Why Pelvic Floor Health Is Important to Your Pregnancy

Most women don’t think about their pelvic floor until after they’ve had a baby or two and are having trouble with urine leaking. But waiting until after your baby is born isn’t the right time to start thinking about the health of your pelvic floor.     

Birth prep or prenatal Pelvic floor physiotherapy is a branch of pelvic health physiotherapy focusing on preparing your body, including your pelvic floor for delivery of the baby, and assisting with your recovery during the fourth trimester. The goal is to prevent or limit any damage that could occur during delivery and to help you return to all your physical and functional goals postpartum. Regardless of your type of delivery or how long ago it was that you gave birth, this type of physiotherapy can benefit you.

How does pregnancy affect my pelvic floor?

During pregnancy the weight placed on the pelvic floor continues to increase which can contribute to common symptoms you may be experiencing. A physiotherapist can help assess which muscles may have increased tension or weakness and determine how this may contribute to conditions such as: urinary incontinence, low back pain, pelvic girdle pain and more. Even if you are not experiencing any symptoms, it is beneficial to have the muscles in and around your pelvis assessed to maximize your recovery during the fourth trimester. 

What can I do to improve the health of my pelvic floor?

In the initial sessions, you will learn more about the anatomy and function of your pelvic floor, abdominal wall and pelvic girdle. This will help you better understand how exercise and movement can help promote wellness during the changes these areas of your body are undergoing. We will also evaluate your breathing patterns and determine how this can affect the function of your pelvic floor and its key relationship in managing intra-abdominal pressure through exercise and its use during labour and delivery.

Closer to the time of your due date, additional preparation techniques will be included. Some of these include: perineal massage to help prevent or reduce perineal tearing during delivery, education and practice of various labour and delivery positions that are specific to your birth plan. During these sessions, you also have the ability to have your partner attend with you so that they can learn how to best support you during labour and delivery.

The sessions will also help with what to expect and how to prepare for your postpartum period. Understanding what happens during the postpartum time can facilitate a smooth transition into this stage, ensuring that you feel supported through “what’s normal”, who to see for various concerns, when to return to exercise and what exercises to do.

Make Your Pregnancy and Delivery Smooth as Possible with Prenatal Physiotherapy!