Skip to content

Local Maternity and Neonatal System

View navigation

Perinatal Pelvic Health Services

Perinatal Pelvic Health Services (PPHS) in Humber and North Yorkshire

Why are Perinatal Pelvic Health Services needed?

Pelvic Floor 1 colRoughly 1 in 3 women experience urinary incontinence (unintentional passing of urine) 3 months after pregnancy, and around 1 in 7 experience faecal (bowel) incontinence 6 months after birth.

One in 12 women report symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse - which is when one or more of the organs in the pelvis slip down from their normal position and bulge into the vagina.

These distressing issues can affect women’s ability to work, their sexual and social relationships, and their mental health.

Whilst these symptoms are common, they are not normal and can be managed by the right services.

Pelvic physiotherapy is a specialist service which supports women suffering with these symptoms and with midwifery input, will help women understand their pelvic health and recognise symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction (difficulty in coordinating your pelvic floor muscles), so they can manage it with the right help at the right time.

Treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction varies for each person and is decided after a detailed assessment is undertaken and a personalised management plan put in place. This may include pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation, lifestyle advice, bladder and bowel advice, bladder retraining, manual therapy, biofeedback, neuromuscular electrical stimulation or scar management.

Which services are available to me?

For information about the services available at each Hospital Trust, please click the links below to find out more.

Pelvic Floor 7 col

What to expect:

Our Perinatal Pelvic Health Services will:

  • ensure all women are offered a self-assessment of their pelvic health as early as possible in pregnancy - and by 18 weeks at the latest
  • educate all women on the risk of pelvic floor dysfunction and birth injuries and preventative action they can take to reduce this risk
  • provide additional support to those at higher risk of pelvic health problems
  • reduce NHS waiting times and minimise administrative barriers to treatment
  • allow affected women to access appropriate physiotherapy assessment and personalised treatment.

Where else can I get help?

There are lots of links to useful booklets, information and self help videos on our Patient Resources page. 

2019-07-03 (7)

Your baby is now officially an embryo and is about the size of a poppy seed.

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/4-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (4)

Your baby is now the size of a kidney bean and weighs 1g. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/8-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (6)

Welcome to the second trimester!

Your baby is about the size of a small lime and weighs approximately 14g.

You have hopefully seen your midwife for your 'booking in' appointment, if you have not yet seen a midwife please make an appointment quickly, so you can have all of your choices about screening tests explained and offered to you.

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/12-weeks-pregnant/ for more information. You can also link to the 'Pregnancy Journey' area here.  

2019-07-03

Your baby is about the size of an avocado and weighs approximately 100g. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/16-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (2)

Your baby has grown in length and is now the length of a small banana and weighs approximately 300g. Around this time you will be offered your '20 week' scan, also known as the 'anatomy' or 'anomaly' scan.Click here for more information about screening. 

This is a also a good time to talk and sing to your bump as your baby can now hear sounds. This is great way for you and your partner/family to bond with your baby.

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/20-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (8)

Your baby has grown again to the approximate length of an ear of sweetcorn and weighs about 600g. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/24-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (1)

Welcome to the third trimester!

Your baby is now approximately the weight of an aubergine; about 1kg and approximately 37cm in length. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/28-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (3)

Your baby now weighs approximately the same as a coconut; around 1.5kg. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/32-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (5)

Your baby is now around the same size as a lettuce, approximately 47cm long and weighs around 2.6kg. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/36-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.

2019-07-03 (9)

Your baby is now the weight of a small watermelon which is approximately 3.3kg and around 50cm in length. 

Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/40-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.