Our top 5 postnatal resources and services to check out.

Postnatal care can vary so widely depending on where you are living, what your midwife or GP directs you towards, and what you know to seek out for yourself.

There is also a huge disparity between what is available in the NHS and in private care. 

While we understand that access to all of these services may not be possible for everyone, we feel it’s important to flag some of the services which we value the most as mothers and as health professionals. 

This may enable you to plan ahead financially, or to speak to your GP or midwife about accessing postnatal care that you did not previously know was available.

1. A birth debrief with your midwife team. 

This is a service which is available free at most hospitals in the UK. You should be able to ask your community midwife or health visitor to put you in contact with your maternity team to arrange this. 

It’s often recommended from around six weeks after delivery, to talk through your experience with reference to your medical notes and to ask questions that you feel you want answered. This can be especially helpful in the case of traumatic births or if you have sustained a birth injury. 

For further support, you could also seek the advice of a Birth Trauma Counsellor or specialist. We will soon have a fantastic guest post from Tracy Law from Birth Trauma Resolution Brighton, who explains what this service is and why you may benefit from it.

2. Women’s health or pelvic health physiotherapist. 

This may be available to you through the NHS route but will often require a referral from your GP. It is worth asking at your 6-week GP appointment what your options are. 

We recommend that every woman should seek a physiotherapy assessment following birth, no matter how they feel, as it is the most comprehensive assessment of how your body is recovering and functioning after pregnancy and delivery. 

It is worth remembering that physiotherapists are experts in pain management, rehabilitation and exercise and are therefore much better placed to give you advice about what you should and shouldn’t be doing and returning to exercise after having a baby. 

Did you know in France and other countries women are entitled to up to 10 sessions of physiotherapy after birth to ensure they recover properly?

Given the impact of poor postnatal recovery in long-term women’s health, it really is worth the investment if you have to go down the private route. 

For more information about Women’s Health Physiotherapy and the role of physiotherapy in postnatal care, visit our Physiotherapist (Emma Bradley) site here. 

3. Scar massage and postnatal soft tissue therapy. 

There is a huge benefit both physically and mentally in massage, and never more so in the postnatal period. 

No matter what type of delivery you’ve had your body has carried your baby for nearly ten months, and there will be consequences. If you’ve had a c-section delivery, your scar can be a source of pain, dysfunction or altered appearance of your tummy for years to come. 

Scar massage not only makes a difference to the appearance of your scar and stomach but also to how your tummy muscles and pelvic floor muscles can work. 

The reality of being a new mum means your energy reserves are often low due to lack of sleep, feeding your baby, healing from the physical act of giving birth or surgical intervention and the constant demands of a baby needing your care and attention. Massage can be a fantastic way to top up your reserve, giving you the time and space to reduce physical aches and pains and boost your mental wellbeing. 

You can find more information about the benefits of postnatal and scar massage on our Soft Tissue Therapist (Hannah West) here. 

4. Nutritional therapist. 

Your body goes through such a massive shift during pregnancy and the postnatal period, and this can impact your energy levels and hormone balance. 

If you choose to breastfeed, this has an impact on what your body needs and the type of birth you had might also impact your nutritional needs. 

There is also growing evidence to support a link between maternal diet and postnatal depression. 

Digestion can be affected by surgery such as a C-section, medication and also by lifestyle changes such as disrupted sleep patterns. For this reason, it may be an essential time to address your diet and consider your nutritional requirements. 

A registered nutritional therapist will take a full history and discuss your individual needs to create a bespoke plan to help you achieve your goals and resolve concerns you may have. 

Our registered nutritionist (Chloe Manly) offers a free 30-minute discovery call where you can ask any questions about the way she works and see if you are a right fit together. See her website here.

5. Postnatal exercise specialist. 

When you feel ready to start or return to exercise after having a baby, it is essential that you begin that journey under the guidance of a fitness professional who really understands postnatal care. 

Many personal trainers advertise pre- or postnatal classes, but their qualifications may be based on as little as a one-day course!

Postnatal specialists will have an in-depth understanding of the effect that pregnancy and birth have on your body, with a knowledge of conditions such as diastasis, pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic pain, incontinence and prolapse. 

Every woman should be screened before starting any exercise classes if they are postnatal, to ensure that the classes are suitable for them and that they are not at risk of causing any injury. 

Remember that it might not be safe to return to a type of exercise just because you were doing it before pregnancy, or you may need to work on modified versions while you recover. 

Our goal at the 360 Mama is to provide a programme which encompasses all of these important aspects of postnatal recovery in one place. 

We’ve combined our expertise, and our own experiences to bring you a recovery plan that allows you to address your postnatal recovery holistically, and in a way that is accessible and achievable in those early months. 

Our screening process also enables us to provide further clinical direction by signposting you towards specific health professionals, should you require some 1:1 advice or treatment.