The Postpartum Pelvis
The postpartum pelvis is a monumental time in a womb-having person’s life. For one— the transition between maiden to motherhood is an energetically strong one. For the person who is making this process and transition happen, it can feel like an entire rebirth of a persona. The focus of the pregnant body is to get the baby to full delivery, often sacrificing much of the “normal” things we know and love— such as good posture, proper body mechanics, and overall self-care. It all takes a back seat when it comes to growing a small human. Now, that the birthing process has occurred, there are even more changes within the pelvis that we have to take in to account!
The type of birth that your body has gone through will change the healing process. Childbirth can take many shapes and forms but for the ease of conversation, we will break it down in to two categories – vaginal birth and belly birth.
Vaginal Birth is a beautiful thing, if it works out for you. Sometimes labor is long, sometimes fast. There are different events and factors that happen during birth such as a episiotomy (where the doctor will actually make an incision in the pelvic floor itself to attempt to help bring the baby earth-side quicker and then stitch you up,) birthing positions, and various pelvic changes that can leave you with pain and discomfort, afterward.
Belly Birth (AKA Caesarian Section) is an ABDOMINAL surgery— often times new mamas aren’t told about how long this will take or realize that this doesn’t change the fact that their pelvic floor has still had the pressure of a bowling ball-sized baby pressing on it, slowly, for 9 months. Often times after a belly birth, mom is left with a scar that she needs to manage, while also being unable to get up and move around as quickly as she previously expected, (hello sore abdominals!) A pelvic floor therapist can help manage this abdominal surgery, work with your scar, and help you learn how your body has been affected by birth!
Regardless of how your baby arrived earth-side, it’s important to address the symptoms that result from the changes in the body while you created and grew a new human inside of you! Several things you may notice postpartum that a Pelvic Floor Therapist can help you with are: pelvic pain— whether from a scar, just the pressure in your pelvis, or some low back pain that began during pregnancy and/or after delivery, urinary leakage (see previous lecture for more info specifically on that,) issues with caring for your child due to the new body you’ve been blessed with (hello, I can’t get my core to turn on, and I have a weird new pooch,) or my favorite “my husband says I walk with a waddle since I’ve been pregnant” – all of this can be helped by a pelvic floor physical therapist!
Another quick thing – protecting your pelvic floor while caring for your baby is so important! You have some healing tissue in your abdominal wall AND your pelvic floor muscles. Being able to know how to coordinate the muscles of your pelvis, your abdominals, and use your breath to care for your baby is so important to prevent getting that “pain in the neck” while feeding or lifting your baby.
Postpartum care is a vital (and often-missed) aspect of health care. Mamas of all ages and stages need help from more than just childcare. A physical therapist specialized in these aspects of the pelvic floor will be able to assess the function of the body, look at what needs balancing, and, in turn, be able to assist mama with the best postpartum care available!