Pelvic Floor Therapy During Pregnancy
Pregnancy and delivery are truly an athletic event. The amount of access load placed on our body to carry a baby for 9 months is comparable to that of an endurance athlete. Women literally grow a human from start to finish - talk about a superhuman task. To expect mothers to do this incredible task without support along the way is archaic. Our bodies need guidance and direction along this journey and to help heal from this athletic event. This is where Pelvic Floor Therapy can help.
Just days after conception our hormones begin to change – Estrogen and relaxin both increase. These changes cause the ligaments around our pelvis to loosen, to allow the baby to grow and eventually allow the pelvis to open for delivery. As the ligaments relax, we rely MORE on the musculoskeletal system to support us to move around for the next 9 months and support the increased weight gain of the growing baby. This is why maximizing our exercise to focus on the deep core system can significantly benefit us during pregnancy.
We have all likely heard of Kegels. A kegel is a pelvic floor muscle contraction. The pelvic floor is one part of our deep core system, and there is SO much more than goes into strength of our core than kegels. The deep core system is made up of the pelvic floor, the diaphragm and the transverse abdominis. These muscles together help to give us much of our stability as our baby grows. We need this system to be strong, but we also need it to be coordinated – we need it to work when we want it to. Dysfunction in this system can oftentimes contribute to pain in the back, pelvic girdle, or hips. This can likely be minimized but getting and idealized evaluation and treatment geared toward your specific deficits and goals.
Exercise throughout pregnancy is encouraged. We want to ensure our exercise routine during pregnancy is utilizing this deep core system. We as Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists, are experts in helping you find and coordinate this system. If you are already participating in regular exercise, we can ensure you are using these muscles correctly. If you are wanting to begin exercise during pregnancy, we can help set up a program for you to get the most benefit for pregnancy and delivery.
When it comes to delivery, the pelvic floor isn’t all about strength. When we push to deliver a baby vaginally, the pelvic floor needs to be able to have mobility and lengthen (the opposite of a contraction!). It is the coordination of the core system that helps us with delivery and pushing effectively. So many first-time mamas we see after their first delivery, report they were told they were not pushing effective or correctly during their first delivery. We work with you to achieve proper length and coordination of the pelvic floor during pregnancy, so that when it is game-time and your nurse or Midwife is telling you to “push”, you know exactly what to do.
Following the delivery of a baby, our body is different. Delivery is a trauma to our body, even if it went exactly as we planned. Our core system (including the pelvic floor) is weaker, and we are often left with diastasis recti or abdominal separation. Sometimes we have symptoms of urinary incontinence or heaviness in the vaginal area – known as pelvic organ prolapse. We know clinically that if we can work on “prehab” of the core system during pregnancy, recovery is that much smoother.
Whether you are experiencing symptoms or not during your pregnancy, seeing a Pelvic Floor Therapist is encouraged. At Pelvic Wellness Physical Therapy, we have a Birth Preparation program specifically designed for mothers wanting to prevent issues during the postpartum period and prepare them for an empowered birth experience. Reach out to schedule an appointment with our Doctor of Physical Therapy today.
