Hitting a Bump: Pelvic Floor Changes During Pregnancy

Much like the rest of a woman’s body, her pelvic floor changes during pregnancy, losing strength and elasticity as the strain of supporting a developing baby greatly increases the workload of the muscles in the pelvic floor, the abdomen, and the spine. Simply put, the weight distribution of a woman’s body shifts dramatically, resulting in pelvic floor changes during pregnancy as the muscles work harder to maintain the stability of the spine and the pelvis. Pregnancy also triggers a huge change in hormones, as well. These hormonal shifts cause the tissues and muscles to stretch and soften, not only to accommodate the changing size of a growing baby, but also in an effort to prepare the body for the birthing process. Unfortunately, these normal pelvic floor changes during pregnancy can lead to permanent pelvic floor damage during childbirth, including various types of pelvic floor dysfunction such as pelvic organ prolapse or some form of urinary incontinence.

Repair Work for Damaged Flooring

Fortunately, however, simply doing pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy is a great way to reverse or prevent the effects of a weakening pelvic floor, strengthening pelvic floor muscles so that they are better able to support pelvic organs like the bladder. In strengthening these muscles during pregnancy, post-pregnancy issues may be less severe or even prevented altogether.

Some of the more commonly known pelvic floor dysfunction exercises include Kegels exercise, which works by using successive sets of muscle contractions to squeeze and lift the muscles. These muscle-strengthening exercises can be an especially effective method of treatment for stress urinary incontinence, light bladder leakage, and even more serious conditions such as pelvic organ prolapse. After pregnancy, having stronger muscles can also help quicken the healing of the perineum (the area between the anus and the vagina), which is damaged during childbirth. The reason for this quicker healing is related to circulation, which increases as the muscles become strengthened. In addition, these exercises can strengthen the likelihood of orgasm during sex.

Let better health during pregnancy take the floor! Consult with the caring experts at Coyle Institute today!