How to Restore Pelvic Floor

Today I am going to share with you all about your pelvic floor, the effects that pregnancy has on your pelvic floor and why you need to exercise this important muscle to reduce postpartum ailments such as prolapse, leaking urine, low back pain.

What is your Pelvic Floor?

Everyone has a pelvic floor. Males AND females. This article however, we will focus on the female anatomy of the pelvic floor. Your pelvic floor muscles are the muscles that make up the area around your vagina and anus. If you make the shape of a triangle with your thumbs and index fingers and place it between your legs; that is your pelvic floor. It is responsible for controlling your bladder & bowel movements as well as supporting you the weight of your baby during pregnancy, birth and sexual pleasure. 

What people do NOT realize is that your pelvic floor is the connected to your inner most core muscle, the transverse abdominus(TVA). Which makes your pelvic floor part of your core, weird right? Shown below is a side visual of your pelvic floor and how it is connected to your TVA and how those muscles work together to support your breathing. We will go into more detail in a bit on that.

Why is your Pelvic Floor Important During Pregnancy & Postpartum?

Your pelvic floor is an important muscle during pregnancy and beyond because it is the base muscle of your core unit. Your core unit is made of your pelvic floor, transversus abdominus, diaphragm & the multifidus(see image above).  Most individuals are not even aware what their pelvic floor is and the most shocking part, it is working to support your body 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! 

It provides SUPPORT, like a hammock for your bladder, colon, rectum, vagina, cervix and uterus. It provides STABILIZATION for your hips and core unit while working together with core unit to allow you to walk, run, jump, skip and MOVE. It provides MAINTENANCE and allows you to pee and poop when you need to and you do NOT need too. It also provides sexual sensation for you and your partner. As this PT therapists states, just as Goldilocks did not want her porridge too hot or too cold, you do not want a pelvic floor that is too tight or weak. Because all of those things we mentioned above are going to malfunction otherwise!

During pregnancy it supports the weight of the baby, during labor and birth it allows the baby to pass through. If your pelvic floor is too tight during this time it can lead to tears which increases recovery time during the postpartum period.

How to exercise your pelvic floor.

Many professionals, even OB doctors tell their pregnant patients to just do kegels to keep that muscle strong. The issue is this is only half right.  Kegels are an important part of the equation but they should not be the ONLY thing you do to increase your pelvic floor strength. Let’s just say doing them by themselves; does more harm than good. Arnold Kegel, a gynecologist started the ‘kegel’ trend back in the 1940’s, it was a wonderful thought yet he left out many missing parts. When you just do a kegel with no regulation to your inner core; this will cause pressure within your core in the wrong areas. Think of a toothpaste tube being squeezed right in the middle; the paste either explodes out the top or the side, that is what happens to your body when you do a isolated, incorrect kegel. Maybe not as dramatic but internal discomfort does take place. 

 Remember I mentioned that your pelvic floor is part of your core unit? Yeah, well your pelvic floor needs to work in unison with the rest of those 4 muscles within your core unit in order to do it’s job properly, including the kegel.

Check out this video where I walk you through two steps to find your pelvic floor in order to restore your pelvic floor.  

What are signs of a pelvic floor problem during pregnancy or post birth?

Common signs that indicate pelvic floor dysfunction are as follows:

• accidentally leaking urine when you exercise, laugh, cough or sneeze
• needing to get to the toilet in a hurry or not making it there in time
• constantly needing to go to the  toilet
• finding it difficult to empty your bladder or bowel (constipation)
• accidentally losing control of your bladder or bowel
• accidentally passing wind, or queefing.
• a prolapse
  • in women, this may be felt as a bulge in the vagina or a feeling of heaviness, discomfort, pulling, dragging or dropping: Important to note this may only be felt at certain times; such as after intercourse, running, jogging or exercise.
• pain in your pelvic area, lower abdomen or lower back.

What happens to the pelvic floor during pregnancy?

Due to the excess weight that is placed on your pelvic floor during pregnancy many women result in having a weakened pelvic floor after baby is born.

Many times this is joked about in our society, ‘oh you pee your pants when you sneeze now too?! Welcome to being a mom!” These may be common symptoms that 38% of women experience after pregnancy yet they are not NORMAL, and can be treated with proper rehabilitation.

Many women experience trauma to their pelvic floor during the actual labor and delivery phase of their pregnancy and are not given proper information on healing. If you experienced tearing or had to endure an episiotomy during birth PLEASE ask your doctor to refer you to a pelvic floor physical therapist so you can begin to heal properly and reduce pain down the road.

How can I strengthen my pelvic floor postpartum?

You can strengthen your pelvic floor in three steps: 

 

1. The first step is to understand the purpose of your pelvic floor and how to activate. The BEST way to do this is to go see a therapist who can tell you if you are or not. If you are like me and want to know right now if you are activating it correctly, you can take a deep breath in, relax and lengthen, as you exhale pretend you are sucking a straw with your vagina as you bring in those 4 corner muscles around your vagina and rectum. You do not want to clench your but muscles or tense your shoulders.
2. Once you have played around with that you then need to turn attention to your breathing. Are you breathing through your diaphragm properly utilizing your entire core unit? Remember I said your pelvic floor is the base of your core unit. See the visual below to help you understand and read this post on breathing through your diaphragm. 
3. Practicing proper breathing will align all your bodily systems and help reduce stress. Understanding how to contract, relax and lengthen your pelvic floor takes practice;  it is a mind/body connection and does not happen overnight!

Constantly holding your pelvic floor will result in it becoming too tight as would any muscle you contract all day long. Think of your bicep muscle; if you are constantly holding a flex in this muscle how tired, sore and tight would that bicep become?! Your pelvic floor is no different! It is a muscle that needs to part of the equation YES but holding a kegel all day long is also not the answer. You can check out a video here where I share some exercises! 

In Conclusion:

As a woman understanding your pelvic floor, and what it provides for you is essential. Your pelvic floor muscles are the muscles that make up the area around your vagina and anus.Your pelvic floor is an important muscle because it is the basis of your core unit. Understanding how to strengthen and relax your pelvic floor is essential for full body functioning specifically during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The first step in finding your pelvic floor is to focus on your breath.

Be sure to snag your PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM JOURNALS  to prepare for a healthy pregnancy and faster postpartum recovery

If you are struggling with any of the issues mentioned above please do not be embarrassed to reach out to a professional and ask for help. I know so many women that have suffered far too long with these issues and it should not be this way! Our bodies are truly amazing and in order to feel our best we must understand all the pieces and parts!