PregnancyPrenatal Reasons to See a Physiotherapist

If you experience any of the following symptoms during pregnancy, you would benefit from pelvic floor physiotherapy:

• Incontinence
• Pain with sex
• Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)
• Vulva varicosities
• Tailbone pain
• Pregnancy related aches and pains
• Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD)
• Pressure or heaviness in the vagina
• Difficulty holding in gas
• Low back pain

Seeking pelvic floor physiotherapy during pregnancy can better prepare you for birth and postpartum recovery in the following ways:

• Diastasis Rectus Abdominis (DRA) prevention and management
• Learn how to relax and recruit the pelvic floor during labour
• Review and practice various birth positions
• Core stability training
• Exercise prescription and guidelines for each trimester
• Be instructed on ways to minimize injury to the pelvic floor during delivery
• Education and strategies to improve comfort at work
• Learn positions and strategies for a better night’s sleep
• Assess tone and strength in the pelvic floor
• Pelvic floor muscle training to prevent incontinence and prolapse
• Learn postures and movements that reduce and prevent pain
• Learn non-medicinal techniques to use during labour
  (ex: TENS machine, acupressure points)
  
  ©Lynn Sweeney, Physiotherapist
  BSc. Kin, MPT