Your Partner in Maternal Wellness!
Throughout your pregnancy, a pelvic floor physiotherapist can guide you in strengthening and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles, both essential for a healthy pregnancy and childbirth. While a strong pelvic floor is important, learning how to relax these muscles is equally critical during labor and delivery.
In preparation for childbirth, you’ll explore strategies such as perineal massage, labor positions, and more. You’ll also gain valuable knowledge for early postpartum recovery. Topics include pain management, optimizing bladder and bowel function, early pelvic floor strengthening, and scar care. Additionally, your physiotherapist will provide guidance on body mechanics for daily activities, like lifting or transitioning in and out of a car.
After pregnancy, pelvic floor physiotherapy can play a vital role in restoring muscle function and addressing common challenges like urinary or bowel incontinence, prolapse, and pelvic pain. You’ll also learn techniques for desensitizing and mobilizing scar tissue, including caesarean, episiotomy, and perineal tear scars. Other important topics include pain during sexual activity and managing Diastasis Rectus Abdominis (DRA) through tailored assessment and rehabilitation strategies.
Prenatal and Postnatal Physiotherapy Can Help With
Low Back Pain
Low back pain during pregnancy is common, often caused by weight gain, postural changes, muscle weakness, and hormonal shifts. Prenatal physiotherapy can help relieve discomfort through:
- Manual therapy and soft tissue work
- Supportive and corrective exercises
- Movement modifications for daily activities
- Education on sleeping positions
Pelvic Girdle Pain
Pelvic girdle pain affects the pelvic region and may cause:
- Pain in the lower back, hips, or groin
- Discomfort while standing or sitting
- Pain during movement (e.g., walking, climbing stairs, rolling in bed)
Prenatal physiotherapy addresses the root causes of pelvic girdle pain, offering personalized care to reduce symptoms, improve mobility, and help you enjoy a more comfortable pregnancy.
Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction
Pubic symphysis dysfunction is a type of pelvic girdle pain often experienced during pregnancy. It occurs when the pubic symphysis joint, located at the front of the pelvis, becomes irritated due to hormonal changes, increased pelvic demands, or trauma.
Common symptoms include:
- Sharp or aching pain at the front of the pelvis, radiating to the hips, lower abdomen, or thighs, this is known as “lightning crotch”
- Pain with activities like getting out of bed, walking, climbing stairs, or rolling in bed
- Tenderness around the pubic symphysis joint
Prenatal Pelvic Floor Rehab and Education
Pregnancy brings significant changes to your pelvic floor muscles, including increased pressure from your growing uterus, hormonal fluctuations, tissue relaxation, and weight gain. These changes can lead to symptoms like bladder leakage, pelvic pain, discomfort during sexual activity, and a feeling of heaviness in the pelvic area.
Prenatal physiotherapy can help manage these changes by teaching you to control your pelvic floor muscles and prepare for childbirth. It’s not just about strengthening but also learning to lengthen the muscles, which is essential for both labor and postpartum recovery.
Please note we typically perform internal assessments after 14 weeks and before 37 weeks of pregnancy. We choose not to perform internal assessments in the first trimester.
During your final prenatal physiotherapy visit, we’ll empower you with the tools and knowledge needed for birth preparation, covering:
- Perineal stretching
- Bowel care
- Birthing positions
- Breathing techniques
- Effects of medications and epidurals
- Instrumentation delivery
- Postpartum recovery
You’ll leave with helpful resources and a postpartum recovery plan to guide you through the early stages of your recovery, no matter your birth experience.
Postnatal Pelvic Floor Rehab and Education
The pelvic floor undergoes significant changes after childbirth, including muscle weakness, tissue stretching, tears, and other injuries. Postpartum pelvic floor physiotherapy can address common issues such as:
- Intravaginal scar tissue release
- Perineal trauma (tearing or episiotomy)
- Incontinence (bladder, bowel, or gas)
- Prolapse (heaviness/pressure or bulge)
- Pain during sexual activity
- Tailbone pain
- Diastasis recti
- Vaginal dryness
- Low libido
It is recommended to see a pelvic floor physiotherapist as soon as possible after childbirth, ideally within the first six weeks, before returning to sexual activity or exercise. Early intervention helps address immediate issues and supports pelvic floor rehabilitation. Telehealth appointments may be available for those who prefer or are unable to access in-person care.
Please note internal exams are typically performed after six weeks, but we offer external assessments and education earlier.
Diastasis Rectus Abdominis (DRA)
DRA occurs when the abdominal muscles stretch along the midline during pregnancy, creating a gap between the right and left sides. This can lead to a bulge or dome in the midsection.
Common symptoms include:
- Lower back pain and abdominal weakness
- Difficulty lifting or carrying objects
- Still “looking” pregnant, even years postpartum
It’s important to note that all pregnant individuals experience some degree of stretching by the end of their pregnancy. Postpartum physiotherapy can address DRA through various techniques, such as:
- Breathwork
- Deep core activation exercises and progressive core strengthening
- Pelvic floor rehabilitation
- Taping techniques
- Evidence-based education
Caesarean Rehabilitation
Many individuals who give birth via C-section experience some form of pelvic floor dysfunction postpartum. Seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist after your C-section can help assess and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which can be weakened during pregnancy and childbirth. Benefits include:
- Healing abdominal muscles and scar tissue
- Core re-training and strengthening
- Reducing the risk of pelvic floor dysfunction
- Guidance on safe exercises and posture
- Sexual health education
It’s recommended to see a pelvic floor physiotherapist within the first six weeks postpartum, before returning to sexual activity or exercise. Early intervention can address immediate issues and start pelvic floor rehabilitation. Telehealth appointments may also be available for those unable to access in-person care.
Please note we don’t perform internal exams until at least six weeks post-delivery, we offer external assessments and education earlier.
Meet Kelowna’s Leading Physiotherapy Team
Direct Billing
We offer direct billing to most major insurance companies as well as ICBC. Please see our direct billing page for more information.
Areas We Serve
- Kelowna
- Glenmore
- Downtown
- Lower Mission
- Kelowna South
- Lower Rutland
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Prenatal & Postnatal Physiotherapy Kelowna FAQs
Why Is Prenatal Physiotherapy Important Even if I Feel Healthy?
Prenatal physiotherapy is beneficial even if you don’t experience pain or discomfort during pregnancy. It prepares your body for the physical demands of labor and postpartum recovery. Strengthening and learning to relax your pelvic floor muscles, improving core stability, and addressing changes in posture help reduce risks of complications. It also equips you with strategies for minimizing strain during daily activities and promotes a more comfortable and confident pregnancy experience.
How Can Postnatal Physiotherapy Benefit Long-Term Health?
Postnatal physiotherapy addresses the immediate challenges of recovery, such as incontinence or diastasis recti, while also preventing long-term issues like chronic pelvic pain or prolapse. Strengthening your pelvic floor and core muscles reduces the risk of injuries and promotes better posture and mobility, allowing you to engage in physical activities safely. By resolving postpartum complications early, physiotherapy ensures you can maintain an active, pain-free lifestyle well into the future.
