During pregnancy and after the birth of your baby, exercising will help you manage the changes occurring to your body to improve your general health. Following these exercises below will also help reduce or prevent aches and pains during pregnancy.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises/Kegels Exercises
The pelvic floor muscles sit like a hammock underneath your bladder, bowel and womb. During pregnancy, as the weight from the womb increases as baby grows, your pelvic floor muscles are working harder and at risk of developing pelvic floor dysfunctions. There are other factors that can increase the risk like having a vaginal birth, instrumental birth, heavy baby (more than 4kg), third- or fourth-degree tears and a long second stage of labour.
Helping your pelvic floor muscles recover with specific exercises will help reduce and prevent any symptoms.
If you were already active and your regular activity is not a contact sport and doesn’t make you feel in pain or unwell, you can continue practicing it.
Please always consult with your Obstetrics Physiotherapist if unsure where to start.
Exercises after Pregnancy and in the Post Natal Period
Generally, walking, pelvic floor exercises, deep abdominal and pelvic tilting exercises are safe a day or two after the delivery of your baby.
Between six and eight weeks after having your baby, you may return to low impact exercise. Here are some examples.
Always refer to your Obstetrics Physiotherapist for advice and guidance for an individualized programme.
We recommend not starting high impact exercises until after three months from the delivery of your baby to give your pelvic floor plenty of time to recover!
Always refer to your Obstetrics Physiotherapist for advice and guidance for an individualized programme.
During this changing time in your life, Maternity Physiotherapy can help you understand the changes to your body and help you manage them to prevent pain, as well as help you manage any aches or pains, if they arise. Your maternity physiotherapist can also help you find useful resources for care during pregnancy, labour, birth and post-natal care.
In the sections below, you can find information about how Physiotherapy can help you during your pregnancy, labour and birth and in the Post Natal period, through different useful resources.
For translated documents into languages other than English, please refer to our Reference Centre section.
Pregnancy Care
During pregnancy, your body needs to adapt to allow for your baby (or babies) to grow and develop, this means your body will change and some aches and pains can occur.
To learn more about the changes in your body during pregnancy and how to care for it, we have put together a video and a leaflet.
We recommend trying relaxation, and other forms of mindfulness to help you better manage all the changes. Follow this video to practice a relaxation session.
External Resources
Fit for Pregnancy Information Leaflet: https://pogp.csp.org.uk/publications/fit-pregnancy
Working from Home – Advice and Exercises: https://www.csp.org.uk/publications/do-you-sit-desk-all-day-leaflets
Reproduced with permission of Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy (pogp.csp.org.uk) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (csp.org.uk).
Labour and Birth
Before the time comes for labour and birth, it will be useful to check our video and leaflet about positions and breathing for labour. We recommend you try this ahead of time and with your birthing partner so you can be more comfortable and in control on the day.
Relaxation can also be really helpful during this uncertain time and you can find a relaxation session and leaflet on the topic.
Relaxation Information Leaflet: https://pogp.csp.org.uk/publications/mitchell-method-simple-relaxation
Fit for Birth Information Leaflet: https://pogp.csp.org.uk/publications/fit-birth
Reproduced with permission of LabourPains.com, NHS inform – Ready Steady Baby!, BabyCentre, New Life Classes and Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy (pogp.csp.org.uk)
We’re a team of highly skilled physiotherapists who specialise in maternity physiotherapy, that is, in the assessment and treatment of people during and after their pregnancy.
We provide ante natal and post natal appointments for:
Muscle and joint issues such as: Low back pain, Pregnancy related Pelvic Girdle Pain (PPGP), Diastasis Rectus Abdominus Muscles (DRAM), Coccydynia (tailbone pain), Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, DeQuervains Synovitis (thumb pain).
Bladder, bowel and pelvic floor issues such as difficulty controlling or emptying the bladder or bowel, prolapse symptoms and pelvic pain.
How to Access the Obstetrics Physiotherapy Department
Please contact your GP urgently or NHS24 on 111 if you have recently or suddenly developed any of the following:
Difficulty passing urine or controlling bladder or bowel.
Numbness or tingling around your back or front passage.
Please contact maternity Assessment Unit if you have any of the following:
Bleeding
A reduction in your baby’s movements.
Ante Natal
If you have tried our helpful resources, but you still require further Physiotherapy input, you can complete the self-referral form (you will be able to select your preferred site once in the form). Your referral will then be looked at by the Physiotherapy team and someone will be in touch to arrange an appropriate appointment.
Post Natal
If you would like to refer to Physiotherapy with a muscle or joint problem (for example back pain, pelvic pains, hand pain), and it has been less than 6 weeks since you had your baby, please complete the self-referral form.
If you are having problems with bladder or bowel control, prolapse or issues with your pelvic floor muscles or tummy muscles and had your baby less than 6 months ago, please use this self-referral form.
If it has been more than 6 months please see your GP who will be able to refer you into the right service.
