Woman does a knee-raise exercise on a patio while a baby sits on a purple mat watching
Pelvic health

Postnatal rehabilitation

£62–£82
30–60 mins
Ring clinic

Recovery after birth is treated as something that either happens on its own or does not. In practice it responds very well to being trained properly, and it keeps responding for a long time afterwards.

Postnatal rehabilitation is the work that comes after the assessment. We rebuild pelvic floor strength and coordination, restore control through the abdominal muscles, and then progress you towards whatever you actually want to do again, whether that is a park run, a return to the gym, a physical job or a toddler on one hip and a car seat in the other hand.

More information

When can I start exercising again after having a baby

Sooner than you probably think for gentle work, and later than you probably want for running. Walking and breathing work start almost immediately. Loaded exercise and running need the pelvic floor and abdominal wall to be able to manage the impact first, which is why we assess before we prescribe rather than working to a fixed number of weeks. Six weeks is a milestone for your GP check, not a starting gun for high impact exercise.

I am leaking when I run or cough. Is that normal after a baby

It is common, and it is not something you have to accept. NICE recommends supervised pelvic floor muscle training as the first treatment for stress urinary incontinence, delivered over a period of at least three months. Supervised is the important word, because a leaflet of exercises done in the wrong pattern is the most common reason women conclude that pelvic floor exercises do not work for them.

Is it too late if my youngest is five

No. Muscle responds to training regardless of how long ago the birth was. A good proportion of the women we treat are years past it and had assumed the window had closed.

What about a caesarean birth

Caesarean birth still involves nine months of load through the pelvic floor and abdominal wall, plus recovery from abdominal surgery. Scar tissue, core control and returning to lifting all benefit from proper rehabilitation, and we treat plenty of women who were told that a caesarean meant their pelvic floor was unaffected.

Ring clinic

Frequently Asked Questions

When can I start running again after having a baby?
That depends on how your pelvic floor and abdominal wall are coping with load, not on a fixed number of weeks. We assess first and then build a graded return, because running is a repeated impact through exactly the structures that have spent nine months under strain. Gentle walking and breathing work can start much earlier.
Is leaking after childbirth something I have to live with?
No. NICE recommends supervised pelvic floor muscle training as the first line treatment for stress urinary incontinence, carried out over at least three months. The word supervised matters, because doing the exercises in the wrong pattern is the usual reason women believe they have tried them and they did not work.
Can postnatal physiotherapy help years after birth?
Yes. Pelvic floor and abdominal muscles respond to training whenever that training starts. Many of the women we treat are several years past birth and had assumed the opportunity to improve things had passed.
Do I need postnatal physiotherapy if I had a caesarean?
It is still worth assessing. A caesarean birth follows nine months of load through the pelvic floor and abdominal wall and adds recovery from abdominal surgery. Scar management, core control and a safe return to lifting all respond well to rehabilitation.

Available Team Members

These team members perform this service

  • Phillipa Frankland, physiotherapist at Healthflex in Haslemere Description: Head and shoulders portrait of Phillipa Frankland, physiotherapist at Healthflex, The Edge, Haslemere. She has long straight light brown hair and a wide, friendly smile, and wears a navy zip neck fleece. Behind her, out of focus, are a yellow green hedge and trees under a pale sky.
    Phillipa Frankland
    Physiotherapist
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  • Nikki Dyer, pelvic health physiotherapist at Healthflex in Haslemere Description: Head and shoulders portrait of Nikki Dyer, pelvic health physiotherapist at Healthflex, The Edge, Haslemere. She has a straight brown bob and a warm smile, and wears a white polo shirt with navy collar and cuffs and an embroidered badge. The background is a softly blurred mix of evergreen and autumn foliage.
    Nikki Dyer
    Physiotherapist, pelvic health
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