Pregnancy, Birth &
Postpartum Care
Meet your pelvic health cheerleaders from the prenatal phase to postpartum recovery and beyond. We’re firm believers in prioritizing a cheerful pelvis for life – but we also know that this stage can be a LOT, what with all the appointments, info, and change you’re dealing with.
We know what you need, when you need it, and can bend to meet you if you have zero capacity, or go all in if that’s where you’re at. Either way, we got you.
Here for you at every stage of the journey
Pregnancy & Birth Prep | Fourth Trimester | Getting Back to It
Pregnancy and Birth Prep
If you’re coming to see us at this point, you’re probably in one of two boats: either you have a specific concern, or your midwife told you to come see us, but you’re not sure why.
In any case, we’ve got your back (and your bladder, and your abs, and your pelvic floor). Research overwhelmingly shows that preventative physiotherapy is linked to better birth outcomes, like easier labour and fewer complications and symptoms postpartum.
So, when should we start? Your second trimester usually works well, but come and see us earlier if you’re worried about anything. And know it’s never too late.
What we can do for you
Treat pregnancy-related symptoms, like pain, incontinence, or pressure/heaviness
Help you develop non-pharmacological pain management strategies for birth
Labour coaching, like how to push and different birth positions to optimize the process for your pelvic floor
Tear prevention: knowledge is power! There are no guarantees, but we can help you reduce the risk of tearing
Create a postpartum plan if you want to be prepared or are eager to get rehab going ASAP
Keep you moving or maximize your exercise potential throughout pregnancy
Teach you or your partner perineal massage
The Fourth Trimester
Whether vaginal or via C-section, birth is a major thing for your body, like having surgery. You might not have symptoms after a surgery, but you’d always do rehab. Despite birth being a natural process, the postpartum body needs some rehab, whether you have symptoms or not.
In an ideal world, if you had no priorities aside from your own body, we’d have you come in at six weeks postpartum to check your tissue healing and start ab and pelvic floor rehab. This sets you up for maximum strength and recovery throughout the postpartum period and beyond.
If you do have symptoms, the earlier you come in, the better (and we can see you anytime, even if it’s right after birth). But we know these first few months can be overwhelming and full of other priorities, so if you can’t find the time now, just come and see us when you can.
Want to know which symptoms we can treat? Check out our “We Help” page or contact us for more information.
Getting Back to It
As you emerge from the postpartum haze, you’re probably starting to get back into exercise, work, life, and owning your body again. If you haven’t done any rehab at this point, now is the time; or if you have, but symptoms sneak back, you might need a little more physio as your hormones and activity levels continue to evolve. Whether it’s returning to sports, the gym, or just bringing ease into your daily routine, we’re here for all your goals, big and small.
Want to know which symptoms we can treat? Check out our “We Help” page or contact us for more information.
I want a cheerful pelvis!
FAQ’s
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There’s no real urgency for you to come in the first trimester, so it’s often nice to wait until the second trimester. For a pelvic floor check and to create a physio plan, the second trimester is ideal, but anytime up until the birth is useful.
To learn perineal massage, 35 weeks+ is great. You can even bring your partner so that we can teach them, if you like.
If you’re experiencing pain or other issues or concerns, book in with us ASAP.
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You know your capacity and priorities, so obviously, do what feels right for you. That said, we have heard so many stories, especially from women who’ve had pelvic floor issues later on, who wished they’d done the preventative work at this point, so we really fly the flag for doing at least something now if you can. That’s why we work so hard to meet you where you’re at. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing: a little can go a long way. We design a treatment plan that works in real life, not just on paper, and even if we just give you a little information about what’s going on with your body, it can empower you to take care of yourself later, when you have the capacity.
If it’s more accessible, virtual appointments (even for initial assessments) are still really helpful and certainly much better than nothing.
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If you are struggling, we can see you anytime, even if it’s right after birth. It’s common for us to do virtual appointments for clients early on if an in-person visit is hard.
As far as the standard internal pelvic floor check goes, we need to wait 6 weeks after a birth to ensure the tissues have healed first, but other than that, it’s whenever you have the capacity to put your body first! We love to see people in the 4th trimester, but essentially we want to check you over whenever you can make it – even if it’s a year post and you have no symptoms, still get checked!
If you have symptoms, we can address them anytime.
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We could talk about this forever! But here’s the long and short of it.
The long answer: Physio is recommended for all pregnant people. Our work has been shown to reduce pregnancy symptoms and complications, reduce birth complications and interventions, and reduce the risk of birth injury and postpartum symptoms. We're also the first line of treatment for any symptoms that do occur postpartum.
The short answer: If you work with us to stay active and treat issues, you’ll have a better pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience, with fewer symptoms and less impact on your pelvic floor, abs, and body as a whole.
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Shooting for best results with no limits, we’d want to see you three times throughout your pregnancy (second trimester, early third, and around 36 weeks) and about four times postpartum, starting from about six weeks until about one year post, or until you’re fully recovered.
Otherwise, at least one pregnancy visit to address your main concerns and two postpartum visits to check and guide healing are important. If you’re struggling or having symptoms, we’d see you more frequently until they’re resolved, more like a regular physio plan.
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Yes, absolutely! We have bouncers or floor mats for babies and space for partners in the treatment room or waiting room, as you prefer.
Pre+Postnatal group classes.
Stay Fit and Strong.
Not your average prenatal or postpartum group class! Designed and led by pelvic health physios, our classes are filled with allllll our tips and tricks. Sweat confidently knowing your pelvic floor and abs are in good hands.
