Your pelvic floor is an interconnected network of muscles and ligaments that plays a critical role in both pregnancy and delivery, supporting your uterus and your growing baby while paving the way for a smooth birth process. It makes sense, then, to do all you can to protect and prepare your pelvic floor to improve those experiences and support a healthy recovery during the postpartum period.
Paul Morrison, MD, and Ciara Hammer, FNP-C, understand the crucial importance of strengthening and protecting the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments for better pregnancy health and an improved recovery period. Here, learn some simple steps you can take to protect your pelvic floor and prevent future complications, like incontinence.
Like other muscles, your pelvic floor muscles respond well to exercise, becoming stronger, more flexible, and more responsive. Engaging in pelvic floor exercises before and during pregnancy is a great way to protect and support your pelvic floor.
Also known as Kegels, pelvic floor exercises repeatedly engage and relax the muscles supporting your pelvic organs, including your uterus and bladder. Performed on a regular basis, pelvic floor exercises provide greater support for your growing belly while giving you greater control over those muscles during delivery. You can find step-by-step instructions for Kegels at this website.
Slouching isn’t just bad for your back and neck, it’s also bad for your pelvic floor muscles. As your baby grows, your belly grows as well, shifting your center of gravity and putting more strain on your lower back, hips, and pelvis. Maintaining good posture when you’re standing, sitting, or walking relieves strain and prevents painful symptoms in your back and hips, too. You can find some helpful posture tips here.
Yes, you’ll definitely gain weight during pregnancy, but the old adage about eating for two is incorrect. In fact, gaining too much weight during pregnancy is unhealthy for both you and your baby, increasing the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes.
Excess pounds also increase the strain on your pelvic organs. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces that strain and supports healthy pelvic floor function. Our team can help you understand how much weight gain to expect, and can also recommend a healthy diet that enables you to manage your weight more effectively.
Straining during bowel movements puts a lot of extra pressure on your pelvic floor. Unfortunately, constipation tends to be common during pregnancy, thanks in part to hormonal fluctuations.
Eating more fiber and drinking plenty of water are two simple ways to improve bowel function. Depending on your needs, we may recommend a fiber supplement or stool softeners. Avoid over-the-counter (OTC) products unless our team specifically recommends them.
Pregnancy can definitely be a time of stress, and that means your muscles — including your pelvic floor muscles — are subjected to additional tension and strain. Try incorporating stress management activities into your daily routine. Yoga, meditation, massage, and deep-breathing exercises are all helpful for relieving stress, benefiting your pelvic floor and your overall wellness.
Heavy lifting engages your core and your pelvic floor muscles. During pregnancy, those muscles are already strained, and the added strain of lifting could cause permanent damage. Avoid heavy lifting whenever possible, and when you must lift an object (or another child), bend at the knees and use your leg muscles to take on the brunt of the strain.
Childbirth classes offer plenty of tips to help guide you through labor and delivery with a focus not only on managing pain, but on helping you relax and control your pelvic floor. Prenatal yoga classes can be beneficial, too, employing special stretches designed specifically to support you during labor, delivery, and recovery.
Pregnancy is a major life event, and it’s a major change for your body. To learn what else you can do to support a healthy pregnancy and delivery experience, call 812-490-5200 or book an appointment online with the practice of Paul W. Morrison, M.D., in Newburgh, Indiana, today.
