How does physiotherapy help in pregnancy?

A letter to you from Preet Singh, women’s health physio at Embrace Physiotherapy.

Dear Mum,

What an amazing journey on which you have embarked. It is a journey, nonetheless. And not a sprint. Although, at times, it may feel like a marathon…but know that there is a finish line, with some warm cuddles waiting for you (and possibly a nappy that needs to be changed too!).

Sometimes things don’t go as planned and sometimes things happen that you had no idea could. Don’t let anyone tell you it is normal when, in fact, it is common (and just to be clear, that’s not the same as normal); and something can be done to help you move forward.

A journey is one that is best shared. We weren’t meant to go through birth and raising a child alone. You have nothing to prove and there is no need to bounce back. Embrace moving forward knowing you can be supported with the right care and guidance.

Here is my women’s health physiotherapist’s tick list for embracing motherhood:

• A healthy dose of sunshine and fresh air each day.
• Walking most days of the week for up to 30 minutes a day and strength training two times a week.
• Learn to do pelvic floor exercises the right way- and perform them daily.
• Avoid constipation.
• Breathe!
• Befriend fellow pregnant mummas to create your tribe.
• Do something that makes you happy.
• And don’t forget to book a prenatal physiotherapy appointment.

Seeing a women’s health physiotherapist during pregnancy is a great time to obtain individualised advice and management for your aches and pains, bladder or bowel concerns, and to learn more about your pelvic floor and its important role during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond.

Love Preet

Preet Singh | Embrace Physiotherapy

Preet is a post-graduate trained women’s health physiotherapist and an Australian expat who has called Singapore home for the past nine years. Preet is a mum of three and understands all too well the struggles of raising a young family away from home. After her own pregnancy and postnatal battles, she decided to dedicate a service to address women’s health needs. 2019 saw Embrace Physiotherapy come to fruition.

Embrace Physiotherapy is built on the philosophy: ‘women who know better, do better’. Located on the East Coast, Embrace Physiotherapy takes care of women’s health and pelvic floor concerns from adolescence, through the childbearing years to menopause and beyond.

Preet loves helping women embrace life by addressing concerns such as pelvic girdle and back pain, incontinence, prolapse, dyspareunia, birth prep, postnatal assessment, return to exercise, diastasis recti abdominus rehabilitation, blocked ducts and mastitis, and provides pre and postnatal exercise classes. Visit her website to learn more about how physiotherapy can help you embrace motherhood.

Contact Preet on 9780 7274, help@embracephysio.sg, www.embracephysio.sg, 410 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427636.

Danielle Barratt | Physio Asia

Danielle Barratt has 24 years of years of experience in providing holistic physiotherapy to women all around the globe. She has worked in Australia, UK, Canada and Singapore, providing women’s health physiotherapy to women of all ages. Danielle is proud to call Singapore home (having been an expat child here) and has developed a strong supportive global networking team. She is passionate about empowering women to better understand their bodies, through life’s stages.

Danielle treats all aspects of physiotherapy from musculoskeletal to bowel, bladder and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction (incontinence), pelvic organ prolapse, vaginismus, diastasis rectus and more.

A session with Danielle will involve a friendly chat about any areas of concern, followed by an objective assessment and an individually tailored treatment program to resolve any signs and symptoms. Danielle loves her work and feels incredibly fortunate to have found not only a career of many years but a lifelong passion, and immense joy, in seeing women gain confidence with their bodies and stay fit and stronger.

Contact the clinic on 6736 4142, danielle@physioasia.com, www.physioasia.sg, 360 Orchard Road, #05-02 International Building, Singapore 238869.

