Pregnancy and childbirth bring major physical and emotional changes, yet mothers often overlook their own recovery, making early physiotherapy and proper postnatal care equally important.

Pregnancy and childbirth bring major physical and emotional changes for a woman, but the focus often remains firmly on the baby’s health, leaving the mother’s recovery overlooked. Dr Sanjana Venkataraman, a women’s health physiotherapist who has been practising in the field for the past one year, believes this needs to change.

In an exclusive interview with , Venkataraman said the lack of awareness around postnatal physiotherapy is closely linked to the conservative way pregnancy and childbirth are viewed in India. “People focus more on the child rather than the mother’s health,” she said, adding that many women and families worry that physical activity during pregnancy could harm the mother or the baby.

The mother’s health often takes a back seat

Venkataraman said pregnancy is still sometimes treated as a condition that requires women to restrict their activities, rather than as a normal part of life. She attributed this partly to misconceptions and a lack of education about physical activity during pregnancy and after childbirth.