Pelvic Floor Therapy During Pregnancy: What You Need to Know
More and more mothers are turning to pelvic floor therapy in the postpartum period to address dysfunction that developed during pregnancy and delivery. But did you know that you can address your pelvic floor during pregnancy to help prepare the body for childbirth?
During pregnancy, as baby grows, your center of mass shifts forward, your pelvis has to adjust to support this new load, and there is added pressure and demand on your pelvic floor muscles. During delivery, your pelvis has to shift and your pelvic floor stretches to allow baby through the birth canal.
It is common for women to experience pelvic floor dysfunction during pregnancy because of the rapid changes your body goes through; it is important to make sure your pelvic floor is still able to function properly to support you throughout pregnancy, and relax and open during delivery.
If you are experiencing hip, low back, SI joint or pelvic pain, urinary symptoms, or constipation during pregnancy, it is likely that you have pelvic floor dysfunction that should be addressed before attempting a vaginal delivery!
But even if you are not experiencing symptoms, a pelvic floor therapist can assess your pelvic floor muscles to get a baseline for postpartum recovery, teach you pelvis-opening mobility exercises and perineal stretching techniques to reduce the risk of severe tearing, and help to support you through this major body-transition.
So, whether you are pregnant with your first child, or have already delivered several babies, make an appointment with a pelvic floor therapist to gain more awareness of your pelvic floor and tools to help you through the process.
Know before you go:
Typically, a pelvic floor assessment involves an internal vaginal exam, so check in with your OB, midwife, or doula to ensure that everyone on your care team is on board with internal treatment
If you are in your first trimester, we will wait until later in the pregnancy to directly assess your pelvic floor muscles, but there are external techniques that can be used to get a good idea of what your pelvis needs
If you are not comfortable or not able to participate in a vaginal assessment, no worries! A PFPT can also help guide you through safe movement during pregnancy and answer questions you may have about the changes your body is going through
Written by Jade Jette, PT, DPT