Pregnancy and Childbirth are HARD! Nobody raves about how easy either of these phases of life can be. Whether it is nausea, new pains in the body, feeling more emotional, lower energy levels, body image and identity changes, or generalized stress, people experience a multitude of symptoms, often being told “yep, that is normal” by providers. But, did you know that there are lots of ways that can help you feel more comfortable and even possibly make the experience of pregnancy and childbirth easier? Pelvic floor physical therapy can help! Let’s go over five ways in which PT can help YOU!
- Pelvic floor strengthening
- What is the pelvic floor, anyway?
- The pelvic floor muscles support our organs, like bladder, uterus (which is expanding in size and weight due to a growing baby!), and bowels. The pelvis and sacrum form a bony “belt-like” structure, essentially, and then the muscles of the pelvic floor act as a hammock connecting to these bones to support the organs, as well as connect outwardly to the hip/leg bones for hip motion.
- Why does the pelvic floor need strength during pregnancy and childbirth?
- These muscles experience added stress during pregnancy and childbirth, due to the added weight and pressure on them from the growing fetus. There is also now increased work for those muscles to stabilize the pelvis and the hips, as hormonal changes during pregnancy cause our ligaments to be more lax, and thus the muscles must work harder to stabilize a more mobile pelvis and hips.
- What are ways to strengthen the pelvic floor?
- Pelvic floor strengthening is certainly not just “kegels” that people most often hear about, as we want to strike the right balance between supporting the fetus and organs, while also recognizing that we will want those muscles to be able to relax and stretch to facilitate delivering a baby if having a vaginal birth. A comprehensive approach to strengthening includes a variety of techniques and activities that target these muscles in different ways. Incorporating exercises that engage the core, glutes, and inner thighs can enhance pelvic floor strength. For example, squats are effective because they engage multiple muscle groups, including the pelvic floor, while also promoting better hip mobility. Bridge exercises, where you lift your hips while lying on your back, can also activate the pelvic floor along with the glutes and core. Additionally, practicing controlled breathing techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing, helps engage the deep core muscles and provides better support for the pelvic floor. Pilates and yoga are also beneficial, as they often include movements and postures that promote pelvic floor awareness and control. Functional movements, such as practicing good posture and proper lifting techniques, can help maintain pelvic floor health by minimizing unnecessary strain. Pelvic floor physical therapy can teach exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor in the right ways, AND to turn on at the right times, which can help decrease risk of incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse after giving birth.
- Pain management
- What can cause pain during pregnancy and childbirth?
- Both pregnancy and the birth process are often associated with pain, but there are techniques that pelvic floor PTs can teach you to help manage it along the course of your pregnancy and during labor and delivery. Pain during pregnancy can arise from a variety of causes, often related to the physical and hormonal changes that occur in the body. Given that the pelvic floor is made up of layers of muscles, these muscles, just like any other muscles in the body, can have trigger points that can refer pain to different areas of the body, so sometimes pain management can look like releasing or stretching certain muscles. Common sources of pain include ligament stretching and shifting, particularly the round ligaments supporting the uterus, which can cause sharp, stabbing pain in the lower abdomen. The added weight and altered posture can strain the back, leading to lower back pain. Hormonal changes, particularly the increase in relaxin, can loosen joints and ligaments, potentially causing discomfort in the pelvic area and other joints. Additionally, as the uterus expands, it can press on surrounding organs and nerves, sometimes leading to sciatica, a condition characterized by pain radiating down the leg.
- How can pelvic floor physical therapy help with pain during pregnancy?
- Pelvic floor PTs are instrumental in managing pain during pregnancy by addressing issues related to the pelvic floor and surrounding muscles. As the body undergoes significant changes, including hormonal fluctuations and increased pressure on the pelvic region, we help identify and treat the root causes of discomfort. We offer targeted exercises to strengthen and relax the pelvic floor muscles, which can alleviate pain associated with conditions like pelvic girdle pain, sciatica, and lower back discomfort. Additionally, we educate on proper posture and body mechanics to reduce strain on the body, teach breathing techniques for pain management, and provide strategies for coping with Braxton Hicks contractions. We may also offer manual therapy to release muscle tension and improve mobility. By providing these tailored interventions, we help pregnant individuals manage pain more effectively, improving their overall comfort and quality of life during pregnancy.
- How can pelvic floor physical therapy help with pain during labor and delivery?
