Congratulations, you're pregnant! But, can I ask you something?

Is your body and your mind ready for this baby?

Congratulations. You're pregnant. It's one of the most exciting times in your life, and you're going to spend the months ahead preparing and planning for it. 🎉

But can I ask you something? Where in the middle of all that, are you going to prepare your mind and your body for this experience? You're probably going to pick a doula or a midwife, or an obstetrician or both or all of the above. 🩺

The odds are pretty good to say that you're going to:

• pick the color of the nursery

• pick names

• buy maternity and baby clothes

• buy strollers, furniture, toys

• read up on parenting techniques

• explore different options for birthing

But somewhere in the middle of that you have to learn how to take care of yourself.

If I asked you to run a marathon today without any training or advice, how do you think your body would manage that? Not so well huh! 🏃🏽‍♀️

Birth experiences vary greatly from one individual to another, and even from one birth to another – just ask anyone who has had more than one child. If you ask anyone what their birth plan is, there is likely to be a fairly straight forward, limited number of scenarios described. 👶

But given that every birth is so different, and that things can happen that are outside of our control, we need to seek the advice of professionals. From workshops to yoga classes, you need to make every effort to help yourself.

Mindfulness may not give you the birth experience you want, but it helps you fall in love with the birth experience you get. 🙏

The pelvic floor is beautifully designed to accommodate the birth of a baby, but we have to train it for it.

We have to prepare ourselves for all the things that can happen, so we can have a healthy recover afterwards. 🤍

Nicola Robertson

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist