Lucy Allen Physiotherapy

Lucy Allen Physiotherapy Pelvic Health Physiotherapy specialising in the management of all things Pelvic Floor and Post Natal MOTs.

🌈Welcome to the world little one 08.07.24 ⭐️Our little boy has arrived! It’s been such a different experience 2nd time a...
05/08/2024

🌈Welcome to the world little one 08.07.24 ⭐️

Our little boy has arrived! It’s been such a different experience 2nd time around and healing in so many ways. We’re currently settling in to life with 2 under 2 🩵 fuelled by coffee and the delirium of night feeds!

✨ And it’s 2024! ✨I hope you all had a wonderful festive period! I’m not sure where 2023 went in the blur that is juggli...
02/01/2024

✨ And it’s 2024! ✨

I hope you all had a wonderful festive period! I’m not sure where 2023 went in the blur that is juggling work, the 1st year of parenting and living. I have no doubt that 2024 is going to be much of the same and I am so grateful for this little guy who is keeping us on our toes 💙

I’m aiming to be more present on here with lots of pelvic health info and no doubt mum life reality!

Happy New Year to you all ✨

📣I am so pleased to announce that my C-section & Abdominal Scar Clinic will be launching in May! 📣Based at my  clinic I ...
14/04/2023

📣I am so pleased to announce that my C-section & Abdominal Scar Clinic will be launching in May! 📣

Based at my clinic I will be offering a bespoke scar service combining traditional scar massage with the amazing !

As many of you know I had a C-Section birth and am still trying to improve my own scar. I’ll be sending updates of my own journey too using the to help break down the build of scar tissue I have and trapped fluid pocket.

It’s never too late to improve your scar and it can make big differences in symptoms of pulling/tugging/pain around the area and also the aesthetic appearance.

For enquiries please contact my PA Sophie via my website - link in bio!

My birth story 💙So as Oscar turns 6 months old I have finally finished writing my birth story. It’s a bit of a read (lin...
05/03/2023

My birth story 💙

So as Oscar turns 6 months old I have finally finished writing my birth story. It’s a bit of a read (link in my bio) and you can find it on my website blog.

It’s a long one and might not be something everyone wants to read but you will know early on if that’s the case!

I really hope that some of you find it helpful, not necessarily because of the situation we were thrown in too but perhaps you might have experienced the same highs and lows of figuring out those early postnatal days.

Sending love to anyone else on this rollercoaster of a journey 💕

💫02.09.22 ~ Our beautiful baby boy safely arrived 💫We are utterly and completely in love! It’s been a bit of an unexpect...
20/09/2022

💫02.09.22 ~ Our beautiful baby boy safely arrived 💫

We are utterly and completely in love!

It’s been a bit of an unexpected journey so far spending the first 10 days at Great Ormond Street Hospital, but we are finally home and keeping everything crossed things stay that way. Our little boy has been such a superhero already ♥️

I’m focusing on figuring out these early days of parenthood and cherishing time as a family so I’ll be a little bit quieter on here for now. Sending so much love to anyone else with a baby in hospital right now, you’re the strongest people I know xx

This has certainly felt like the longest trimester but also the best! A rollercoaster of emotions as the due date nears!...
01/09/2022

This has certainly felt like the longest trimester but also the best! A rollercoaster of emotions as the due date nears!

I have experienced things I knew might happen but also things I didn’t….

⭐️Swelling - since around month 7 along with the heat wave & I’ve been pretty much living in flip flops ever since as the only thing that fits! Swollen hands, feet, face, legs, va**na etc! This came on gradually and is worse at the end of the day. If you experience sudden/persistent swelling let your midwife know as it can be a sign of preeclampsia.

⭐️Exercise - I didn’t think I’d end up being more comfortable weight training than walking! I’ve been very thankful that my body has allowed me to continue exercising and maintain strength. I’m sure there will have been more aches and pains otherwise!

⭐️PGP/SPD can be really helped by maintaining strength through exercise alongside manual therapy & the wonderful .amichiro has really helped to keep my heavily pregnant body functioning with less pain/aches.

⭐️The kicks, rolls, turns are simply the best thing & when you’ve experienced episodes of reduced movement & the panic that follows you won’t even mind being woken in the middle of the night by a foot in the rib cage!

⭐️Reflux - I thought was more related to diet in pregnancy but it seems it can attack any time for any reason! I’ve not been without gaviscon by my side for the best part of 10 weeks 😂

⭐️Colostrum harvesting - thought I’d give it a try but it’s harder than the videos make it look. Trying to capture this ‘liquid gold’ goop with a spoon/syringe/cup single handed is not easy & who knows how much pressure you’re supposed to use?! Tried & failed but we try again 🤞🏻

⭐️Anxiety - yep it’s still there but now with the addition of the reality that you are about to have an actual baby… it has to come out, somehow & life changes forever! Talk to your partner, friends as it definitely helps.

⭐️Urinary leakage - I’ve read many times that this is expected around now due to the hormonal impact on your pelvic floor & baby’s weight. I’d argue that it can be avoided if you’ve been keeping up the pelvic floor exercises so keep going!

There are many benefits to seeing a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist during pregnancy! There is so much about postnatal rec...
20/07/2022

There are many benefits to seeing a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist during pregnancy! There is so much about postnatal recovery that just isn’t covered in NCT classes or the books you read, and knowing what’s normal or not in those early weeks can make a big difference!

Your physio will assess how you’re body is managing with the changes in pregnancy and help address any areas that need strengthening. This can help prevent pain, incontinence and manage diastasis recti better which will really help in your recovery after!

You can also chat through any concerns around birth, what your options are and what they mean for you, but also what you can do to help with healing and recovery.

Just a few tips you might find helpful if you’re thinking of travelling abroad before baby arrives!- Give yourself plent...
11/07/2022

Just a few tips you might find helpful if you’re thinking of travelling abroad before baby arrives!

- Give yourself plenty of time! With all the news around airport chaos we arrived early just incase which meant low stress & plenty of time to have breakfast!

- Take lots of snacks incase you get stuck in airport queues/on the plane. I’d forgotten with short haul flights there are only snacks in the form of crisps/pretzels offered & you now have to preorder sandwiches when you check in (BA) you can’t buy them on board!

- Compression wear to reduce swelling during the flight! I wore on the flight out & they worked well! Sadly they were a bit too tight around bump by the return flight 😬so I made sure I kept moving & drank plenty = more toilet trips, more moving 👌🏻

❌ Fit to Fly!!! So I learnt that locum GPs won’t do these now! Something around insurance etc etc. I had called the surgery ahead of time & they said it would be done in my appointment….. 🙄 So a 2nd appointment the day before we flew I went back & for £25 my GP did the letter 🙏🏻 I wasn’t sure if it was even needed, it wasn’t checked on our flight out. BUT, it was asked for on our return, taken away to be checked & photocopied & then they rechecked it before boarding! So if in doubt, just take a Fit to Fly with you!!

- Ensure you get some shade during the day! I’m a sun lover but it’s amazing how quickly you overheat/mixed with blood sugar levels dropping & you can quickly go from 10-0! Again snacks were on hand!

- I wasn’t sure about exposing bump to the sun but after some research it all seemed fine! Plenty of suncream reapplied regularly, frequent dips in the sea/pool & shade at peak heat & thankfully there were no skin sensitivity issues that can happen. Baby seemed to love it too with plenty of kicks 👣

- I’ve been able to continue my usual exercise throughout pregnancy but was looking forward to a week of rest. In hindsight, doing some stretching/mobility daily would have been a good idea as you can’t vary positions as much on sunloungers & I did end up with sciatica! .amichiro I’m booked to see you soon!

Let me know if you have anymore tips!!!! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Experiencing aches & pains in pregnancy is something the majority of women will experience, but what’s normal?This is a ...
22/06/2022

Experiencing aches & pains in pregnancy is something the majority of women will experience, but what’s normal?

This is a round up of what you may experience from anywhere between the 1st-3rd trimester!

🫶🏼Boobs - soreness, sensitivity, ni**le burn, aching are all common as you’re breasts go through rapid changes in preparation for breastfeeding. Any lumps or red areas that are warm to touch and don’t settle in a few days should be highlighted to your midwife or GP!

