorgeous pelvic health team, and how it can positively impact your postpartum recovery journey.

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that support the pelvic organs, including the bladder, uterus, and rectum. During pregnancy (third trimester - meaning c-section delivery still impacts!) and childbirth, these muscles undergo significant changes and can become weakened, overly tight or damaged. This can lead to various issues such as urinary incontinence (leaking of urine when coughing etc), pelvic organ prolapse, pain during intercourse, and decreased core stability.

The Role of an Internal Pelvic Floor Assessment:

1. Super accurate evaluation: An internal pelvic floor assessment performed by a pelvic floor physiotherapist allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the strength, tone, and function of your pelvic floor muscles. This assessment helps identify any weaknesses, imbalances, or dysfunction that may be present.

2. Individualised Treatment Plan: Based on the assessment findings, your pear pelvic floor physiotherapist can create a personalised treatment plan tailored to your specific exercise goals, availability, wants & needs - linked in with our women’s health exercise physiology team. This may include exercises, stretches, manual therapy techniques, and lifestyle modifications (hello squatty potty!) to optimise your pelvic floor function and overall recovery.

3. Preventing Further Complications: Addressing any pelvic floor issues before returning to exercise is crucial. Engaging in high-impact activities without proper pelvic floor support can exacerbate existing problems or lead to new complications. An internal assessment helps identify potential red flags and guides you towards a safe and effective return to exercise.

4. Restoring Core Strength: The pelvic floor plays a vital role in core stability. By assessing the integrity of your pelvic floor, our physiotherapists can guide you through exercises that will help restore core strength and improve overall stability (psst - we cover a lot of these in our Mums & Bub’s classes we run weekly at Pear!). This is essential for preventing back pain, enhancing posture, and promoting functional m

As a new mother, it's important to remember that your postpartum recovery is unique and should be approached with care and patience. Consulting a pelvic floor physiotherapist for an internal assessment is a proactive step towards reclaiming your physical health and overall well-being. Please remember, there is no shame or embarrassment in seeking professional help for your postpartum recovery - we exist to support you. Pelvic floor physiotherapists are trained to provide a safe and supportive environment where you can openly discuss your concerns and receive the guidance you need, we love supporting you through motherhood.

Don't hesitate to reach out to us at Pear, to book in with our expert pelvic floor physiotherapists today. Remember, you deserve the best care and support as you embark on this new challenge of motherhood, to return to the gym strong & healthy for you and your little ones!

Next
Next

What is Lymphoedema Physiotherapy?