Top three reasons why a new mum should visit a physio

Pregnancy and birth is an extreme experience for a new mum's mind and body, and the recovery process can fall by the wayside as the baby takes priority. When recovering from birth, it is important to give your muscles time to recover from the stretching of pregnancy, and work to strengthen those muscular areas to ensure long term comfort and functionality. If you are a new mum, check out these top three reasons why you should visit a physiotherapist for advice and support through your postpartum recovery process.

Rehabilitate pelvic floor muscles

No matter whether your had a vaginal or caesarean section birth, your pelvic floor muscles require postpartum attention and care. During pregnancy, your pelvic floor muscles stretch to support the uterus, bowel and bladder, and are left weakened postpartum. To strengthen your pelvic floor muscles after pregnancy and birth, it is important that you stick to a regular exercise regime in order to prevent the possibility of pelvic floor problems in the future. As these muscles are crucial to bladder and bowel control as well as playing a key role in healthy sexual function, it is vital for your personal health and wellbeing to rehabilitate your pelvic floor muscles postpartum. If you find that the exercises are not working to effectively restore your bladder and bowel control and by three months postpartum you are experiencing incontinence or other issues, do not hesitate to visit your local physiotherapist for treatment.

Strengthen abdominal muscles

With your abdominal muscles stretched to their limits to accommodate your growing baby during pregnancy, it is no wonder this area requires a little extra attention postpartum. In order to regain your posture and pre-pregnancy body shape, you need to work on strengthening your abdominal muscles with regular exercises that specifically target the area. Keeping up with your pelvic tilt and abdominal bracing exercises will help you to improve the strength of your abdominal muscles, working to protect you from back injury and relieve back pain postpartum. If you feel as though your abdominal muscles are not feeling stronger despite the exercises, seek the advice of your physiotherapist.

Protect back and spine

While a newborn baby is not a heavy weight to carry around, you will find that you are moving your body in new ways, and with weakened pelvic and abdominal muscles this can place considerable strain on your back. To ensure that your back is cared for now and into the future, it is important that you exercise caution when bending, lifting and carrying in the initial postpartum period. If you suffered from pre-existing back problems such as scoliosis, you may require additional support from your physiotherapist to make sure your back remains healthy, strong and protected. For more information and advice, contact your local experienced physiotherapist.

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