Mums get extra support for pelvic health

The NHS has perinatal pelvic health servics, which bring together midwives and specialist physiotherapists to prevent and treat pelvic health problems.

Locally, ours is Perinatal Pelvic Health Services in Humber and North Yorkshire

The move came as part of NHS plans to "improve access to postnatal physiotherapy to support women who need it to recover from birth" and to "ensure that women have access to multidisciplinary pelvic health clinics and pathways across England".

The service supports women with symptoms including incontinence, prolapse and injury during pregnancy, after birth, and as their children grow up.

Debbie Plowman, clinical lead for pelvic health physiotherapy at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said women often felt "too embarrassed" to come forward for treatment and the service was designed to "break down some of the stigma".

"Many people believe that things like leaking urine when sneezing or pain when having sex is just part and parcel of being a new parent," she said.

Ms Plowman added they would like to “dispel this myth," and "remind people that whilst these symptoms are common, they are not ‘normal’ and something they just have to struggle on with".

Research suggests many people still struggle with symptoms like urinary incontinence a year after having a baby, with some women continuing to struggle for years.

The Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, a group of local health and care organisations working together to improve health and care services for people across the region, is encouraging people to come forward for support. 

Women are able to self-refer for the service, minimising the number of people they have to talk to about their pelvic health symptoms and getting access to care and treatment sooner.

The service is available to women across North Yorkshire, City of York, Hull, East Riding, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire.