Pregnancy & Pelvic Floor Health: What Every Mom Needs to Know
Pregnancy is an incredible journey, but it also brings significant changes to the body, particularly the pelvic floor. Whether you're a first-time mom or adding to your family, understanding how pregnancy affects these crucial muscles can lead to a smoother recovery and greater comfort throughout your journey. Prioritizing pelvic health during pregnancy can help prevent discomfort, improve labor outcomes, and support postpartum recovery.
What Is the Pelvic Floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and bowel. These muscles play a key role in maintaining continence, stabilizing the core, sexual functions, and aiding in the childbirth process. Think of your pelvic floor as a hammock that holds up your internal organs and works in harmony with your diaphragm, deep core, and back muscles. When functioning optimally, it provides strength, stability, and control, but pregnancy can place significant demands on these muscles.
How Pregnancy Affects the Pelvic Floor
Increased Pressure and Weight
As your baby grows, the pelvic floor muscles must support additional weight, which can lead to feelings of heaviness, discomfort, or weakness. The uterus expands significantly, placing extra downward pressure on the pelvic floor. This can contribute to symptoms like pelvic pain, lower back discomfort, and difficulty engaging core muscles.
Hormonal Changes
Hormones like relaxin and progesterone help prepare your body for birth by loosening ligaments and muscles, including those of the pelvic floor. While necessary for delivery, these changes can also lead to instability, making it easier to experience issues like pelvic girdle pain, pubic symphysis dysfunction, or sacroiliac joint discomfort. Supporting the pelvic floor through strength and mobility exercises can help counteract some of these effects.
Changes in Bladder and Bowel Function
During pregnancy, you may notice increased urinary frequency, urgency, leakage when sneezing or laughing, or constipation. These are common signs of the added strain on the pelvic floor. However, while these symptoms are common, they don’t have to be your normal. There are many strategies to improve bladder and bowel function even during pregnancy. Addressing these symptoms early can improve your comfort and help prevent long-term dysfunction postpartum.
Role in Labor and Delivery
A strong yet flexible pelvic floor is essential for childbirth. Overly tight or overactive pelvic floor muscles can make labor more challenging, while weakened muscles can contribute to postpartum recovery issues. Learning how to properly engage and relax the pelvic floor can make a significant difference in your labor experience. Understanding pushing techniques and optimal birthing positions based on your unique pelvic structure can help facilitate a smoother delivery.
How to Support Your Pelvic Floor During Pregnancy
See a Pelvic Floor Therapist
Seeing a pelvic floor therapist during pregnancy should be part of your birth plan. Pelvic floor therapists (trained OT/PT in pelvic health) can help minimize and relieve aches and pains, facilitate a plan to keep your body strong during pregnancy, and teach you how to properly engage your core as your belly grows. They can also assess your pelvic floor in various positions to determine the best position for you to push and guide you in optimal breathing techniques for labor. Additionally, a therapist can help prepare you for postpartum healing, providing strategies to reduce the risk of tearing and support faster recovery. Most moms who do pelvic floor therapy during pregnancy report better postpartum recovery due to a greater understanding of their body. Many postpartum women who experienced extensive tearing or complications also express wishing they had known about pelvic floor therapy earlier.
Practice Proper Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing helps engage and relax the pelvic floor, improving muscle coordination and reducing tension. Practicing proper breathing mechanics can help prevent excessive intra-abdominal pressure, which can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction, diastasis recti, and increased discomfort during pregnancy. Learning how to sync breath with movement can also enhance stability and reduce strain on the lower back and pelvic muscles.
Perform Gentle Pelvic Floor Exercises
Kegels are not (usually) the answer! A pelvic floor therapist can guide you through the right exercises to either strengthen and/or release tension in your pelvic floor, depending on your needs. Functional movement patterns, core stabilization exercises, and mobility work can all play a role in supporting a strong and balanced pelvic floor during pregnancy.
Maintain Good Posture
Proper alignment reduces excess pressure on the pelvic floor. Avoid slouching or standing with your hips pushed forward to minimize strain. Incorporating gentle strength training and body awareness exercises can help maintain a neutral spine and promote better pelvic positioning as your body changes throughout pregnancy.
Support Bladder & Bowel Health
Stay hydrated, eat fiber-rich foods, and avoid straining during bowel movements. Using a Squatty Potty can help relieve pressure on the pelvic floor and promote easier elimination. Developing healthy habits for bladder and bowel function can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing issues such as hemorrhoids, prolapse, or incontinence during pregnancy and postpartum.
Postpartum Recovery & Pelvic Floor Health
After labor and delivery, your pelvic floor needs time to heal. If you continue to experience leakage, pain, or a sensation of heaviness, don’t ignore it! Postpartum pelvic floor therapy can help restore strength and function, improving your overall recovery. Early intervention can help prevent long-term complications such as pelvic organ prolapse, diastasis recti, or chronic pelvic pain. Many women benefit from a comprehensive postpartum assessment to ensure their recovery is progressing well and to address any lingering concerns.
Take Control of Your Pelvic Health
Your pelvic floor plays a vital role in pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery. By taking care of it now, you can set yourself up for a healthier and more comfortable experience. If you're pregnant or postpartum and any of this resonates with you, reach out to learn how we can help support your pelvic health journey!
*Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis, treatment, and guidance specific to your medical condition. The content shared here should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.