Pregnancy Issues you had no idea were related to your Pelvic Floor
When I was pregnant with my first son, I remember learning about kegels for the first time, in the prenatal yoga class I attended each week. I sat there trying to lift and squeeze and draw up my elevator but I honestly had no idea if I was doing it right.
I experienced many annoying and embarrassing moments when my bladder would give out as I threw up on the way to work or had a little leakage when I sneezed. But at the time, these annoying accidents seemed to not only be normal, but expected, as my body and my baby grew.
Connecting to your pelvic floor muscles is incredibly important during pregnancy (actually, it’s important all the time) but most of us don’t give any thought to these muscles until there’s an issue.
And for MANY people, pelvic floor symptoms either aren’t talked about or brushed off as “just a normal part of pregnancy”.
Well thankfully, much more research has been done on the pelvic floor in the past 10 years and we now have a better sense of how these muscles work and how pregnancy and birth affect them.
So let’s pause for a quick moment and take a look at what exactly the pelvic floor muscles are.
The pelvic floor is compromised of a dense web of muscles that span the base of the pelvis, attaching to the pubic bone in the front, the tailbone at the back and from sitting bone to sitting bone.
There are 3 layers of muscles that provide support for your internal organs; control the rectum and urethra and work together with your core muscles (diaphragm, transversus abdomins and multifidis muscles) to act as a support system for your pelvis and torso.
We can easily see how the pelvic floor muscles would be overly taxed with the increased weight and pressure placed on them as well as continuing to provide support and stability for your body.
And not long ago, we assumed that this increased load meant the pelvic floor muscles would become overly stretched and weak. Therefore resulting in issues like bladder leakage, pelvic pain and pelvic organ prolapse.
With developments in research we now know, that although the pelvic floor muscles are under increased pressure, they often respond by becoming “hypertonic” meaning more gripped and held. They actually become more tense because they are working so much harder to do their job.
So only focusing on the engagement of these muscles, aka) doing kegels, to address pelvic floor symptoms like bladder leakage, can actually lead to more more tension, more strain and more issues.
So what exactly might a hypertonic pelvic floor look and feel like in your body? Common symptoms during pregnancy are:
Bladder leakage when you cough, sneeze or jump (stress incontinence)
Not being able to hold your pee (urge incontinence)
Not being able to void completely
Constipation
SI joint pain
Pubic Symphsis pain
Painful sex or vaginal insertion
Hemmrrohoids
I mean, who knew!??!
If you are experiencing even one of the issues listed above, I highly recommend seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist to assess what’s going on internally. These are not just annoying issues that you need to put up with during pregnancy! In most cases, a few sessions with a pelvic physiotherapist can resolve or greatly reduce the symptoms.
And if you are not experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, deepening your awareness and your ability to both engage and release your pelvic floor muscles, is foundational for a strong and functional core and pelvic floor. And is integral in preparation for birth.
Don’t worry if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed and lost when it comes to your pelvic floor. You’ve already taken a major step toward feeling more connected to your body. And I’ve got the perfect resource to help you put all of this into practice.
Give your pelvic floor muscles the break they need…and deserve with my free guided pelvic floor relaxation. This guided relaxation will increase your awareness and promote a sense of peace and calm, both physically and mentally.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE GUIDED PELVIC FLOOR RELAXATION
Deepen your awareness of this group of muscles that may feel totally foreign to you while also promoting a sense of calm and regulation to your nervous system.