Pelvic floor problems during pregnancy
Pelvic floor problems during pregnancy
How pregnancy affects the pelvic floor
During pregnancy, the structures of the pelvic floor become stretched as the space for the growing baby expands. Under normal circumstances, after short-term stretching (eg. while coughing, rising sharply or lifting a heavy weight) there follows a reverse reaction, such as in the case of a hammock.
In the course of pregnancy, however, there is long-term excessive strain and a weakening of the pelvic floor‘s muscles and ligaments under the pressure of the womb which is expanding with the baby, amniotic fluid, and placenta. The weaker muscles are unable to perform this reverse reaction, and so cannot return to their original, optimal position.
Pelvic floor problems during pregnancy
This is why you might register certain problems with your bladder control or undesirable intestinal changes, particularly in the second half of the pregnancy. 40% of pregnant women notice leaking of urine, and a further 40% frequent urination. Urine infections occur in one in every six pregnant women, and nighttime urination affects ¾ of all pregnant women. 2 from every 3 women suffer some kind of intestinal problem during pregnancy: hemorrhoids , constipation , or anal incontinence . This is due to the inability of the weakened muscle and connecting tissue of the pelvic floor to retract or contract sufficiently in order, for instance, to prevent undesirable leakage of urine or intestinal gases.
Why the pelvic floor is so important during pregnancy
It is important to maintain the pelvic floor in the best condition possible before and during pregnancy, as well as after the birth. If you enter prgnancy with a sufficiently firm and strong pelvic floor, you can reduce the risk of its being damaged by previously mentioned increases in strain during both pregnancy and the birth. With a healthy pelvic floor, you are better equipped to manage the birth. When it functions correctly during the birth, you reduce the risk not just for yourself, but for your baby as well.
At the same time you allow for a faster recovery after any form of birth. Weakening during pregnancy and possible injury to the pelvic floor can lead topelvic organ prolapse, which can then have further consequences for your active life, a feeling of pressure in the abdomen, the sense of something that doesn’t belong, or discomfort during your sex life.
How you can improve your pelvic floor during pregnancy
Perineal massage
Pregnancy (and birth) place great demands upon the entire body, but particularly upon your pelvic floor. This is why we offer you several steps towards the prevention of unnecessary problems, or at least towards reducing the risk of subsequent long-term problems, all of which you can carry out both before and during pregnancy:
Try to maintain the appropriate body weight and adequate, gradual increase in weight over the course of pregnancy.
Avoid heavy physical burdens and activities, which excessively increase the pressure in the abdomen and lower abdomen, particularly in the second half of the pregnancy.
Allow sufficient time for resting and recovery after exercise or physical work.
Master appropriate exercises for the pelvic floor during pregnancy which are designed to strengthen your pelvic muscles.
In the last month of pregnancy, you can massage the perineum to reduce the risk of its injury during birth.
Do not hesitate to seek advice on how to learn the correct exercises. This can sometimes be difficult as you discover the existence of all parts of the musculature of the pelvic floor while their correct contraction and relaxation is complicated. It can happen that while exercising you begin to engage different muscles that act counterproductively, particularly when introducing additional breathing exercises and holding breath. This is why we offer you lessons in exercising the pelvic floor during pregnancy under the guidance of our experienced midwives who specialize in this field. https://gpk.fnplzen.cz/node/1485