Contact | 08 9388 7780

Contact | 08 9388 7780

Pregnancy physiotherapy Perth

Physiotherapy
throughout pregnancy and postpartum

Kelly Chilvers is our passionate women’s health physiotherapist here at woom. In our multidisciplinary women’s health clinic, she collaborates with your woom specialist or woom women’s health GP. You can easily book an appointment, regardless of whether you’re seeing one of our woom doctors and specialists or not.

In this article, we focus on our pregnancy physiotherapy services; for a full overview of our women’s health physiotherapy services, click here.

Pregnancy Physiotherapy Perth
Pregnancy Physiotherapy Perth

Pregnancy physiotherapy Perth

What is pregnancy physiotherapy?

Being in pain during your pregnancy is tough. If you struggle with mobility, it’s important to seek help, preferably within a few days to a week. As women’s health physiotherapists, we can help manage your pain with

  • Manual therapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Exercise therapy
  • Relaxation
  • Pilates-based strengthening work
Pregnancy Physiotherapy Perth
Pregnancy Physiotherapy Perth

We see many women during pregnancy and it means that we are in an excellent position to prepare you for childbirth and to see you once you have given birth, in case of complications during labour.

kelly chilvers
Kelly Chilvers

Pregnancy Physiotherapy Perth

Pregnancy physiotherapy

During pregnancy, your body can be challenged by the changes in your hormones, belly size and posture. Our pelvic health physiotherapists can help you reduce musculoskeletal pain with manual therapy, dry needling, support and exercise. We can also discuss your current exercise program and advise what to modify in each trimester. This can help reduce abdominal separation and stress on your pelvic floor.

Physio to prepare for birth

During the second and third trimesters, you might start thinking about birth and delivery options. Many factors should be considered, including your age, previous birth experiences and the foetus size. Your pelvic health physiotherapist can assess your pelvic floor readiness for birth, and provide you with exercises that may improve your birth. We can also discuss birth positions, breathing strategies and pain management including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). If a caesarean birth section is planned, we can provide guidance on the recovery after your operation.

Postpartum physiotherapy near me

Returning to exercise after childbirth (6-12 weeks)
Six weeks after childbirth, you typically see your GP or obstetrician for a postnatal check. In case of pelvic health problems, they may refer you to see one of us.

However, in some cases, you may decide to see us earlier, especially when you suffer from incontinence, breast issues or prolapse problems.

kelly chilvers
Kelly Chilvers

Women’s Health Physiotherapist Perth

Early postpartum physiotherapy (0-6 weeks)

The first 6 weeks after birth is often called the 4th trimester. We encourage you to rest and focus on developing a bond and a feeding routine with your baby. If you are concerned about any issues you experience after delivery, we encourage you to book an appointment.

These are common postpartum issues a physiotherapist can help with:

  • Perineal swelling, bruising or pain,
  • Constipation, haemorrhoids or anal pain,
  • Abdominal muscle separation or bulging,
  • Bladder emptying or control issues,
  • Vaginal heaviness or prolapse,
  • Breastfeeding issues such as blocked milk ducts, nipple pain or mastitis,
  • Body aches or pains after birth.


Our pelvic health physiotherapists will be able to provide practical post-birth advice, manual therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, and low-level laser therapy as needed to help improve your symptoms.

Postnatal checkup (4-6 weeks)

A postnatal checkup, four to six weeks after birth, is something we recommend for every woman, regardless of how easy or difficult labour was. During a postnatal checkup, you will learn how your body is recovering from birth. This includes

  • Pelvic floor assessment with real time ultrasound and/or vaginal assessment,
  • Abdominal assessment for separation/diastasis,
  • Screening for bladder or bowel concerns,
  • Screening for vaginal heaviness or prolapse symptoms,
  • Screening for perineal pain and/or pain with sexual intercourse,
  • Discussion of goals for daily function and returning to exercise.

Postpartum exercise

Returning to exercise after childbirth (6-12 weeks)
Your body can feel quite different postnatally and it is that you can return to your daily activities and exercise at the time when your body has recovered.

Returning to activity too early can put you at risk of pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence or developing an injury.

kelly chilvers
Kelly Chilvers

Women’s Health Physiotherapist Perth

Returning to exercise and daily activities

After the postnatal assessment, we help you identify what is recovering well, and what needs more time and exercise to recover. You need to ensure that your abdomen, pelvic floor and leg strength is adequate for the type of exercise you wish to return to. For example, high-impact exercises like running or netball will need more strength and control, than someone who wishes to go for long walks with the pram.

Returning to high-impact exercise/running

Studies show that returning to high-impact exercise (e.g. running, jumping) is safer at or after 3 months postpartum. This applies regardless of what delivery type you have had. Even if you have been tracking well with your current exercise regime, we recommend seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist at 3 months. At this appointment, we will run through a checklist of exercises to ensure your pelvic floor is ready for higher impact exercise.

Women’s health physiotherapists

Your Woom physiotherapist
Every session is based on the patient and their primary goals. I am there to give them the tools to manage their symptoms as best they can independently, with professional support. I strive to create a warm, welcoming and safe environment for each patient. Through my own diagnosis and experience with endometriosis, I have developed a great passion for managing pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction.
WOOM-physiotherapist-perth-kelly-chilvers
Kelly Chilvers

Whether you are trying to fall pregnant, currently pregnant or postpartum, come and speak to our women’s health physiotherapist here at Woom. To book an appointment, click here.