How Your Body Changes During Pregnancy

Guts and Girl Bits Podcast #39 with Women’s Physio Brooke Hile

How does your body change during pregnancy? How can you ease the discomfort of some of the common changes that occur and can cause pain such as pubic symphysis dysfunction, back and hip pain and abdominal separation? These are some of the topics we will be covering in this podcast.

Previously named ‘The Health & Wellbeing Podcast’, now ‘Guts and Girl Bits’ – delving into all things women’s health, digestion, kid’s health and more.

This episode I am joined once again with the lovely Brooke Hile, Women’s Health Physio. This episode was recorded in Brooke’s backyard so you get to enjoy the sounds of nature, plus a few contribution’s from Brooke’s puppy Simba.

We chat about topics such as constipation, pelvic alignment, c-sections, abdominal separation, pubic symphysis dysfunction, pelvic floor preparation for birth, tearing, birth interventions, back pain during pregnancy and after birth, and varicose veins. 

We also answer some listener questions:
– Once I’ve fallen pregnant is it safe to continue training?
– Are there any exercises you shouldn’t do during pregnancy
– Are there any exercises you should work on to prepare yourself for having a baby?
– Are there any supplements that can aid fertility? (I talk a bit about what you should look to address when trying to conceive, nutrients needed to load up on during preconception and some of my favourite pregnancy/preconception supplements.)
– What can you do to increase your chance of falling pregnant?
– When would you recommend postnatal walks with bub, I felt heaviness early on during walks.
-Posture during walking with a pram
– Do you have any tips for strengthening back and shoulder muscles to condition the body for breastfeeding? Plus posture during breastfeeding
-Managing colds during breastfeeding.

Have a listen here or on the embedded player below.

Podcast Breakdown

1:10 What are the changes that take place in the body during pregnancy?

2:55 Some causes for constipation during pregnancy

3:55 more changes in our organs during pregnancy and the amazing things our body can grow

5:28 what are some of the conditions or concerns that women she a women’s healthy physiotherapist for? And how can keeping your body fit in advance to pregnancy help your ability to have a smooth pregnancy?

9:00 pubic symphysis pain – what is it and what can you do about it

11:07 abdominal separation – what do we actually know about what causes it? How can we ensure there’s minimal tension in this area to reduce pressure. What is normal during pregnancy. Are there exercises that you should avoid? Do sit ups and crunches hurt your baby or hurt you?

15:05 Back pain in pregnancy – how can you reduce the risk of this happening, minerals to reduce back pain, food sources of calcium and magnesium.

19:00 sleep positions

19:46 pelvis alignment – getting the pelvic floor ready in preparation for labour, and when should you see a womens physio for pelvic floor check during pregnancy.

21:20 Pain on penetration as a sign of tight pelvic floor muscles

22:30 how does a women’s physio assess your ability of the pelvic floor to push and relax?

24:28 any other recommendations to help reduce risk of tearing e.g. birthing positions, and the importance of having a balanced pelvic floor

27:20 Knowing about the interventions during birth and how it can increase your risk of tearing or pelvic floor damage; Forceps, Vacuum, Episiotomy, Epidural

32:03 How herbal medicine and nutrition can help with tearing and c-section recovery

33:20 C-sections: how they impact on your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor, scar massage, how dense scars can increase pain signalling

35:11 c-section scar pain and numbness

36:30 Can your c-section scar tear?

37:47 Varicose veins and vulval varicose veins: what they can look like, what can be done about it, diet tips to help varicose veins, herbs and topical treatments for varicose veins

41:44 Answering questions: What can we do during pregnancy to risk the risk of tearing during labour? Also, Perineal massage.

43:40 Q. Once ive fallen pregnant is it safe to continue training?

44:40 Q. Are there any exercises you shouldn’t do during pregnancy

45:25 Q. Are there any exercises you should work on to prepare yourself for having a baby?

46:37 Q. Are there any supplements that can aid fertility? A bit about what you should look to address when trying to conceive, nutrients needed to load up on during preconception and some of my favourite pregnancy/preconception supplements.

49:30 Q. What can you do to increase your chance of falling pregnant?

50:23 Q. When would you recommend postnatal walks with bub, I felt heaviness early on during walks.

51:58 Posture during walking with a pram

52:48 Q. Do you have any tips for strengthening back and shoulder muscles to condition the body for breastfeeding? Plus posture during breastfeeding

55:31 Managing colds during breastfeeding.

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