Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a new and exciting time, bringing new life into the world. There is so much change happening both mentally, physically and hormonally to support the growth of the baby. Information on pregnancy health is vast and keeping healthy and fit can be challenging for some.

As the pregnancy progresses, pregnancy hormones play a role in several things:

• Supporting and transferring nutrients to the baby
• Support the production of breast milk and placenta growth
• Allows your uterus to increase in size as the pregnancy advances and also prevents the uterus from contracting until labour
• Weight gain and fluid retention and swelling in your joints
• Helps regulate the mother’s metabolism
• Softens the joints and ligaments to allow for changing body shape
  
  

The physical changes that occur with pregnancy will place extra strain on certain joints and muscles. The combination of the hormonal changes as well as increasing weight gain puts extra pressure on the muscles that support the joints.

The abdominal muscles help support the pelvis and back. As bubs grows the abdominal muscles stretch and can lead to abdominal separation. Abdominal separation is the width of the gap between your six pack muscles and is very common during pregnancy. Thus you may notice:

• Joint pain particularly through the back, pelvis and/or pubic
• Pelvic floor changes such as stress urinary incontinence and bladder urgency
  
  

Physiotherapy can help by:

• Providing pain relief for your pregnancy related joint pain
• Help and advise on maintaining strength and fitness during your pregnancy
• Minimise the impact of abdominal separation during your pregnancy and postnatally
• Ensure good pelvic floor health
  
  
  

Active Birthing

Sometimes the notion of giving birth can be quite daunting, but it is also a special time: new life is about to enter the world.

New experiences all bundled up in this tiny person!

Knowing and being educated on the stages of labour can help prepare yourself and your partner for the birth. Having a plan is a great way to prepare your body for readiness for birth. This is called active birthing:

• Active birthing positions and movements
• Learn about the strategies to help cope with labour
• TENS is a great way with managing all the sensations that come with childbirth. The aim of the TENS machine is to distract you and it can help alleviate contraction pains
  
  

We recommend that you hire the obstetric TENS for this particular occasion as it is different from your normal TENS machine you may use for other ailments. Book in around 36 weeks gestation with your partner. We can show you how to use the TENS unit and educate the both of you what to expect in the lead up to and during childbirth