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Being a new mom is an exciting time, however many women also have the challenges of pelvic floor issues after giving birth.
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that helps with bladder, bowel and sexual functions. However these muscles can be weakened during the carrying and delivery of the baby.
Prevalence
Caring for your pelvic floor is important for women who have had natural and C-section births, although moms who have had c-section births have a smaller risk of pelvic floor dysfunction.
According to Stephanie McDowell, a registered physiotherapist at Prime Physiotherapy in Kelowna, prevalence of postpartum incontinence has been shown to affect anywhere from 21-36% of women. She adds that anal incontinence will affect 4-7% of women and dyspareunia (painful intercourse) will affect 8-24% of women.
The goals of pelvic floor health are also different between an initial pregnancy to subsequent babies.
“With the first we may concentrate more on pelvic floor awareness and relaxation, along with the potential for perineal massage closer to delivery date,” says McDowell. “In regards to subsequent pregnancies, the focus may shift to strengthening the pelvic floor to help support the pelvic organs, and reduce risk of developing pelvic organ prolapse later in life.”
What you can do
Because rehabilitation will be different for each case, you may want to book an assessment appointment with a pelvic health physiotherapist. This will help determine what your needs are. You may have heard of doing Kegel exercises, and although that may be a part of your rehabilitation plan, it’s hard to generalize information about what would work for each individual.
“Up to 45% of women cannot voluntary perform a normal pelvic floor contraction,” says McDowell. “Giving the verbal advice of “Do your Kegel’s” may not be enough.”
Finding the right physiotherapist
The Physiotherapy Association of BC has a website with a searchable database of physiotherapists and clinics in British Columbia. Although not all physiotherapists specialize in pelvic floor rehabilitation, the advanced search option on their website allows you to search for a specific area of practice.
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