Once your little one has arrived, we are here to support you in your postpartum recovery regardless of how your baby entered the world. After your six week check with your GP or obstetrician you can attend your postnatal physio assessment. We normally recommend six week as your lochia (post-partum bleeding) will most likely have stopped, your body will have had time to start healing and you will be settling into more of a rhythm with your little one.
However, if you are experiencing any issues prior to this or would like to see us sooner you can make your appointment earlier to start your recovery process without an internal exam until you are 6 weeks postpartum.
When you arrive, you will be asked to fill out a short registration form (if you aren’t a current patient) before being invited through to a private treatment room by your physiotherapist.
At your initial assessment the physio will ask you lots of questions about you, your health in general, how your little one was born and about your bladder, bowel and sexual function. This allows your physio to get a greater understanding of you and your body which also helps to direct your objective assessment.
Your physiotherapist will then discuss the type of assessment they would like to do, answer any questions you may have and ask you to read and sign a consent form to ensure you are fully comfortable with the process.
If an internal exam is being carried out you will be given some privacy to undress from the waist down and lie down on the treatment bed covering your legs with the towel provided. The physiotherapist will then come back in and talk you through the assessment step by step.
They will look at a number of things including
· scar tissue
· pelvic floor muscle tone
· pelvic floor strength and function (coordination and endurance)
· pelvic organ prolapse
Your physiotherapist may also ask to assess your abdominals where they will ask to see and feel your tummy muscles whilst asking you to perform a few movements.
At the end of the assessment, you are given privacy to dress. Your physio will return and will talk through their findings, set you up with an individual treatment plan, answer any further questions you may have and book your follow up appointment.
If you have any further queries on how our women’s health physio's can help, please don’t hesitate to get in contact by emailing us on admin@physiozest.com.au or giving us a call on 4384 3395.