Pelvic Floor Wellness for Expectant & New Mothers
Pregnancy and early motherhood bring incredible physical changes, your body grows, adapts, and works harder than ever to support new life. While the focus is often on the baby, it’s just as important to support the mother’s body throughout this journey. One of the areas that deserves the most attention is the pelvic floor.
Your pelvic floor muscles play a vital role in pregnancy, birth, and recovery. Understanding how they work and how to care for them can make a huge difference to your comfort, confidence, and wellbeing.
What Is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that sit at the base of the pelvis. They support the bladder, bowel, and uterus, maintain continence, and contribute to sexual function and core stability.
During pregnancy, these muscles are placed under increasing pressure. During birth, especially vaginal delivery, they stretch dramatically. This makes pelvic floor awareness and strengthening an essential part of prenatal and postnatal care.
Pelvic Floor Wellness During Pregnancy
1. Understanding Changes During Pregnancy
As the baby grows, the pelvic floor carries more weight. Hormones like relaxin also cause ligaments to soften, which can lead to:
Pelvic heaviness
Increased urinary frequency
Pelvic girdle or lower back pain
Difficulty engaging core muscles
Supporting your pelvic floor during pregnancy helps reduce these symptoms and prepares your body for birth.
2. Learning to Activate (and Relax) the Pelvic Floor
A common misconception is that pelvic floor exercises are all about squeezing. In reality, both activation and relaxation are equally important. A pelvic health physiotherapist can help you:
Identify the correct muscles
Strengthen the pelvic floor safely
Learn relaxation techniques for labour
Build endurance and coordination
These skills are invaluable for preventing leakage and supporting a smoother postpartum recovery.
3. Preparing for Labour & Delivery
Pelvic floor wellness during pregnancy can support a more comfortable birth experience. Physiotherapy offers tools such as:
Perineal massage instruction
Breathing techniques for labour
Optimal positions for pelvic opening
Strategies to reduce perineal tearing
Guidance on birth positioning if pelvic pain is present
A well-prepared pelvic floor can cope better with the demands of delivery.
Pelvic Floor Wellness for New Mothers
1. Postnatal Changes You May Notice
In the early days after birth, many women experience symptoms such as:
Urinary leakage
Pelvic heaviness or pressure
Reduced pelvic floor strength
Lower back or pelvic pain
Difficulty engaging the core
Pain during intercourse
These changes are common, but they are not something you have to live with long-term.
2. The Importance of Postnatal Physiotherapy
A pelvic health physiotherapist can assess the pelvic floor for:
Strength and tone
Tension or tenderness
Healing after perineal tearing or stitches
Abdominal separation (diastasis recti)
Breathing and core coordination
From this, a personalised recovery plan is created to gradually restore strength and function.
3. Safe Return to Exercise
Many new mothers feel unsure about when or how to return to movement. Jumping back into high-impact exercise too soon can worsen pelvic floor symptoms. Physiotherapy ensures you return safely by focusing on:
Pelvic floor activation
Core stability and breathwork
Glute and hip strengthening
Gradual progression to impact or sport
Whether your goal is gentle walking or running a 10K, your physio can guide your journey.
4. Supporting Emotional & Physical Confidence
Pelvic floor issues can affect more than just physical comfort, they can impact confidence, intimacy, and mental wellbeing. Physiotherapy provides a safe, supportive environment where you can discuss concerns openly and receive solutions that truly help.
How to Care for Your Pelvic Floor at Home
Simple daily habits make a big difference:
Practice gentle pelvic floor activation
Avoid holding your breath during movement
Stay active with walking and low-impact exercise
Manage constipation with hydration and fibre
Use good lifting mechanics (especially with car seats and prams)
Rest and pace yourself, your body is healing
Your pelvic floor deserves the same care and attention you give the rest of your body.
Final Thoughts
Pelvic floor wellness is a cornerstone of health for expectant and new mothers. With the right support and guidance, you can navigate pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery with confidence and strength.
Physiotherapy offers personalised care that helps you understand your body, prevent or manage symptoms, and return to the activities you love, comfortably and safely.
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