To ask what happened to postnatal exercises?

[Helendee]

Just the above really.
I had my four babies in the 80’s and early 90’s and within hours of delivering a physio came round and gave us an exercise regime to perform on the bed a few times daily.
Does this still happen? Neither my DIL or DD knew what I was talking about.

I had a baby two weeks ago and that didn’t happen, but I was given a leaflet on postnatal exercises along with my other discharge papers.

When I had DS two years ago they advised me about them on daily rounds. When I was discharged they explained again and gave me a leaflet

Yes I had a physio visit me on the post natal ward a few hours after DD was born. Asked me how I was, discussed exercises and gave me some leaflets. The hospital also done some free physio classes after birth I could go to if I wanted & was able to take dd with me. Must just depend on the hospital

Lots of batshit stuff happened in the 80s - it was crammed full of Mr Motivator in Lycra, it was the norm to smoke and drink in pregnancy and no one wore seatbelts.

If someone gave me an exercise regime at hours post partum they'd be missing teeth.

Thanks for the replies. Yes it must depend on the hospital I guess and maybe you are mobile much more quickly now, hopefully, so exercises for circulation are not as necessary.

Lolfrillyfarmer
It was indeed batshit but a really fun time as well.

@Frillfarmer, as wearing a seatbelt became mandatory in 1983, I guess you have no direct experience of the 80s.

My Nan (obviously not 80s or 90s but still) mentioned her having to do the postnatal exercises on top of her bed with all the other Mums around ... I was a bit as until this post assumed she meant kegals haha. This makes a lot more sense

I didn't get these when I had my dc's a decade ago.

I also think it depends what day of the week you give birth.... if it's a weekend, then no physios!

Bluelady
I grew up in the 80s and knew a lot of people who considered seat belts optional. My parents were thought over-cautious for making us wear seat belts when in the back seats

I was given them in 2002 and 2006. There was a post natal exercise and baby massage group in our area too, run by the physios. I quite enjoyed that.

Aha! not just me then. Asked if dd's midwife had taught her how to lie on the bed and do her exercises and she looked at me as though I was nuts.

Just pelvic floor, tummy muscle tightening, and remembering how to stand like a not-pregnant person again. No lycra or seat belt required.

I had babies in 2003 and 2004. They used to run 6 week sessions for new mums.
We'd spend a lot of time gritting our teeth inadvertently whilst 'holding the elevator at the 7th floor'

It seems a lot of people broke the law for the last eight years of the 80s! I'm old enough to remember postnatal exercises.

I wish they had. I might not have been peeing myself for years after.

I was visited by a physio, given a leaflet with the exercises and told about the postnatal physio services offered locally by the NHS before discharge after both my babies in 2013 and 2016, so if they’ve stopped doing that it’s fairly recent.

Although I’m guessing like many NHS services provision and quality sadly varies from area to area.

A physio came to me, explained exercises and gave a leaflet. I also had the option of a few classes before the birth.
Probably depends on the hospital.

I had nothing like that when I had dd in 2008. All I got was a rubbish photocopied sheet with a rubbish explanation of how to do pelvic floor exercises.

I had physio come within 24 hours

I gave birth last year and had a physio come see me with exercises and a leaflet while I was still in hospital. EMCS if that's relevant.