Mummy MOT in Suffolk: The complete guide to postnatal recovery, pelvic health and returning to exercise
In my opinion, a Mummy MOT is the gold standard for postnatal pelvic health care. This guide will give you an insight into what exactly a Mummy MOT is, what it involves and when to book.
I’m really proud to be a Mummy MOT practitioner. It’s more than just badge I can add to my physio services. It’s a wider community that I can lean on as a professional, increasing the support I can bring to you as the client. I know you’ll find this service hugely beneficial and I hope it helps as many women as possible access women’s health physiotherapy in Suffolk.
What is a Mummy MOT?
A mummy MOT is a nationally recognised framework for postnatal pelvic health assessments. It was designed to give mums confidence in their bodies after childbirth and build upon the usual ‘6 week check’ that approves tissue healing, but can’t always give you all the answers you want around returning to exercise. The assessment is both thorough and tailored to your individual needs, looking at your pelvic floor, core, breathing mechanics and the wider musculoskeletal system. I then compile a personalised report for you to takeaway, providing you with a plan of how to reach your goals.
Who should book a mummy MOT?
Anyone who’s had a baby! Whether you had a vaginal birth or a caesarean section. You can book your Mummy MOT with me from around six weeks postpartum. Of course, if you’re struggling with symptoms earlier, please reach out sooner. By six weeks, the acute healing after birth will have begun in earnest, allowing me to understand how to enhance your recovery.
If your baby is months, or even years old, you absolutely have not missed the boat. A Mummy MOT could still be incredibly helpful for you, especially if you are experiencing symptoms.
Common postnatal problems a Mummy MOT can identify
The main reason I’ve found mums want a pelvic floor assessment in Suffolk is reassurance! Your body goes through a lot during pregnancy and birth, so it’s always good to know you’re healing and recovering as expected.
The main conditions I’m looking out for are:
Diastasis recti (separation of abdominal muscles)
Pelvic floor dysfunction including:
urinary, faecal and flatus incontinence
pain during sex
pelvic organ prolapse
Alongside musculoskeletal physio conditions like:
Sciatica and low back pain
Postural mid spine pain
Ongoing pelvic girdle pain.
Postnatal recovery after birth is not always linear or straightforward, but seeing a postnatal physio for your Mummy MOT can help to identify and treat several symptoms at once.
What happens during a Mummy MOT?
Each MOT will be bespoke to you and your needs but there are several recurring assessments we will cover as standard.
We start with a chat about your pregnancy, birth and symptoms. I book out 1-1.5 hours to spend on your assessment so you can take your time and feel heard.
The physical assessment generally starts with an internal examination of your pelvic floor. This is completely optional and I know it can feel a bit daunting for some mums. That’s why I offer at-home Mummy MOTs in Suffolk, as it helps women feel more comfortable, allowing me to deliver the best treatment I can. The examination is the best method for assessing the pelvic floor, as it allows me to evaluate the tone of the muscles, their strength, how they respond to increased abdominal pressure like a cough or sneeze.
With this new information we can then explore how you move and breathe. Squats, lunges and sit ups are all staple movements in our day to day lives as mums, whether we realise or not! I’ll watch for symptoms, identify areas that may need strengthening or mobilising.
All of this will inform your bespoke treatment and rehabilitation plan. The information from the assessment will be typed up and sent to you in a report you can keep.
How I use Mummy MOT to support Suffolk mums
Pelvic floor health after pregnancy
Nearly half of all women will experience pelvic floor weakness after birth. Most women will have pelvic floor weakness after pregnancy but may not be symptomatic. It is so important that we address these weaknesses before they become more problematic.
The pelvic floor is involved in supporting the pelvic organs (bladder, bowel, uterus), sexual function and pleasure as well as bladder and bowel control.
During pregnancy, the pelvic floor stretches as the pelvic cavity widens and the weight of the uterus increases. This can lead to weakness, tightness and reduced coordination of the muscle fibres. Reduced space in the pelvis can also lead to bladder urgency and frequency which can persist after birth.
During a vaginal birth, the pelvic floor must stretch even further and withstand pressures higher than it is used to tolerating. Tears and episiotomies further inhibit the pelvic floor and can leave women symptomatic.
Pelvic floor physiotherapy and the Mummy MOT will identify areas to support the pelvic floor to perform more efficiently. Kegels alone are helpful, but by no means the end of the story. There is so much more that can and should be done. I can also review how any tears or scars are healing and help with their recovery.
Diastasis and core recovery
Diastasis recti is a normal, physiological adaptation that occurs in most women in the third trimester of pregnancy, if not before. It is a separation of the rectus abdominus muscles and a stretching of the connective tissue that joins them. This can manifest as visible gapping of the muscles, poor core control and engagement, or back and pelvic pain.
What we are aiming for is to be able to create tension across the diastasis, draw the muscles together and coordinate the engagement of the core and pelvic floor. This can be achieved with progressive loading of the muscles.
Of course, after a caesarean section, there is even more healing to be done for the core. During your Mummy MOT I will assess your scar, how it is healing, how it moves and how it allows you to move. We will look at scar massage, mobility techniques and build you an individualised core recovery rehab programme.
Returning to exercise after birth
When to return to exercise is very individual. You and I must consider your starting point, such as how active you were in pregnancy, your delivery, your psychological readiness, your sleep and much more.
I completely appreciate that for a lot of women, including myself, exercise is a form of stress relief. For me it’s a touchstone to my identity. So it can be really tempting to go out for a run to clear your head before your body is truly ready. That’s where a mummy MOT and seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist is so beneficial. I have long-held expertise in rehabilitation and progressive return to exercise. I am also experienced in helping women remain active in spite of injury, which is a significant part of postnatal recovery. Even though injury may be absent, tissue healing is definitely taking place.
A simple way for you to break it down, is consider the intensity of the exercise you want to start. Categorise exercise types into low, moderate and high intensity
For example, low intensity would be pelvic floor exercises, breathing exercises, or any other exercise that can be completed lying down or sitting. Moderate intensity could be walking wearing your baby, body weight resistance, or pilates. High intensity would be things like running, sports, CrossFit or Hyrox.
Then consider your current recovery. Have you stopped bleeding? Are your scar sites healed? Are you able to engage your core and pelvic floor? Do you have any symptoms of pain or pelvic floor dysfunction? If all is well, then move through the exercise intensities accordingly. Exercise is not something to be feared but you also need to respect your body’s need to recover.
You also want to ensure you have the correct level of strength and conditioning for the exercise you want to complete. For example, there is a really fantastic checklist of exercises to complete before returning to running, which was published by Tom Goom, Gráinne Donnelly and Emma Brockwell in 2019. Frameworks like these give you goals to work towards, rather than leaping aimlessly into high intensity exercise.
I think it’s really important to recognise just how beneficial exercise is for recovery. You absolutely must take the appropriate rest your body needs, but also remember that gentle, low intensity exercise has proven benefits for both healing and mental health. Pelvic floor exercises can start as soon as you feel ready, while you should aim to build up to 30 minutes of walking in the first 6 weeks. Essentially, moving from low to moderate intensity exercise. As your recovery progresses, moderate to high intensity exercise can provide proven health benefits, including improved sleep and mental health, particularly if started in the initial 12 weeks postpartum.
A Mummy MOT helps you learn where your body is at, how to navigate these milestones in an appropriate timeframe for you, devise individualised exercise plans and build the confidence to get back to the activity you love.
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