Or maybe people arent telling you that all the time, but you cant imagine how thatwouldntbe the result.
Its true that pregnancy and childbirth can bring about some major physical changes.
The focus is often on external ones (ahem, a growing belly).
Getty / Artem Varnitsin / EyeEm
We wont lie to you, pregnancy and childbirth can definitely do a number on this area.
But for some people, a little thing called pelvic floor physical therapy may be able to help.
Heres the truth about pregnancy, childbirth, your pelvic floor, and pelvic floor physical therapy.
In general,people dont talk about pelvic floors often, even in pregnancy and childbirth conversations.
These muscles work like ahammockto brace organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum.
Then theres fecal incontinence, or leaking stool.
Or you could experiencepainful sexas a sign of pelvic floor problems.
Pelvic organ prolapse can also lead to those pee, poop, andsexual healthproblems we mentioned above.
So, how exactly can pregnancy and childbirth bring about pelvic floor dysfunction?
Lets get to it.
(Ligaments are a throw in of tissue that helps organs stay put.)
The point of this loosening is to eventually allow a baby to pass through the birth canal more easily.
Then theres that growing belly part.
Of course, the rest of the babys body passes through too.
But, typically, the head will go first.
In the process, pelvic floor muscles get shoved out of the way and sometimes tear.
There may also bedamage to the nervesthat govern pelvic floor muscles and organs.
(According toACOG, childbirth is actually the most common cause of fecal incontinence.)
It might help to ask your doctor exactly what kinds ofpregnancyand postpartum pelvic floor symptoms you should expect.
If youre postpartum:ACOGrecommends having at least one comprehensive check-up four to six weeks after giving birth.
A little bit of transient urinary incontinence when youre postpartum is very common, Dr. Bianco says.
Dune, M.D., a urogynecologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, tells SELF.
Whether youre pregnant or postpartum: See your doctor whenever youre really concerned that something youre experiencing isnt normal.
This is one of those situations when it makes sense to seek the most trustworthy medical advice you might.
That’s not to say pelvic floor physical therapy is guaranteed to fix pelvic floor dysfunction.
It’s worth knowing what these types of appointments would involve if you were to seek them out.
They will usually take a full medical history from you and ask about your symptoms, Dr.
This doesnt necessarily need to be during your first appointment.
you’re able to also ask to have asecond person in the room.
Depending on whats going on with your body, this may or may not be painful, Dr. Internal muscle tone is something you’re free to attempt to evaluate by yourself.
National Library of Medicine.
But youll only know your own baseline, Dr.
Dune says, while a therapist is more likely to recognize where you fall in the overall anatomical standard.
Plus, a therapist will likely evaluate how some of your other body parts are working, too.
Its important to get evaluated for bigger picture issues to know for sure whats going on.
Many people have appointments once to twice a week over a period of six to 12 weeks.
It is generally accepted that some people will start to see differences within four to six weeks, Dr. Andheres some informationabout how to choose the right physical therapist for you.
For some people, pelvic floor physical therapy may help sufficiently with pelvic floor problems.
For others, surgery might be necessary to correct issues like pelvic floor organ prolapse.
This can be worthwhile for some people, Dr. LeFevre says.
However, pelvic floor physical therapy is definitely not a requirement during pregnancy.
Whats more, it can be a luxury when it comes to both time and money.
Plus, theres all the time involved with actually going to these appointments.
Also, getting pelvic floor physical therapy while youre pregnant is kind of like dealing with a moving target.
