It Takes a Village: How Both Physiotherapy and Psychological Support Can Help During and After Pregnancy
Pregnancy and the postnatal period bring a multitude of changes and challenges, including physical changes, shifts in identity and mindset, adjustments to lifestyle and relationships, and increased overwhelm and anxiety. During this stage of life, your focus is often (understandably!) on your new baby. Making time to prioritise your own wellbeing and recovery can be difficult, but it is just as important. This is where a collaborative approach, integrating physiotherapy with psychological support, can help you adjust to this new stage of life with confidence.
When we think about pregnancy and the postnatal period, it is easy to focus on the physical aspects: changes in the body, hormonal shifts, birth and recovery, the list goes on. Physiotherapy plays a vital role in supporting pregnant people and their families through these changes, from pelvic health and birth preparation to restoring strength and function after birth.
But beyond the physical changes, this stage of life can also bring significant emotional, psychological, and identity shifts. For many people, having the right psychological support alongside physical care can make a meaningful difference.
The Emotional Reality of Pregnancy and Early Parenthood
While this period can be joyful, it’s also common to experience:
Anxiety about pregnancy, birth, or the baby’s well-being
Changes in mood, including feeling overwhelmed or low
A sense of loss of identity or uncertainty about your role
Strain on relationships or shifting family dynamics
Insecurity about body changes and the pressure to “bounce back”
Pressure to meet expectations of what this time “should” feel like
For some, these challenges pass with time and support. For others, they can develop into more persistent difficulties such as antenatal or postnatal anxiety and depression.
When to Consider Additional Support
Because feelings like fatigue, worry, and overwhelm are often inherent to the experience of welcoming a new baby, it can be difficult to identify when these struggles are becoming something more serious. It may be helpful to speak with a psychologist if you notice:
Ongoing anxiety or low mood that doesn’t ease, or seems to be getting worse
Feeling constantly overwhelmed or unable to switch off
Difficulty bonding with your baby
Distressing thoughts, excessive worry, or panic attacks
Avoiding activities due to fear or discomfort
Fear of being alone with your baby
Loss of confidence or self-esteem
Withdrawal from family or friends
A sense that you’re not coping as well as you’d like
Remember, you don’t need to wait until things feel severe or unmanageable. Early support can make a significant difference, giving you the strategies and support to get through these challenges and protect your mental wellbeing.
What a Psychologist Can Help With
Psychologists are trained to support you through life’s challenges, whether you have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder like postpartum depression, or just want a space to be able to talk through your thoughts and worries without judgement.
During and after pregnancy, a psychologist can help with:
1. Managing Anxiety and Uncertainty
Whether it’s fear about birth, health concerns, or adjusting to a new role, therapy can provide tools to manage worry and feel more grounded.
2. Adjusting to Identity Changes
Becoming a parent often shifts how people see themselves. It can bring changes to their priorities, relationships, and sense of independence. Therapy can help make sense of these changes without losing your sense of self.
3. Coping with Birth Experiences
For some, birth can be distressing or not go as expected. Psychological support can help process these experiences and reduce ongoing distress.
4. Navigating Postnatal Mood Changes
Persistent low mood, irritability, or disconnection are more common than many expect. Early support can make recovery smoother and prevent things from escalating.
5. Building Confidence and Self-Compassion
Many new parents are highly self-critical, and it is easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself with others who seem to be able to “do it all”. Therapy can help shift unrealistic expectations and build a more sustainable, compassionate approach to parenting.
How a Collaborative Approach Can Help
Rather than thinking about physical and psychological challenges in isolation, it is important to remember that these experiences are closely linked. Physical difficulties can impact mental states and lower our threshold to becoming overwhelmed. At the same time, psychological distress can impact our experience of physical discomfort, and have consequences for our physical health.
For example:
Pain or discomfort (e.g. pelvic pain, birth recovery) can impact mood and stress levels, making the demands of pregnancy and parenting harder to manage
Fatigue, hormonal fluctuations and disrupted sleep can increase emotional vulnerability
Anxiety can heighten physical tension and sensitivity to pain
Fear around movement or injury can affect physical recovery
Low mood can reduce motivation to engage in self-care or recovery activities, such as exercising or fuelling your body
This is where collaboration between physiotherapists and psychologists becomes especially valuable for supporting both physical recovery and mental well-being.
Physiotherapists often support people through:
Pelvic floor rehabilitation
Recovery from birth (including caesarean or perineal trauma)
Return to exercise and daily activity
Management of pain and physical discomfort
At the same time, psychological support can:
Address fear of movement or re-injury
Help rebuild trust in the body
Support motivation and consistency with rehabilitation
Reduce stress that may be contributing to physical symptoms
Final Thoughts and Gentle Reminders
Pregnancy and early parenthood involve more than physical change. They can also reshape how you think, feel, and relate to yourself and others.
If you are struggling during this stage of life, it doesn’t mean you are weak or doing anything wrong. Everybody’s experience of pregnancy and new parenthood is different, from the process of becoming pregnant to the amount of help you have in taking care of your new baby. Even if you feel that ‘others have it worse’, you are always deserving of support.
It is not selfish to take time for yourself or to prioritise your own wellbeing. As the saying goes, ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’. Taking the right steps to take care of yourself means that you can also show up in the ways you want to for your family.
With the right support, both physical and psychological, it’s possible to navigate this period with greater confidence, resilience, and care for yourself as well as your baby.