Ab separation, also known as diastasis recti, is a common condition that affects many women after pregnancy. It occurs when the fascia between the two rectus abdominis muscles stretches and thins, creating a gap that can lead to a protruding belly and weakened core muscles. While ab separation is a natural part of pregnancy, it can also be a source of discontent for many women. There are many exercises that claim to help heal ab separation, but one of the most controversial is the crunch.  Traditionally one concern is the effect that crunches can have on intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). IAP

This is a question I get asked a lot as a pelvic floor physiotherapist!  Prolapse is a common condition that affects many women. It’s characterised by the descent of one or more of the pelvic organs, such as the bladder, uterus, or rectum, into the vaginal canal.  But how do you know if you have prolapse, and what’s considered normal? Traditionally, prolapse has been defined as a visible or palpable descent of the pelvic organs. However, a recent study by Collins et al 2021 challenges this definition and proposes a new clinical definition based on patient symptoms. According to the

Today, we’re going to talk about safely returning to running after giving birth. It’s a common question, and understandably so – exercise is an essential part of our lives, not just physically, but mentally as well. However, as with any exercise after giving birth, we need to approach it with care and honour the enormous physiological process that has occurred to grow and birth your baby. Firstly, let’s talk about some guidelines for a safe return to running after giving birth. In 2019, a team of expert physiotherapists published an evidence-based article (Goom, Donnelly, and Brockwell) that outlined the following:

We live in a time were there is an abundance of information: social media, podcasts, google – but when it comes to health advice for pregnancy, this abundance of information quickly becomes overwhelming.  Your friends and family might be quick to share what worked for them and you might quickly start to feel confused by the contrasting opinions from different sources!  The first thing to understand is that a lot of information is out-dated and that there has been a HUGE amount of change around recommendations for pregnant women over the past two generations. The second thing to understand is

The most common excuse I hear and see first hand when I prescribe my clients a program of exercises or meditation is I didn’t have time! Time is a funny thing really and with the busy lives we tend to live these days it’s not surprising lots of pregnant mums struggle to find time. In our Grandparents generation a lot of women would slow down work or finish completely during their pregnancies as they prepared for the transition to family life.  Nowadays we are working overtime, trying to keep up with social activities, putting unachievable expectations around exercise on ourselves,

Did you know that your breathing pattern can affect your pelvic floor, your digestion and your stress levels!?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ There is a close connection between the pelvic floor and the respiratory diaphragm. ⁠⁠The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that rests across the base of the rib cage (like a mushroom cap).⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ As you breath in the diaphragm descends and the pelvic floor stretches and relaxes. As you breath out the diaphragm draws up and shortens slightly. This rhythmical movement of the pelvic floor with the diaphragm keeps the pelvic floor muscles in a healthy state of contraction and

If you’re like most of the population, you probably have no idea what the differences between a Women’s health Physiotherapist and an ordinary Physiotherapist is. In fact, unless you have had an issue with your pelvic floor or have had a referral from your GP to see one, it’s very rare that people I tell actually understand what it is I do. Let me take some time to explain. Poo’s, wee’s and sex, three things we don’t like talking about when they’re going well, let alone when then going badly. If you’ve ever had a problem with your back you’ve

We all know we’re supposed to exercise to stay healthy and most of us know of some benefits of exercising in pregnancy but so often we make excuses whether it’s lack of time, fatigue or nausea. What we often don’t understand is that exercise can help with all of these things! So to help you get clear on your why and move past your excuses, I want to help you to understand exactly how much benefit exercise can have to your pregnancy, birth and  your baby’s health. First of all, let’s go through the effects that it has on your

There’s a lot of out-dated information about exercising in pregnancy which can make it confusing and overwhelming to know what you should and shouldn’t be doing! Yesterday, I was teaching Prenatal Pilates and a client said that her mum still tells her that she shouldn’t be exercising while pregnant! This is because there has been a HUGE amount of change around recommendations for pregnant women over the past two generations. I want to break down some of most common myths I hear around exercising in pregnancy. #1 You shouldn’t exercise in pregnancy. This is rubbish – unless you have a

How and why you should do pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy! So you probably heard lots of people talk about doing kegels in pregnancy but what does this actually mean and why should you care? The pelvic floor is a group of muscle and connective tissue running from the pubic bone at the front to the tailbone at the back. It’s not the inner thighs, it’s not the lower tummy muscles and it’s not the bottom muscles. It’s not just a clever name…it’s quite literally the floor of your pelvis. The pelvic floor plays some EXTREMELY important roles. These include:

If you’re in your third trimester you may or may not have heard of perineal massage but what exactly is it? The perineum is the small amount of tissue that runs from the vagina to the anus. It’s made up of skin, muscle and fascia and is divided into three main sections. The bulbospongiosis (bulbo) muscle which is a part of the pelvic floor and is a circular muscle at the entrance of your vagina. Then there is the perineal body the tissue between the vagina and anus. And then two circular muscles that surround the anus – the internal