Frequently Asked Questions

Pelvic Health Physiotherapy is the assessment and treatment of the various conditions that involve the pelvic floor and symptoms that manifest in this area. The pelvic floor includes your muscles, ligaments, nerves and connective tissue. Pelvic health is a pelvic floor that is strong and coordinated with breath and movement, and that functions well in all aspects of your life.

Poor pelvic health can manifest in conditions such as incontinence, prolapse or pain; for example leaking urine when you laugh, an inability to control wind, a dragging sensation at the end of the day, low back pain when sitting or abdominal bulging when lifting.

A pelvic floor examination allows me to assess the pelvic floor thoroughly. During the exam, you'll lie down with a towel covering your pelvis. I will use a gloved hand to palpate the internal vaginal walls gently. We will work together to ensure that the exam is comfortable for you and that you will be in complete control throughout the process.

I will be looking for muscle attachments and areas of tightness or soreness, and I will evaluate the strength of your pelvic floor muscles and your ability to coordinate them with your breath. It's important to note that I have no concern about the appearance of your personal area!

This examination provides valuable information we cannot obtain from an external pelvic floor exam. You will also gain a clearer understanding of how to perform your pelvic floor exercises. An examination will only be conducted if necessary, which could occur during your initial assessment or at a later date.

Many patients report that the exam was not as uncomfortable as anticipated, and they are glad they went through with it because they leave with specific information about their body.

Your pelvic floor is the base of the core, and is hugely connected to the low back muscles. Weak, tight or poorly coordinated pelvic floor muscles can manifest in problems not just in the pelvic floor but in other areas of your body such as the lower back.

Back pain can also sometimes be a result of a prolapse. To improve your symptoms, I will complete a full postural screen on the pelvis and lower back, once I have established how you move, we can work on solutions to the problem.

My approach is hugely varied, and will focus on what is troubling you and how to get you back to where you want to be. It’s likely to involve exercises, lifestyle guidance and advice. Everything I offer is evidence-based and customised to you to help you get back to doing the things that are important to you.

Pelvic Health Physio is not all about completing ‘kegals’. A healthy pelvic floor is one that can fully lengthen and fully contract under load and is coordinated with breath and everyday movements.

You might be surprised to hear that sometimes the treatment doesn’t initially involve any squeezing at all, until we’ve addressed factors such as muscle tightness,  breathing patterns, lifestyle and everyday movement. Sometimes the pelvic floor is too ‘tight’ and requires relaxation and lengthening instead. This is why there can’t be a rule that one treatment works for everyone, we are all different, have different pregnancies, postures and birth stories…

What if I'm on my period during the appointment?

This is a common concern—Mother Nature can be unpredictable, especially during postpartum and perimenopause. Don't worry! There are plenty of things we can do that don't require an internal assessment. However, if you do feel comfortable, I’m more than happy to proceed with the assessment as it doesn't bother me.

No! You can have an observational exam or decline this part of the assessment altogether.

You are also welcome to bring a chaperone to the session, if that makes you feel more comfortable.

I don’t process insurance payments directly, but I can provide a comprehensive invoice that you may be able to use to claim a refund through your private health insurance. Contact your insurer to check your coverage.

I don’t fit pessaries myself, but I can refer you to a trusted provider who does. If we find a pessary may help manage your symptoms (such as prolapse), I’ll guide you on the next steps. Often Physio alongside the pessary will give you the best results.

Yes! You don’t need to have had children to experience pelvic floor symptoms. Things like high-impact exercise, stress, surgery, posture, or even genetics can all contribute. I see lots of patients that haven't had children.

It depends on your condition, goals, and how your body responds to treatment. Some people feel a big difference after just a few sessions, while others benefit from ongoing support. We’ll come up with a plan that works for you and check in along the way.

Yes, our programme is not just a fitness program. It encompasses many aspects of pelvic health, to help you get:

• Stronger pelvic floor

• Improved posture

• Better breathing patterns

• Safer lifting technique

• Improved diastasis/tummy gap

• Increased body awareness 

• Better understanding of bladder, bowel and sexual function

• Increased energy and strength to deal with mum life

The program is delivered online via our a paid membership website over at www. the-mothership-physio.com.

We host our monthly clinic calls via zoom, and have a supportive and nurturing WhatsApp community called 'The Village' 

The sessions are prerecorded, and videos are kept ‘short and sweet’ so that you can fit them in around your schedule. Videos are released on a Monday and we ask that you try and complete each video that week, if you have time to do them twice, or three times then great- that’s a bonus!

Yes, this program is not only safe for these issues but will enable you to work on them to improve them. One of the reasons we are so passionate about delivering this program is to empower and support mums like you not to put up with these complaints and others like it such as back pain, pelvic pain, poor posture, incontinence or pelvic floor weakness after having your baby.

No, it isn't too late for you to join. This program is beneficial whether you're months or years postpartum. One of our recent participants had a child that was in their 40’s!

You can join us 6 weeks post vaginal birth and 10 weeks post c-section, and many mums comes to us years later.

Great! Head over to the website:

https://www.the-mothership-physio.com

and we can’t wait for you to get started.