Pelvic health service during and after pregnancy

During pregnancy your body undergoes many changes, including increased pressure on your pelvic floor due to the growing baby. Supporting your pelvic floor during this time can help with:

  • Bladder and bowel control:
  • Back and pelvic pain relief:
  • Labour and birth preparation:

Your Pelvic Health Matters

Your pelvic health plays a vital role during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery. Taking care of your pelvic floor can improve your comfort, confidence, and long-term health. Whether you’re preparing for birth or recovering postpartum.

Our Perinatal Pelvic Health Service (PPHS) team provide specialist physiotherapy treatment for pregnant women and birthing people within pregnancy and up to at least 1 year following birth. We specialise in treating issues such as

Common issues and symptoms

Please do not feel embarrassed to talk to your midwife or GP about your pelvic health. Research estimated that about:

  • 1 in 3 women experience urinary leakage 3 months after pregnancy.
  • 1 in 5 women have accidental bowel leakage 1 year after pregnancy.
  • 1 in 12 women report symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse (when 1 or more organs in the pelvis slip down from their normal position and bulge into the vagina).

We can offer treatment, advice, and support for all these conditions.

 

About the team

Our team includes pelvic health physiotherapist and pelvic health midwife. We work closely with maternity services and other health care providers such as:

Colorectal specialists

Gynaecologists

Perinatal Mental Health specialists

Urogynaecologists

Urology

 

Education

Our perinatal pelvic health service also offers classes and workshops. We run 2 pelvic health virtual sessions during pregnancy:

Part 1: Pelvic health Class: Pregnancy

Part 2: Pelvic health Class: Labour, Birth ad Beyond

Find out more and book your place. (Can this link be added to the ‘’find out more and book your place’). NHS Southwest London ICS Events - 2 Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite

Further resources

Health information

 

pic GetUbetter App 

  • Tailored self-management plans with various musculoskeletal and pelvic conditions.
  • My Pelvic Floor Trainer- offers videos and reminders to help support new sustainable habits.
  • Easy-to-follow guidance for postnatal recovery and management of pelvic pain.
  • A user-friendly interface for clients to track their progress and relevant exercises. 
  • Its FREE!

It is available in 14 different languages listed below:

  • Arabic
  • Bangla
  • English
  • Farsi
  • Gujarati
  • Polish
  • Portuguese
  • Punjabi
  • Romanian
  • Somali
  • Spanish
  • Ukrainian
  • Urdu
  • Welsh

:scan the QR code

 pic 2

Emotional support

  • The Birth Trauma Association supports parents who have experienced birth trauma.
  • The Healing Experience of Loss and Trauma Service is a specialist therapeutic service for women and birthing people who live in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham or Southwark and who are experiencing emotional distress, or mental health difficulties following a perinatal loss.
  • The MASIC Foundation offers support to those who have suffered severe injuries during childbirth known as OASI (obstetric anal sphincter injuries).

Contact details

Please speak to your midwife or GP if you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above.