On this page you will find useful information to help further manage your condition and/or your overall health.
If you have attended our Pelvic Floor or Obstetrics Physiotherapy service, your Physiotherapist will be able to direct you to the most important information and advice for you as an individual.
You can use the following sections to find advice and exercises to help you manage pregnancy related aches and pains and concerns
If you have followed the advice and exercises provided but you still require to contact the Physiotherapy Department, you can complete our self-referral form.
Pregnancy related Pelvic Girdle Pain
Pregnancy related Pelvic Girdle Pain is aches and pains experienced during pregnancy or in the early post-natal period around pubic bone, groin, buttocks, hips and/or lower back.
Use the links below for advice on how to manage Pregnancy related Pelvic Girdle Pain (PPGP)
Working from Home – Advice and Exercises: https://www.csp.org.uk/publications/do-you-sit-desk-all-day-leaflets
Reproduced with permission of Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy (pogp.csp.org.uk) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (csp.org.uk).
Pregnancy related Low Back Pain is pain experienced during pregnancy or in the early post-natal period around the bottom of your back. If you have pain in other areas around your back, this information will also be useful.
Use the links below for advice on low back pain during pregnancy or after having a baby:
Diastasis Rectus Abdominus Muscle (DRAM) is the normal widening of your tummy muscles during pregnancy to accommodate your growing baby. After having your baby, this widening can take up to a year to recover.
Factors that may increase the risk of developing DRAM are;
Multiple Pregnancy or larger babies
Stretching in previous pregnancies
Poor abdominal muscle tone
Genetics
A small amount of widening of the abdominal muscles, 2-3 fingers width, is common after most pregnancies and likely to resolve with time. You can check you gap by following the steps below;
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the bed
Place 4 fingers on your abdomen just above your belly button
Raise your head and shoulders slightly off the floor
You will feel the two abdominal muscles coming together against your fingers – this is the size of your gap – remember there may not be a gap and that is a sign that your DRAM has resolved.
If you notice the following then you may require a specialist physiotherapist to review;
The gap is more than 3 fingers wide
A visible small bulge protrudes at your midline
Your fingers sink deeply into your abdomen
You can self refer for this up to 6 months after you have had your baby by completing the following form;
Reproduced with permission of Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy (pogp.csp.org.uk) and SqueezyApp.com
Coccydynia
Coccydynia or tailbone pain is pain experienced on the sitting bone, specially when sitting. This can appear during pregnancy or in the early post-natal period due to the changes happening to your body.
Use the links below for advice about coccydynia or tailbone pain:
Reproduced with permission of Pelvic Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy (pogp.csp.org.uk) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (csp.org.uk).
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is pain, numbness, pins and needles and tingling of the fingers and hand(s). There may be also swelling of the hands and you might feel your hands are clumsy, weak and tire easily. This can appear during pregnancy or in the early post-natal period due to the changes happening to your body.
Use the links below for advice on how to manage carpal tunnel syndrome:
DeQuervains Synovitis is pain on the base of the thumb, swelling and reduced movement. This can appear during pregnancy or in the early post-natal period due to the changes happening to your body.
Use the links below for advice on how to manage DeQuervains Synovitis:
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde has 6 Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) within its area. You can find local contacts on their websites. Your HSCP
The ward team will discuss with you and your family to assess what services you need and the ward will organise these before you go home. These services can still be arranged when you are at home if required.
Palliative and End of Life Care services and resources for patients and carers living in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area can be accessed through NHS Inform.
NHSGGC – Voices from NHSGGC Palliative Care Accelerated Design Event
This short video shares some of the hopes, aspirations and experiences of participants who attended an accelerated design event in NHSGGC to help develop a new strategy for palliative care across our whole system.
Our X account links palliative and end of life care news, resources & organisations across the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, Scotland and the UK. www.twitter.com/palliativeggc
Additional Social Media on Palliative Care and Bereavement
CHAS – Twitter Account Children’s Hospice Association – ‘We care for children across Scotland with life-shortening conditions. Even in the pain of grief, we’re determined joy lives on’.
Adult Disability Payment, which replaces Personal Independence Payment (PIP), is launching nationally across Scotland on 29 August 2022.
This means Scotland’s new terminal illness definition, based on clinical judgement, will apply to adults (aged 16 to state pension age) who become terminally ill. This moves away from the current DWP time limited ‘6 month’ definition.
From 29 August 2022, BASRiS forms instead of DS1500 forms should be completed to support applications for disability assistance for the following groups:
Children: for all children living in Scotland age 0 to 16 years: complete a BASRiS form and return it to Social Security Scotland
Adults: age 16 to state pension age: complete a BASRiS form and return it to Social Security Scotland
Adults over state pension age: please continue to use a DS1500 and return to DWP. The date for when you will be able to use a BASRiS form for adults over state pension age is still to be announced.
Your Health Care Professional should be able to access the relevant resources to support applications.