🫶🏼Bottom - due to the increase in blood flow, swelling, constipation & more pressure on the back passage, a lot of women experience a**l pain/itching that is commonly caused by haemorrhoids/piles! This is easily treatable - see post on piles for tips.

🫶🏼Tummy - as your bump starts to grow rapidly it is normal to feel tightness/stretching/itching across the tummy. Abdominal muscle separation or diastasis happens to us all by week 40 and occurs earlier in subsequent pregnancies. This is a normal part of pregnancy but keeping active & maintaining core strength can help manage symptoms.

🫶🏼Pelvis - there is a difference between ‘growing pains’ & PGP/SPD! It is common to experience sharp pains around the lower tummy/groin with movements as the uterine ligaments stretch in pregnancy, but these should be short lived! You can get a sharp pain in the p***c bone/va**na but again these shouldn’t last long & are related to hormonal effects/baby’s position/kicks.

Pain that is still in these areas or coccyx & occur more often especially on walking, turning in bed, sitting, getting dressed is more likely PGP/SPD & seeing a Pelvic Health Physio can help improve symptoms early. Pregnancy related growing pains are generally sharp & don’t last long and are more sporadic!

🫶🏼Legs - restless legs or cramps are a common factor of pregnancy. You can also experience weird sharp like a trapped nerve if baby has got themselves in an awkward position but this should disappear as soon as they move! Leg pain that refers down the back of the leg/s could be sciatica & should be assessed.

Did you experience any other aches & pains?

I’m grateful that my work had given me a little bit more of an insight in to what to expect in the 2nd trimester compare...
18/05/2022

I’m grateful that my work had given me a little bit more of an insight in to what to expect in the 2nd trimester compared to the 1st, but every pregnancy is different!

I wish I had known……

- That the anxiety that the baby is okay doesn’t just disappear…. I still found I needed reassurance scans for a little bit longer!

Anyone else feel this way?!

- Having an anterior placenta really does mean you don’t feel those early kicks/flutters until later on, which didn’t help with the anxiety!

- The nausea/sickness can still hit on random days for no reason so keep those emergency ginger biscuits in your bag 😂it does definitely get better though!

- The fatigue like nothing else lifts, I can get through most days without needing a nap to continue functioning! But, you’re still growing a baby so being tired by 8pm still happens 😳

- How comfy the pregnancy cushion is! I couldn’t sleep without it! Also very useful for propping me up to drink coffee in bed at the weekend!

- How amazing those first proper kicks are!!! 👣

- That in a single day your body expands before your eyes! It’s amazing how it adapts to the extra weight and stretching to accommodate the growing baby so fast!

- I did know how much maintaining strength can help prevent PGP and I’m so pleased I have more energy this trimester to keep it up 💪🏻

- Pelvic floor, pelvic floor, pelvic floor ….. just another reminder 😂

How did you find the 2nd trimester?!

Do I advocate starting pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy? YES!! The hormones released in pregnancy alongside the inevi...
06/05/2022

Do I advocate starting pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy? YES!! The hormones released in pregnancy alongside the inevitable weight gain put more pressure on our pelvic floor so we do need to be trying to keep it as strong and functioning as we can.

BUT

Did I start them when I found I was pregnant, NO, did I start them in the first 12 weeks NO 😳

The 1st trimester was enough to deal with and I continued weight training which worked my pelvic floor as I was more mindful of using it! Midway through the 2nd trimester and a coughing fit later, although nothing happened I could certainly feel a difference! None of us are immune to the impact of pregnancy 😂

Now my notifications go off daily and I’m trying my best to do something every day but honestly, I’m typically not managing more than once on a daily basis! But, something is better than nothing and when I’m teaching pelvic floor to patients I’m joining in too so every little helps!

Looking after your pelvic floor in pregnancy does help with recovery afterwards so I’m using that as my motivation!

Address

Harley Street
London

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 9pm
Tuesday 8am - 1pm
Wednesday 6pm - 9pm
Thursday 8am - 9pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+447375815930

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