Maternal Mental Health Matters. And So Does Your Body.
Maternal Mental Health Matters. And So Does Your Body.
May includes Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week.
And while we're a physiotherapy clinic, not a mental health service, we talk about mental health with our patients every single week.
Because your mind and your body are not separate things.
Why are we talking about this?
New motherhood is often sold to us as joyful. And it can be. But it can also be exhausting, isolating, painful, and nothing like you expected.
Perinatal mental health difficulties, including anxiety, depression, birth trauma, and OCD, affect up to 1 in 4 women during pregnancy or in the first year after birth.
That’s more common than we would have thought.
What's normal, and what's worth talking to someone about?
The "baby blues" in the first week or two are very normal. Hormones shift dramatically after birth, and tearfulness, overwhelm, and emotional sensitivity in those early days are a normal part of that adjustment.
But if low mood, anxiety, or intrusive thoughts persist beyond those first couple of weeks, or feel severe at any point, that's worth taking seriously.
Signs that it's worth seeking support:
Persistent low mood or feeling disconnected from yourself or your baby
Anxiety that feels overwhelming or hard to control
Intrusive or distressing thoughts
Difficulty sleeping even when your baby sleeps
Feeling like you're not coping, or that something isn't right
You don't have to be "bad enough" to deserve support. If something feels off, that's enough reason to reach out.
What has physio got to do with it?
More than you might think.
Physical recovery after birth, whether vaginal or caesarean, is significant. When your body doesn't feel like your own, when you're in pain, when you're leaking or struggling to move or haven't been told what's normal, it affects how you feel mentally.
We see this regularly at at the clinic. Women who come in for a Mummy MOT or pelvic floor assessment often share that being heard, being examined properly, and being given honest information makes a real difference to how they feel. Not just physically, but emotionally.
Feeling informed about your own body is part of recovery.
Movement also matters. Gentle, appropriate exercise after birth, yoga, pilates, walking, has strong evidence behind it for supporting mood and reducing anxiety. Our classes are designed specifically for this stage of life, led by practitioners who understand postnatal bodies.
Where can you get support?
If you're struggling, please do reach out to someone. Your GP is a good starting point and can refer you to perinatal mental health services. You can also self-refer in many areas.
Some resources we trust:
PANDAS Foundation, Peer support for perinatal mental illness
APNI (Association for Post Natal Illness)
Mothers for Mothers, Bristol-based postnatal depression support
We're here for the physical side of recovery
At Alma Physiotherapy, we try to treat the whole person. That means being honest, not rushing you, and making sure you leave with answers, not just exercises.
If you'd like to chat to one of our team, you can book a free 10-minute discovery call, or drop us a message at pa@almaphysiotherapy.co.uk or WhatsApp Kirsty on +44 7942 494506