Specialist postnatal care
Whether you've had a straightforward birth or a C-section, whether you're six weeks postnatal or six years — if something doesn't feel quite right in your body, it's worth looking at. A lot of what women quietly accept as normal after birth isn't something they simply have to live with.
Pregnancy and birth change your body structurally. The way you carried your baby, the way you gave birth, the way you've been moving since — all of it leaves a pattern. Sometimes that pattern resolves on its own. Sometimes it doesn't, and it shows up as something you've filed under "this is just what having a baby does to you."
It might be a core that never quite came back. A back that's been off since the birth. A scar that feels numb, tight, or pulling in a way you weren't expecting. An overhang you don't know what to do with. A pelvic floor that doesn't feel like yours anymore.
Antonietta D'Angelo
Antonietta is a women's health osteopath with a Diploma in Women's Health Osteopathy from the Molinari Institute, and a certified scar therapist. She leads our Mummy MOT and C-section MOT, and brings a depth of specialist knowledge to postnatal care that is genuinely hard to find in one place. She sees women at every stage of postnatal recovery — from the early weeks through to years after birth.
Felicity Bertin
Felicity also sees mums, particularly where infant feeding, scar therapy or structural recovery intersect with the care she's providing for a baby.
A C-section is major abdominal surgery. Multiple layers of tissue are opened and closed, and the body heals each of them in its own way. What happens at the scar can affect the pelvic floor, the abdominal muscles, posture and movement — often in ways that aren't immediately obvious.
The C-section MOT looks at all of it: the scar itself, the surrounding tissues, the pelvic floor, the diastasis, and the structural picture underneath. Antonietta will assess what's happening and why — and put together a plan that's specific to you.
You gave birth. Your body went through something significant — and most women are surprised by how much there is to look at properly once someone actually does.
The Mummy MOT is a thorough postnatal assessment. Antonietta looks at your pelvic floor, your abdominal muscles, your posture and the structural picture overall — how your body is organised now, what it's compensating for, and what may benefit from attention.
It doesn't matter how long ago you gave birth. Women come to us at six weeks and at six years. The body holds patterns for a long time, and it's never too late to look at them properly.
One of the most common things women come in with is uncertainty about their scar. It might look raised or flat, smooth in places and bumpy in others. It might feel numb, or hypersensitive, or it might be pulling in a way that doesn't seem connected to anything obvious. There may be an overhang they don't know what to do with. And almost always, the same question: am I supposed to be doing something with this?
The answer is usually yes — but what you do, and how you do it, depends entirely on the type of scar you have.
Not all scars are the same. A fine-line scar, a hypertrophic scar and a keloid scar all behave differently — and the technique that helps one can aggravate another. Rubbing a scar vigorously when it isn't ready can make things worse rather than better. This is why an assessment comes before anything else.
Scar therapy works in phases. The first phase is about the tissues around the scar — addressing adhesions, restoring movement and beginning to reintegrate the scar neurologically. The second phase works more directly with the scar itself, addressing appearance and sensation once the foundations are in place.
The overhang — the pouch that many women notice above or below the scar — is often a combination of fascial adhesion, scar tethering and diastasis recti. Understanding which is driving it is the starting point for addressing it. Antonietta will assess this as part of your appointment.
At our Berkhamsted clinic, Antonietta offers photobiomodulation — also known as low-level laser therapy or PBMT — as part of her work with postnatal recovery and scar therapy. It is non-invasive and painless.
If photobiomodulation may support your recovery, Antonietta will use it as part of your appointment — no referral needed, no additional cost, no separate booking. It isn't a separate treatment. It's simply part of how she works at Berkhamsted.
"Antonietta helped me with so many things I had just accepted as normal after having a baby. I've recommended her to everyone I know who's had a child."
— Danielle"She helped me with my diastasis and gave me the confidence to actually look at my scar. I hadn't known where to start."
— JulesBefore you arrive
You'll receive a history form covering your pregnancy, birth and how you've been feeling since. The more detail you can give, the better.
We listen first
You'll tell us what's brought you in, in your own words. There's no rush. Your birth experience matters to understanding what your body is doing now.
A thorough assessment
Antonietta will look at your scar, your abdominal muscles, your pelvic floor and your posture. Everything is explained as she goes. Nothing happens without your understanding and agreement.
Your scar, specifically
If scar therapy is part of what you're coming for, Antonietta will assess the type of scar you have and what the surrounding tissues are doing before deciding on the right approach. There is no one-size-fits-all technique.
A plan that's yours
You'll leave with a clear picture of what Antonietta has found and what she suggests. If photobiomodulation may be useful and you're at Berkhamsted, she'll discuss whether that's worth considering as part of your plan.
Book when you're ready. Or WhatsApp us first if you'd like a steer on whether an appointment makes sense for where you are right now.