Moms, there are a lot of things you need to be responsible for! With so much on your plate, it can be hard to take time to care for your needs. Making time to have your pelvic floor checked is something every mom should add to their to-do list.
By keeping yourself healthy, you’re able to keep being a superhero for everyone…while feeling physically good. And, you deserve to feel good, Mom.So, who needs to get their pelvic floor checked?
- First-time Moms
- Second-time Moms
- Third-time Moms (Really, no matter how many times you’ve given birth before, it’s a good idea to have your pelvic floor checked, especially if you haven’t in the past)
- Moms whose ‘babies’ have grown (No matter how long ago you gave birth, whether it was last year, five years ago, or fifteen years ago, getting your pelvic floor checked is an essential part of your health routine)
- Soon-to-be Moms
Why should I get my pelvic floor checked?
During pregnancy, your pelvic floor is under a lot of pressure from baby’s weight inside of you. Your abdominal is stretched out and can lose strength, causing problems after birth. During birth, there is a lot of strain happening at the pelvic floor level as baby comes through. It’s important to have your pelvic floor checked with a pelvic floor physiotherapist to make sure both your abdominal and pelvic floor have enough strength to support your body’s needs.
Even if you give birth by c-section, it is still important for you to get your pelvic floor checked. Again, it’s not just your pelvic floor that is under pressure during pregnancy and birth, but, your abdominal area also goes through a lot of stress. A pelvic floor physiotherapist will check your ab strength, and make sure your c-section scar is healing well to avoid scar adhesion.
What could happen to my pelvic floor?
There’s a reason Moms are superheroes, pregnancy can be tough! While we are made to give birth, it’s still a lot of stress on our bodies. Things such as:
- bladder or bowel weakness or incontinence (ie. leaking!),
- painful sex,
- abdominal weakness, or even ab separation (diastasis recti),
- lower back, hip pain and
- feelings of pressure ‘down there’
are all symptoms of a weak pelvic floor. A pelvic physiotherapist will be able to determine what’s going on ‘down there’ and give you exercises that fit your lifestyle to reactivate muscles or soothe tense muscles.
When should I have my pelvic floor checked?
I always recommend having a pelvic floor check-up thirty weeks into your pregnancy. This way, you and your physiotherapist can get in touch with your pelvic floor and you can learn exercises that can help avoid any potential pelvic floor issues during pregnancy and after birth. Usually, I’ll work with soon-to-be-Moms on learning how to do contractions so that after birth, usually after 78 hours, new-Moms can do gentle abdominal and pelvic floor contractions to get re-connected to these areas.
If you’ve already given birth, coming in at six weeks postpartum is when we are able to do an internal pelvic floor assessment which is a big part of your checkup. I also check for abdominal separation.
You’re welcome to come and have your pelvic floor checked at any time, but, especially if you have already given birth, it’s recommended to have a check-up. For Moms that gave birth a while ago, it’s always a good idea. Your pelvic floor is able to compensate for you even when there is an imbalance so you don’t notice the issue. The trouble is that when symptoms do begin to appear, it takes a lot longer to un-teach your body the ‘bad habits’ of compensating for a pelvic floor problem.
What will pelvic physiotherapy do?
With physiotherapy, we are able to set you on the right track to getting you back to being you, Mom. Together, we check on any imbalances happening ‘down there’ and teach you exercises that fit with your lifestyle to solve any issues. With physiotherapy, you can alleviate some common pelvic floor problems and get you safely back to the exercises you love such as running, cross-fit, yoga, Pilates, or even Zumba! Your physiotherapist is able to help you feel more like yourself, no matter where you are on your motherhood journey. You go, Mom!
Have questions? Reach out today and let’s talk.
