TL/DR: Pelvic Floor PT is about way more than kegels or fixing your sneeze-peeing, and it’s a great service to put on your registry for birth preparation and recovery.
Pregnancy and childbirth basically takes your body and stretches it and changes it in so many ways. It’s actually pretty incredible. You’re growing a human, a whole new organ, your other organs move to get out of the way, and your pelvic floor carries the majority of the weight of the baby and an onslaught of fluids that get heavier as your pregnancy progresses.
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles, ligaments and connective tissues that connect across the pelvis, from hip to hip, and from the front of your pubic bone to your tailbone.
The pelvic floor supports the bladder, bowel, uterus and other abdominal organs– essentially if you didn’t have a pelvic floor, your organs would be susceptible to gravity and who knows where they’d end up. The pelvic floor also aids in stability, sphincteric function (aka making sure you’re not leaking any poop or pee), circulation, as well as sexual function.
Pregnancy and birth is quite the event for the pelvic floor. Plenty of moms get by with little to no focus on their pelvic floors, but most moms could really benefit from even one visit with a pelvic therapist. In most other developed countries, pelvic floor rehab is part of the pregnancy, birth and healing process. Here, not all insurance covers pelvic floor therapy, and many providers work in private practice. This is why we encourage moms-to-be to put pelvic floor pt onto their BeHerVillage registry so they can have the funds they need to prepare for and recover from pregnancy and birth.
Let’s start with this: It’s not normal to pee your pants when you sneeze.
– Even if your aunts or friends are all sneeze-peeing. Anyone who tries to convince you that peeing your pants when you sneeze or cough is a normal thing, probably needs to see a pelvic floor PT themselves. But working with a pelvic floor therapist focuses on so much more than leakage. If you have surgery or undergo any other significant physical change to your body, like a major sprain or a hip surgery, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll be receiving some sort of physical rehab. It’s crazy to think that after 9+ months of pregnancy, plus birth, pelvic floor physical therapy isn’t a requirement.
Reasons to seek out pelvic floor physical therapy
Prepping for birth:
Working with a pelvic floor physical therapist can help you get your pelvic floor ready for birth. This might mean strengthening the muscles, and it also might mean helping you learn to relax them. Pelvic floor physical therapy also includes education in breathwork and relaxation techniques which are helpful for pain management and pushing during your delivery. Here’s a blog from one of our NY based pelvic therapists on how they help in pregnancy and postpartum.
Postpartum recovery:
After birth, many women experience weakened pelvic floor muscles, or at least, they notice that things just “don’t feel the same” as they did before pregnancy. This might mean urinary incontinence, diastasis recti, prolapse, or pain during sex, exercise or day-to-day activities. Working with a pelvic floor PT will meet you where you are, work on whatever is ailing you, while focusing on your goals– whether it be to run again or just get through the day pain-free and pee-pants-free.
Pain management:
Pregnancy and birth can occasionally lead to pelvic pain, lower back pain, hip pain, and more. Pelvic floor physical therapists can address the root of the issues, and offer solutions to heal the pain and help prevent it. This may be in the form of manual manipulation, stretches, exercises, posture corrections, breathwork, or a combination. When considering “pain”-- it’s important to note that even a slight discomfort or a nagging feeling can be alleviated with the help of a pelvic floor physical therapist.
Improved sexual health:
Pelvic floor physical therapy can be beneficial in addressing issues like uncomfortable or painful intercourse. Some women have a hard time experiencing pleasure after having their baby, but working with a PT can help by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, addressing any scar tissue, and helping to increase blood flow which enhances sexual satisfaction.
C-section recovery:
A pelvic floor therapist can be really helpful even if you don’t push your baby out of your vagina. If you’re planning a cesarean or end up needing one, working with a PT can help manage pain and discomfort around your incision and help your body recover from surgery.
Better core stability:
A strong pelvic floor contributes to overall core strength. Not that we’re encouraging moms to try and get a 6-pack of abs, but having a strong core– even if it’s not visible– can improve your posture and help maintain a stronger trunk for things like carrying toddlers, getting items off of high shelves, playing on the ground, exercise, sex, etc.
Confidence returning to exercise & activities:
After having a baby, it can be hard to get back to the activities and exercise that you once loved. Working with a pelvic floor therapist can help you understand your pelvic floor, know your weaknesses and what to work on or avoid for a short while, and they can also give you the go-ahead to pursue activities that feel good for you. This might be running, swimming, lifting weights, or yoga
Why adding pelvic floor PT to your BeHerVillage baby registry is a great idea:
While you may feel a little shy about asking your friends and family to contribute funds to pay for your pelvic floor therapy, it’s going to be worth it. With our registry guide you can find the professional you want to work with and pay them when you’re ready. You don’t have to wait until after you give birth to work with your PT.
It’s actually really helpful to put a PFPT onto your registry even if you’re not experiencing any discomfort, pain, or leaking at the moment. With the BeHerVillage registry you’ll have the funds to pay for your physical therapist if and when you need them. Because the registry is so flexible, if you end up not needing a pelvic floor PT– you can go ahead and use those funds for something else!
When you add pelvic floor support to your registry you’re:
- Getting personalized care– your pelvic floor physical therapist will give you personalized care tailored to your needs and goals– what gift buyer wouldn’t want to support that.
- Taking proactive steps– including PFPT in your registry promotes proactive health measures, ensuring you receive the care you need to prevent potential issues.
- Focusing on holistic well-being– pelvic floor physical therapy emphasizes a holistic approach to postpartum recovery, addressing both physical and emotional well-being.
- Empowering yourself– when you ask for your needs to be met (even if it’s your pelvic floor’s needs) you’re gaining the tools, techniques and knowledge to feel better in your body and pursue the activities you love.
If you have a pelvic floor, consider adding pelvic floor physical therapy to your BeHerVillage registry.
And since you do have a pelvic floor, work with a professional to take good care of it so it can support you throughout your pregnancy, birth and for the rest of your life!
BeHerVillage is helping parents like you get the funds they need for the support they deserve! Are you having a baby and are looking for support? Create a registry for support today and get gifted funds directly into your bank account to pay for your support team. You deserve this.
Are you a birthworker who supports new moms? Use BeHerVillage to help your clients pay for your support. Create your free profile here and you can be the best baby shower gift a mom will ever get!