Did you know that pelvic floor physical therapy can be an important part of prenatal care? Many pregnant women experience a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, such as urinary incontinence, constipation, low back pain, and pelvic pain. Many of these symptoms are assumed to be a part of pregnancy but can be managed through pelvic floor physical therapy.
How Do I Know If I Need Pelvic Floor Therapy?
We will review some symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction in this blog that can be managed with pelvic physical therapy.
See if pelvic floor physical therapy can help reduce your problems throughout pregnancy.
Upper GI Symptoms With Pregnancy
Heartburn or nausea, are also common in pregnancy. In the 2-3rd trimester, this may be due to the baby applying pressure to the diaphragm and stomach. Physical therapy can assist with releasing tension in the diaphragm, reviewing ones diet to see if something is contributing to the GI symptoms, breathing techniques, and addressing any posture.
Water Consumption
A woman’s body is going through so many changes during pregnancy and the water intake should be increased. The additional weight from the pregnancy can add extra strain on the pelvic floor and lead to incontinence or urinary leakage. A sign of an overactive bladder could mean that you are drinking too much water/liquids, or there may be a pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Normal function of the bladder should still be present throughout the entire bladder. It should feel easy to start the stream of urine, without pain. Your bladder should feel like it is completely empty afterwards. There should not be any leakage of urine.
Low Back Discomfort
Low back pain during pregnancy is very common, as the pregnant person's center of gravity shifts and their joints loosen in preparation for childbirth. This may be due to poor posture, and muscle imbalances between tight muscles and weak muscles. Addressing pelvic floor weaknesses and postural awareness early on in the pregnancy is advised.
Bowel Movement Management
There are a few reasons why you may be more prone to constipation and slow bowel movements during pregnancy. The first reason is due to the increase in the hormone progesterone. This slows down the movement of food through your digestive system, which can lead to constipation. Another reason is that your growing uterus can put pressure on your rectum and anus, which can make it difficult to have a bowel movement.
There are a few things you can do to help manage constipation during pregnancy. First, make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids. This will help keep your stool soft and easy to pass. Second, eat a high-fiber diet. This includes foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Third, get regular exercise. This will help keep your digestive system moving.
Sexual Health During Pregnancy And After Childbirth
It’s common for women to experience changes in their sexual health during pregnancy and after childbirth. These changes can be due to many things:
Sexual function should remain normal throughout the pregnancy. Meaning, vaginal or anal penetration is pain free and otherwise pleasurable. There should be no pain in achieving an orgasm, if an orgasm is achieved. An individual may decide to not participate in sexual activity for several reasons, like positional discomfort towards the end of 3rd trimester, hormonal changes, or fatigue (just to name a few). If pain is present or if it is a concern to the individual, physical therapy can address this.
Physical Therapy During Pregnancy
Utilizing pelvic floor physical therapy with a specialized pelvic floor physical therapist, such as Dr. Shelley Meyer, to address strength and coordination is important throughout the pregnancy or even before one gets pregnant. Pelvic floor exercises should focus on core, gluteal, pelvic floor, and upper back strength. Improving ones strength and coordination in the pelvic muscles prior to delivery will improve their recovery period and reduce the chance of developing diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles).
Preventing diastisis recti is important as this can lead to continued low back pain and/or incontinence. Research has shown that if an individual starts physical therapy during pregnancy and continues it post-partum, they are less likely to develop diastasis recti. Click here for more information.
Additionally, delivery methods have been found to put additional strain on the pelvic floor muscles. Check out our next blog which reviews how pelvic floor physical therapy can help with the labor/ delivery and postpartum recovery.