- Pelvic floor PTs can be invaluable in preparing individuals for labor and delivery, helping to manage and reduce pain during the process. We focus on educating and training techniques that promote relaxation and optimal functioning of the pelvic floor muscles, which play a critical role in childbirth. We can also teach perineal massage techniques to increase flexibility and reduce the risk of tearing, and guide patients through breathing exercises that can help manage pain and facilitate a smoother labor process. Pelvic floor PTs also provide instruction on different labor positions and help guide you on how to use tools like birthing balls and bolsters that can help alleviate pain, improve comfort, and enhance the progression of labor. We also may teach pain relief strategies such as the use of heat or cold therapy, relaxation techniques, and visualization exercises. By preparing the pelvic floor muscles and providing practical pain management tools, pelvic floor PTs help pregnant individuals approach labor and delivery with greater confidence and reduced discomfort – allowing you to focus on the main task of delivering your baby!
- Posture and body alignment
- What happens to posture and body alignment during pregnancy?
- During pregnancy, a woman’s posture often changes significantly due to the body’s adaptations to accommodate the growing baby. As the uterus expands, the center of gravity shifts forward, causing an increase in the natural curve of the lower back, known as lordosis. This exaggerated curve helps balance the body but can also lead to discomfort or pain in the lower back. To compensate for the shift in weight, many pregnant women unconsciously adjust their stance by leaning backward, which can further strain the lower back muscles. Additionally, the weight of the growing abdomen can pull the shoulders forward, leading to a rounded upper back and a tendency to slouch. These postural changes, combined with the loosening of ligaments and joints due to hormonal changes like increased relaxin, can affect the stability and alignment of the entire body. Maintaining good posture and engaging in exercises that strengthen the core and back muscles can help mitigate these changes and alleviate associated discomfort during pregnancy.
- How can pelvic floor physical therapy help posture and alignment through pregnancy?
- Pelvic floor physical therapy can help you maintain proper body alignment and posture, which is key throughout pregnancy to alleviate strain on the body’s joints and muscles and optimize positioning of the fetus at different stages of the pregnancy and birth phases. As a fetus grows, weight is distributed within the body differently, which can cause people to adopt different postures, especially with standing and walking. With PT, we can assess your posture, not just in standing, but in any activities or positions that you find yourself, and give you the corrective exercises and modifications to prevent or improve pregnancy-related pains throughout the body, such as back or pelvic pain and sciatica. When we address these issues early on, we can improve overall comfort and mobility, making the pregnancy process feel more manageable.
- Preparation for labor and delivery
- How can pelvic floor physical therapy help prepare for labor and delivery
- To prepare for the “big day” AKA the labor process, physical therapists can teach expectant mothers about the birth process itself and teach techniques to prepare for the physical demands of childbirth. This can include practicing various birthing positions, learning to engage certain muscle groups properly, and practicing relaxation and controlled breathing during labor. There are certain positions that can encourage the baby to descend through the pelvis a certain way so that you can facilitate the baby’s journey out of the body for a vaginal birth. There are even techniques for helping to prepare the vaginal wall to stretch to decrease the risk or intensity of tearing during a vaginal birth.
- Postpartum recovery
- How can pelvic floor physical therapy help postpartum recovery?
- After giving birth, you may be tasked with caring for a new baby in the world, which can be a physical job! So we want to help you feel better as quickly as possible. PT can help in the postpartum period, as we can guide women through exercises to promote healing after giving birth, be that vaginal or cesarean, restore strength and get you back to functioning the way you want! Pelvic floor PT can aid in the recovery and rehabilitation of the pelvic floor and surrounding muscles after childbirth. The physical demands of pregnancy and delivery can weaken these muscles, leading to issues such as urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and diastasis recti (abdominal separation). We can assess these conditions and develop individualized treatment plans to address them. We may provide exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor and core muscles, improve bladder and bowel control, and alleviate pain or discomfort in the pelvic region. And on top of that, we can help manage scar tissue, whether from a cesarean section or perineal tearing, by using techniques such as manual therapy to improve tissue mobility and reduce pain. We also offer guidance on safe and effective ways to gradually progress back into physical activity, ensuring that the healing process is supported without causing further strain. We can reduce the risk of long-term injuries and help women regain their pre-pregnancy fitness levels by addressing lingering issues and promoting proper recovery and progression with exercise. By addressing these issues, pelvic floor PTs play a crucial role in helping new mothers regain strength, confidence, and overall well-being during the postpartum period.
