A leading provider of pre & postnatal physiotherapy in Stockport.
Our physiotherapy team are experts in helping mothers return to their pre-pregnancy fitness, as well as helping women with pre and postnatal pelvic, back, hip, and shoulder pain related to pregnancy and post birth activities, such as breast feeding and lifting and carrying children.
Whether you gave birth recently or became a mum some months, or years ago, these issues do not need to become part of life. A medical referral is not required, and we can quickly and easily arrange an initial consultation for you.
Specialist postnatal physiotherapy treatment
Our highly experienced practitioners offer a range of specialist and effective, evidence-based treatment options, such as Pilates, pelvic floor exercises, and manual therapy, designed to encourage your core to strengthen and ‘knit’ back together.
Your appointment & personalised exercise programme
During your initial consultation, you will be able to discuss your difficulties, and the results you would like to achieve, with one of our specialist physiotherapists.
Initial consultation appointments are 45 minutes and we recommend you wear comfortable, stretchy clothing for the purposes of the assessment by the physiotherapist.
During your appointment, you will be given a personalised exercise programme and, once you are feeling fully confident and comfortable in completing the exercises, they can usually be continued independently at home without the need for long term clinic intervention or visits.
Your tailored physiotherapy exercise programme can show you how to:
- Locate and effectively strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, using bracing techniques called the KNACK to give support during activities where you would perhaps leak/lose urine.
- Conduct personalised antenatal or postnatal Pilates exercises that will be safe for you to complete, given the stage you are at. These will help you strengthen your core, regain abdominal, back, and leg strength, and help you feel like you again.
Babies and small children are welcome to come along to sessions.
Pre & postnatal Pilates
The APPI program of antenatal Pilates (also known as prenatal or pregnancy Pilates) has adapted and modified your usual favourite Pilates exercises into safe positions, designed to help reduce, control, and eliminate the unhelpful changes of pregnancy, and to support the necessary ones.
Plus, practising Pilates postnatally is a fantastic way to help you reconnect with your body during that complex post-birth period, or even many years later.
All ante and postnatal Pilates sessions are held at our studio on Market Street, in Marple, and are arranged by appointment. Sessions are £65 for 45 minutes and can be shared by up to three people.
Benefits of pre & postnatal Pilates
There are multiple changes that happen in women’s bodies during pregnancy, all designed to accommodate the growing foetus(es) and prepare the body for birth.
Release of the hormone ‘relaxin’ can result in softening ligaments from as early as eight weeks. This is normal, and allows the pelvis to stretch ready for delivery. However, it can sometimes also result in lower back, pelvic, and hip pain, as the pelvis isn’t used to being able to move much at its joints.
In addition, the expected weight gain (on average 12kg), concentrated to the abdomen area, can tip the pelvis forwards causing tightness in the lumbar region and inner thighs. The growing bump stretches abdominal muscles, and can result in a separation of these muscles, known as a diastasis recti (DRAM).
Regular Pilates exercises during pregnancy will help you to maintain and improve flexibility and strength in all the major muscle groups in the arms, spine, pelvis, and legs. This will keep you comfortable during pregnancy, ready for labour, and prepared for the postnatal period.
If you are new to regular exercise, it is recommended that you wait until your second trimester before commencing antenatal Pilates. Completion of a pregnancy health screening form is also required.
The days immediately after birth are often focused on the new arrival and attention to our own recovery can be somewhat delayed.
The mind-body approach and special breathing techniques of Pilates help us re-find the contracting sensation in the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Often, it may feel like this sensation has disappeared, due to the stress placed on the muscles during pregnancy.
One or two Pilates sessions each week, where you are able to dedicate 100% of your concentration on re-awakening the strength in your deep core muscles, helps your recovery happen quicker.
The postnatal Pilates exercise program has multiple goals:
- Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles (which are at the base of our pelvis and have the vital role of supporting our bladder, bowel, uterus, and vagina) and, thus, addressing any residual continence issues.
- By strengthening pelvic floor muscles, our deep abdominal muscle, the transverse abdominus, also begins to get stronger, working to stabilise the pelvis, re-forming the muscular connections up towards the ribcage, and addressing any residual muscle separation (diastasis recti or DRAM) in this area.
- The lateral breathing technique of Pilates can help to re-mobilise our ribcage and thoracic spines, so we start to feel more flexible.
- The many hours of sitting and feeding can leave us feeling a bit slumped, so from here, we can focus on shoulder blade, neck, and head positioning, which can help posture begin to feel more open and upright.
- The mindful approach helps reduce stress levels, restore confidence, and will help you feel like you again.
Little ones are welcome to come along to sessions until crawling age, so no need for childcare.
Please get in touch should you have any questions regarding your suitability for pre or postnatal Pilates.
Throughout your specialist pre & postnatal physiotherapy treatment, we will always work closely with our wider physiotherapy team and will refer you for further medical consultation, if required.
Nicola Jackson
Chartered Physiotherapist & Joint Clinical Director
BSc (Hons), HCPC, MCSP, ACPOHE, AACP
Nicky graduated with First Class Honours from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2007. After starting her career in a hospital setting, she moved into private practice in 2010 and became a partner at Marple Physiotherapy in 2019.
Nicky offers a holistic, patient-centred approach to physiotherapy, with specialist expertise in occupational health, ergonomics, manual therapy, acupuncture, and physiotherapy-led Pilates. A member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics, and a Devotee member of the Australian Pilates and Physiotherapy Institute, Nicky integrates physiotherapy-led Pilates into treatment for conditions including pregnancy-related or postpartum pain, hypermobility, scoliosis, and osteoporosis. She is also undertaking specialist training in dizziness and vestibular rehabilitation, including the treatment of BPPV, PPPD, cervical dizziness, and vertigo.
As a long-time running enthusiast, Nicky understands the frustrations of injury and has completed specialist training in running rehab and gait analysis, allowing her to support runners in returning to the sport safely and sustainably. Her goal is always to help clients continue doing what they love, pain-free and with confidence.
Nicola Jackson
Chartered Physiotherapist & Joint Clinical Director
BSc (Hons), HCPC, MCSP, ACPOHE, AACP
Nicky graduated with First Class Honours from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2007. After starting her career in a hospital setting, she moved into private practice in 2010 and became a partner at Marple Physiotherapy in 2019.
Nicky offers a holistic, patient-centred approach to physiotherapy, with specialist expertise in occupational health, ergonomics, manual therapy, acupuncture, and physiotherapy-led Pilates. A member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics, and a Devotee member of the Australian Pilates and Physiotherapy Institute, Nicky integrates physiotherapy-led Pilates into treatment for conditions including pregnancy-related or postpartum pain, hypermobility, scoliosis, and osteoporosis. She is also undertaking specialist training in dizziness and vestibular rehabilitation, including the treatment of BPPV, PPPD, cervical dizziness, and vertigo.
As a long-time running enthusiast, Nicky understands the frustrations of injury and has completed specialist training in running rehab and gait analysis, allowing her to support runners in returning to the sport safely and sustainably. Her goal is always to help clients continue doing what they love, pain-free and with confidence.
If you are unsure whether our specialist pre & postnatal physiotherapy services could help you, please call us on 0161 426 0100 or email enquiries@marplephysio.com and Nicky will be happy to discuss your needs and offer her advice, without obligation.
