Maintaining good pelvic floor health during pregnancy is crucial for a healthy pregnancy and delivery.
Pregnancy can put significant stress on the pelvic floor muscles, leading to problems such as incontinence, pelvic pain, and difficulty during labour and delivery. In this blog post, we will discuss four reasons why seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist during pregnancy can help you have a healthier, more comfortable pregnancy and better birth outcomes!
Prevents Pelvic Floor Problems
Research has shown that a small levator hiatus size, which indicates pelvic floor tightness, can lead to poorer outcomes during labour and an increased risk of intervention. A study by Siafarikas et al. (2014) found that women with a smaller levator hiatus size had a higher incidence of instrumental delivery and severe perineal trauma. Another study by Youssef et al. (2020) found that pelvic floor muscle relaxation during the second stage of labour was associated with a higher likelihood of vaginal delivery without instrumental assistance. A pelvic floor physiotherapist can teach you how to properly relax your pelvic floor muscles in preparation for birth, which may lead to a smoother delivery and fewer complications.
Reduces the Risk of Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is a common problem during and after pregnancy. A study by Nygaard et al. (2019) found that pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy reduced the risk of incontinence at six months postpartum. A pelvic floor physiotherapist can teach you how to do pelvic floor exercises correctly and create a personalised exercise program to help you maintain good pelvic floor muscle tone during pregnancy and after delivery.
Shortens Labour
Who doesn’t want a shorter labour? Research has also shown that doing pelvic floor muscle exercises during pregnancy can help shorten the length of labour. A study by Sobhgol et al. (2020) found that antenatal pelvic floor muscle exercises may be effective at shortening the duration of the second stage of labour.
Improves Postpartum Recovery
A pelvic floor physiotherapist can help you recover from childbirth and prevent long-term pelvic floor problems. They can provide guidance on how to safely return to exercise after birth, prevent prolapse and heal ab separation!
In conclusion, seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist during pregnancy can help prevent pelvic floor problems, reduce the risk of incontinence, shorten labour, and improve labour outcomes.
With the help of a pelvic floor physiotherapist, you can maintain good pelvic floor health and enjoy a healthy pregnancy and positive birth. If you want to get in touch with a physiotherapist, click here.