A new service is being developed in Humber and North Yorkshire to support thousands of pregnant women and new mums to have better pelvic health.
The Perinatal Pelvic Health Service will bring together midwives, specialist physiotherapists and several other health care professionals to prevent and treat pelvic health problems, giving women and birthing people a better quality of life.
The service will support women with lots of different symptoms like incontinence, prolapse and injury during pregnancy, after birth and as their children grow up.
Research suggests that many people still struggle with symptoms like urinary incontinence a year after having a baby and some go on to struggle for years. That’s why the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is encouraging people to come forward for support.
Currently, people are being encouraged to speak to their health care professional if they have any concerns about their pelvic health – either their GP or midwife. But soon, thanks to the collaborative work happening across the health and care system, women will be able to self-refer, minimising the number of people they have to talk to about their pelvic health symptoms and getting access to best care and treatment sooner.
“We know that women and birthing people are often too embarrassed to talk to anyone about some of the symptoms they experience, and 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,” said Debbie Plowman, Clinical Lead for Pelvic Health Physiotherapy at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals.
“We are here to dispel this myth, break down some of the stigma around pelvic health and remind people that whilst these symptoms are common, they are not ‘normal’ and something they just have to struggle on with. We are here to help,” continued Debbie.
The service has been designed by midwives, physiotherapists, consultants, public representatives, and other professionals from across Humber and North Yorkshire.
Becky Case, Programme Lead for the Local Maternity and Neonatal System, said: “We are delighted to be developing our new service which will give people access to lots of self-help information, or if they need more support, access to apps and lots of different healthcare professionals in their area.
“Designing these new services has been a great example of collaborative working, with dedicated health professionals and leaders working together to improve the lives of women and birthing people in our area.”
To access more information about Perinatal Pelvic Health Services in Humber and North Yorkshire, visit letsgetbetter.online/pelvichealth.