Pregnancy & Postnatal Physiotherapy

Build your strength and confidence during and after pregnancy with Restore Physiotherapy.

Supporting mothers in their pregnancy journey

Pregnancy is an exciting time, but it can produce strain on muscles and joints, particularly in the lower back and pelvis. Hormones, weight gain, and changes in body shape can all contribute to pain and discomfort during and after pregnancy.

Restore Physiotherapists offer 1-to-1 and group physiotherapy sessions in a caring and nurturing environment. Our physiotherapists have years of experience working in public maternity hospitals, conducting prenatal pilates and post-pregnancy physio sessions that target pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscle strengthening.

Personalised physiotherapy and pilates classes

At Restore, all our programs are tailored to your specific pelvic health concerns. Whether it’s hands-on physiotherapy or clinical pilates, we’ll work with you to create programs that are pelvic floor-safe and help you minimise pelvic girdle pain.

Together, we can keep you strong during pregnancy, prepare your body for labour, and build your confidence in caring for your new baby.

We treat the following pregnancy-related issues

✔ Back pain or pelvic girdle pain
✔ Abdominal separation
✔ Bladder or bowel incontinence
✔ Joint instability
✔ Carpal tunnel symptoms
✔ Thoracic pain when breastfeeding
✔ Post-delivery abdominal muscle weakness
✔ Painful intercourse

Success story: Returning to running after childbirth

chidbirth

Scenario

A new mother visited Restore with urinary incontinence during everyday activities such as lifting, climbing stairs, coughing, and even laughing. She had soft tissues, which likely contributed to her pelvic floor dysfunction. The patient was eager to return to exercise, particularly running, but found that these activities worsened her symptoms.

Solution

We assessed her pelvic floor and developed a targeted exercise program designed to improve its strength and function. The program began with gentle clinical pilates exercises that reduced pressure on the pelvic floor while encouraging co-contraction of the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.

Over the course of 12 weeks, the program was progressively advanced, incorporating more challenging positions and dynamic movements to gradually reintroduce load to the pelvic floor.

Results

Twenty weeks after starting her pelvic floor rehabilitation and clinical pilates program, the new mom successfully resumed running, completely symptom-free. She regained her confidence, returned to the activities she loved, and no longer experienced any incontinence during movement.

Frequently asked questions

How soon after giving birth can someone safely return to exercise?

Gentle walking can usually start immediately after birth, provided there’s no acute pelvic joint pain or wound complications following a caesarean section. Pelvic floor exercises and gentle abdominal activation can safely start within 48 hours of delivery.

However, sit-ups should be avoided for at least 6 weeks (or longer if there is abdominal separation). High-impact activities and weight training should also be postponed until after 6 weeks, and further delayed if there are signs of pelvic floor dysfunction, such as incontinence or prolapse. Our physios can guide you and assess your condition before any exercise.

What equipment do you use in your classes?

Our pregnancy-safe and postnatal classes use a range of equipment, such as the reformer, mats, fitballs, and small props.

Do you run one-on-one or group classes, and can babies come along?

Yes, we offer both one-on-one and small group clinical pilates classes (maximum 3 people per class). While babies are welcome in emergency situations, our classes are designed to give mothers their own time and space to focus on their own physical recovery. We encourage women to attend alone, where possible, to be fully present with their recovery journey.