Women’s Health — all lessons
Anatomy and Physiology
Pelvic floor anatomyUnderstanding the menstrual cyclePhysiological changes before and after pregnancyLife-Stage and Hormonal Conditions
MenopauseOsteoporosisPCOSThyroid disordersHormonal imbalance: what exercise can and cannot doExercise guidelines: step-by-step prescriptionPrenatal Exercise
Contraindications and precautions of prenatal exercisePrenatal exercise prescriptionFirst trimester: strengthening and stretchingSecond trimester: strengthening and stretchingThird trimester: strengthening and stretchingPostnatal Exercise
Postnatal evaluation and abdominal rehabilitationBenefits of postnatal exercise for mother and childPostnatal risks and contraindicationsC-section: post-op management and precautionsPostnatal exercise prescriptionPostnatal evaluation and abdominal rehabilitation
Evaluating the postnatal client — pelvic floor symptoms, diastasis recti, wound healing and readiness — and rebuilding abdominal function progressively.
Learning objectives
- Conduct a postnatal intake with appropriate questions
- Describe diastasis recti and its prevalence
- Plan progressive abdominal rehabilitation
- Refer to pelvic-health physiotherapy
Before this lesson
Why this matters
The postnatal period involves healing of the pelvic floor, abdominal wall and, after C-section, a surgical wound.
Intake
- Delivery type and complications; time since birth
- Medical clearance (commonly at the 6–8 week check)
- Pelvic floor symptoms: leaking, heaviness, pain
- Abdominal separation, wound healing
- Sleep, mood, breastfeeding, support
Diastasis recti
Separation of the rectus abdominis along the linea alba. Very common: about 60% at 6 weeks and about a third at 12 months postpartum [sperstad2016].
Abdominal rehabilitation
| Stage | Examples |
|---|---|
| Early | Breathing, pelvic floor contractions, gentle transverse abdominis activation |
| Progress | Dead bugs, side planks (short lever), bird dogs |
| Later | Loaded carries, planks, anti-rotation, return to running criteria [goom2019] |
Monitor doming, symptoms and comfort. PFMT supports continence [woodley2020].
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Case study
A client at 10 weeks postpartum has a 3-finger separation. With physiotherapy guidance she progresses abdominal loading over 16 weeks; separation narrows and she returns to running at 5 months.
Further learning: video lessons
Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.
Postnatal evaluation and abdominal rehabilitation
pelvic-health physiotherapists and women’s health clinicians (search)
You will understand: postnatal evaluation and abdominal rehabilitation
Why: Clinician-led content; verify the specific video.
Exercise guidelines explained
professional bodies (search, e.g. ACOG, CSEP, RCOG)
You will understand: current guideline recommendations
Why: Clinician-led content; verify the specific video.
Knowledge check
Knowledge check · 0/5
1. Sperstad et al. (2016) found diastasis recti at 6 weeks postpartum in about…
2. Diastasis recti refers to…
3. Postnatal intake should ask about…
4. Abdominal rehab should…
5. Signs of postnatal depression should be…
Short-answer & application questions
- Write a postnatal intake form.
- Plan a 12-week abdominal progression.
- Explain diastasis recti to a client.
Key takeaways
- Postnatal intake covers delivery type, complications, pelvic floor symptoms, abdominal separation, sleep and mood.
- Diastasis recti is very common after birth and often improves over the first year.
- Progressive abdominal loading is preferable to avoiding all abdominal work.
- A pelvic-health physiotherapy assessment is valuable for all postnatal women.
Connected topics
Postnatal exercise prescription
womens healthC-section: post-op management and precautions
womens healthPostnatal risks and contraindications
References
- Sperstad JB, Tennfjord MK, Hilde G, Ellström-Engh M, Bø K (2016). Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth: prevalence, risk factors and report of lumbopelvic pain. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(17):1092–1096. Cohort check pending
- Goom T, Donnelly G, Brockwell E (2019). Returning to running postnatal — guidelines for medical, health and fitness professionals managing this population. Independent clinical guideline (published online). Guideline check pending
- Woodley SJ, Lawrenson P, Boyle R, et al. (2020). Pelvic floor muscle training for preventing and treating urinary and faecal incontinence in antenatal and postnatal women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CD007471. Systematic review check pending
Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.