Tamara Gerdis & Monica Donaldson | Physio Down Under

Tamara and Monica are both senior women’s health physiotherapists, each with over 20 years of experience. They teamed up in 2018 to open Singapore’s first dedicated women’s health physiotherapy clinic, called Physio Down Under. At Physio Down Under, women can have the following conditions assessed and treated: pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain; postnatal check-up (including posture, pelvic floor, abdominals, C-section scar, specific advice on safe return to exercise); diastasis recti; wrist/thumb pain, such as De Quervain’s and carpal tunnel; breastfeeding conditions, such as blocked milk ducts and mastitis; pelvic organ prolapse; urinary and faecal incontinence; overactive bladder syndrome; and painful sexual intercourse.

They pride themselves in having a team of specialist physiotherapists with access to state-of-the-art equipment and evidence-based treatment modalities, including real time imaging and therapeutic ultrasound, EMG biofeedback, electrical muscle stimulation, pessary fitting, clinical pilates, and prenatal and postnatal pilates (taught by a women’s health trained pilates instructor).

Contact Tamara & Monica on 6990 5580, info@physiodownunder.sg, www.physiodownunder.sg, 318 Tanglin Road #01-30, Phoenix Park, Singapore 247979.

Karen Edwards | Physio Core and Floor

Karen is a pelvic health physiotherapist who has been working in this specialism for over 20 years. She is passionate about working with clients to treat their pelvic health issues. These include, but are not limited to, continence for women, men and children; sexual dysfunction; pelvic pain; menopausal concerns regarding preventative pelvic health, and many more musculo-skeletal issues relating to pregnancy, postnatal and beyond. Female incontinence is actually very common, but it is not normal. It can occur at any time in life for a woman, but commonly presents during pregnancy, postpartum and menopause. Symptoms can affect your daily life considerably. Treatments are tailored to the individual but could include bladder education and training, deferment techniques, pelvic floor rehab, down training, abdominal massage and defecation dynamics.

Contact Karen on physiocoreandfloor@outlook.com, www.physiocoreandfloor.com, 27A-30B/C Loewen Road, Singapore 248839.

Jill Burns | City Osteopathy & Physiotherapy

Jill is an Irish physiotherapist based at City Osteopathy and Physiotherapy in Guthrie House. She works with women in all stages of pregnancy, helping them recover from musculoskeletal aches and pains. These include back pain, pelvic girdle pain, abdominal conditions, orthopaedic conditions and various hand issues associated with pregnancy. Jill aims to get women back to the sports and physical activities that they love. As well as being a physiotherapist, Jill is a trained pilates instructor, yoga teacher and BodyTalk practitioner, and treats mainly musculoskeletal conditions; she doesn’t offer pelvic floor assessments or prolapse treatments.

Contact the clinic on 6314 4440, reception@cityosteophysio.com, 1 Fifth Avenue, #03-02 Guthrie House, Singapore 268802.

Heidi Maccanti | Edge Healthcare Orchard

Heidi is an Australian trained, experienced physiotherapist who has worked for over 20 years in the area of neurology and paediatrics. Heidi has worked in Singapore for many years, has an extensive knowledge of the healthcare system and is well versed in treating children with developmental delay, orthopaedic issues and neurological impairments. Heidi will also assess your child if you have any concerns with any of their functional patterns or development in general. As a mother of two boys, she is also very experienced in treating sports injuries in children under the age of 17, and has pitch-side experience in many sports including netball, rugby, soccer/football and hockey.

Contact the clinic on 6235 5488, heidi@edgehealthcare.com.sg, www.edgehealthcare.com.sg, Edge Healthcare, 583 Orchard Road, The Forum #11-01 Singapore 238884.

Health 2 Mama

Health 2 Mama includes a team of physios with experience in treating mums during pregnancy and after birth.  They specialise in treating typical pains that crop up such as back, neck, pelvic and pubic pain and more specific conditions such as round ligament pain. They now offer unique online pelvic floor rehabilitation and diastasis recti healing programs, available through their app and supported by the physios themselves.  One of their key features is the convenience of being able to treat you at your home (but they also have a physio clinic at Telok Ayer).

Contact Bex on 8358 2144, info@health2u.sg, www.health2u.sg, 101 Telok Ayer Street, #03-01, Singapore 068574.