Why You Should Consider Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy in Pregnancy and Postpartum

**Prepare for Birth with Pelvic Physiotherapy in Pregnancy**

**Reduce Pain in Your Back, Hips, and Pelvis**
Pelvic floor physiotherapy during pregnancy can also ease pain caused by pregnancy, such as lower back and hip pain, pelvic pain, and postural pain. It can also help prepare you for the labour process by teaching you ideal birthing positions, breathing and relaxation techniques, and perineum stretching. Diastasis recti can also be prevented through pelvic floor physiotherapy during pregnancy.
**Reduce Risk of Tearing**
Pelvic floor physiotherapy can be an effective way to prepare for the birthing process. Beginning during the second or third trimester of your pregnancy is ideal, as it can increase the elasticity of your muscles and ensure that your muscles are prepared to give birth. Pelvic physiotherapy during pregnancy is also an effective preventative measure for other pelvic floor dysfunctions that are common during and after childbirth, such as incontinence and organ prolapse. Maintaining activity levels during pregnancy is an important step for strength and flexibility, and physiotherapists are able to help educate you about safe exercises and activities that can benefit you in the birthing process and beyond.
**Preparing for Birth with Perineal Massage and Pushing Techniques**
Near the end of your pregnancy, a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist can perform a perineal massage (or teach you how to do it yourself) to help stretch the vaginal muscles and prepare for birth. Some therapists also help provide education on optimal labour and delivery positions and how to push to avoid prolapse.

Pelvic Physiotherapy in Postpartum

Safe Recovery and Healing

The birthing process can take a significant physical toll on women, often resulting in bruised, inflamed, and scarred tissue. The first 6 weeks after giving birth are often marked by soreness and afterbirth pains, among other physical changes which might impact long-term health in women. Pelvic physiotherapy in postpartum can be an effective means by which these symptoms can be addressed in order to prevent, reduce, or eliminate the likelihood of long-term damage down the road. Pelvic physiotherapy is believed to be beneficial for all new moms, and the sooner a physiotherapist is seen, the more likely it is to help expedite the healing capacity of the body during postpartum recovery. Often, new moms feel weaker during the recovery stage of their pregnancy and feel as though it is more difficult to connect with their pelvic floor muscles. Accordingly, pelvic floor physiotherapy helps women learn how to regenerate these muscles and accentuate a safe healing process.

Reducing or Eliminating Leakage

New moms often experience urinary and/or bowel leakage during postpartum recovery. In fact, a 2010 study found that 33% of women experience leakage during the first three months of postpartum. While many moms accept leakage as a normal part of the postpartum process, it is treatable with pelvic floor physiotherapy. Leakage often occurs as the result of heightened pressure on the pelvic floor muscles and other tissues surrounding the bladder. Pelvic floor physiotherapy can instruct women on proper kegel techniques and other exercises that will help reduce or eliminate leakage.

Diastasis Repair

Diastasis refers to a separation in your abdominals, which can be a common issue for women during postpartum. This can result in pain in the abdominals, lower back, and pelvic, which can in turn create further issues with the pelvic floor, sometimes leading to pelvic organ prolapse. Pelvic floor physiotherapy can provide women with proper exercises to accentuate the healing process of your diastasis, helping your muscles regain strength and function effectively. Targeted exercise therapy has shown promise for reducing, preventing, and eliminating diastasis, as women are able to create tension across the abdomen to effectively control the pressure that has been generated.

Avoiding Pelvic Pain

Childbirth causes trauma to the pelvic floor which can often result in significant pain for women during postpartum, as the pelvic muscles are stretched, strained, and sometimes torn during the birthing process. Failure to effectively rehabilitate these muscles can lead new moms to develop a number of issues including back pain, pelvic organ prolapse, pain with intercourse, and other general pains. Scar tissue is often a cause of significant pain and can be reduced through pelvic floor exercises which help soften the scar tissue and desensitize hypersensitive areas. Strengthening the pelvic floor through physiotherapy can reduce or eliminate the likelihood of painful issues postpartum. Further, your physiotherapist can help educate you on labour and delivery positions to help reduce trauma, and can assist with the alleviation of discomfort both before and after labour.

Supporting Pelvic and Reducing Prolapse

Childbirth sometimes leads to pelvic organ prolapse, as the muscles and tissues that support the pelvic organs (uterus, bladder, or rectum) can become loose or weak during the birthing process. Pelvic organ prolapse symptoms can be relieved, reduced, or eliminated through pelvic floor physiotherapy, as these exercises help strengthen the muscles on your pelvic floor. Physiotherapy can assist you if you experience a bulge through your vaginal opening; urine leakage or difficulty urinating/ having bowel movements; discomfort during intercourse; or general discomfort in your daily activities. Symptoms of prolapse can be reduced through special abdominal exercises, breathing techniques, and posture correction.