Maternal well-being: benefits of pelvic physiotherapy during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a period of significant changes in a woman’s body, and pelvic physiotherapy has become an essential tool to help pregnant women prepare for childbirth and the postpartum recovery process. Furthermore, pelvic physiotherapy plays a fundamental role in treating common problems during this period, such as abdominal diastasis, providing specific support and care during this phase of a woman’s life.

“During pregnancy, the body goes through a series of biomechanical and hormonal changes that can affect posture, pelvic stability and the function of the pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic physiotherapy can help at different times and situations related to pregnancy”, explains Cibele Santoli, physiotherapist specializing in women’s health.

Among the actions developed to help pregnant women prepare for childbirth are:

– Strengthening the Pelvic Floor: Specific pelvic floor strengthening exercises can help improve pelvic stability and prepare the muscles for labor.

– Breathing Training: Breathing and relaxation techniques taught during pelvic physiotherapy sessions can be useful during labor to alleviate pain and promote effective breathing.

– Postural Education: Guidance on proper posture and movement techniques can help alleviate common musculoskeletal discomforts during pregnancy and facilitate childbirth.

After childbirth, the body goes through a period of healing and adaptation, and pelvic physiotherapy can help in other ways, including:

– Rehabilitate the Pelvic Floor: Pelvic physiotherapy can help strengthen and rehabilitate the pelvic floor muscles after childbirth, thus reducing the risk of urinary incontinence and prolapses.

– Treating Abdominal Diastasis: Abdominal diastasis, or separation of the rectus abdominis muscles, is common after childbirth. Pelvic physiotherapists can offer muscle re-education techniques and specific exercises to help improve abdominal function and reduce diastasis.

– Relieve Muscle Tension: Pelvic physical therapy can help relieve muscle tension and postpartum discomfort, including lower back pain and perineal pain.

“Pregnancy and the postpartum period are unique moments in a woman’s life, and pelvic physiotherapy brings personalized support and specialized care to help them go through this phase with comfort and confidence”, concludes Cibele.