Pelvic floor training makes sense: during and after pregnancy

Pregnancy is a natural event that brings many changes to the body. Unfortunately, not all of these changes are positive. Pregnancy and child birth put a lot of stress on women's pelvic floor . This can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction and cause negative consequences such as bladder weakness, incontinence and pelvic pain. However, pelvic floor training during and after pregnancy can alleviate these symptoms and help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. 

What is the importance of the pelvic floor for your body?

The pelvic floor muscles are responsible for supporting the bladder and bowel during normal activity and also help control the flow of urine. However, if the pelvic floor muscles are weakened due to pregnancy and the birth of your child, then you may lose control over the natural emptying of your body. Faecal and urinary incontinence can be the resulting consequences.

The pelvic floor also supports our internal organs and thus supports our upright posture. If your pelvic floor muscles are weakened, this can lead to pelvic pain and pain due to poor posture. However, this pain can be alleviated or avoided through pelvic floor training. 

In this blog post you will learn what pelvic floor training is and how it can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles during and after pregnancy. The post contains information about the effects of pregnancy on the pelvic floor and how pelvic floor training can help strengthen these important muscles. Do something good for yourself and your body and avoid uncomfortable situations and pain. I hope that this article can help you to do so. 

What effects does pregnancy have on the pelvic floor?

During pregnancy, the pelvic floor changes a lot. The pelvic floor and surrounding muscles become "looser" to support the baby's development. As the baby grows, the internal organs shift to make room for the child. 

Due to the increasing weight of the child, your spine has to bear more and more weight. This increasingly restricts your mobility. The weight causes the pelvis to fall more and more into a "hollow back" position. This bad posture can cause severe back pain. 

As the pregnancy progresses, the pelvic floor muscles become "softer" and "looser", even though they have to bear more and more weight. Through this action, the pelvic floor prepares itself for the birth of the child. At the same time, more urine is produced during pregnancy due to the hormonal changes. This circumstance can overstrain the pelvic floor and there is often unwanted loss of urine, especially when coughing, sneezing or bending over. 

To strengthen your pelvic floor and avoid negative consequences such as incontinence and pain, you should therefore do exercises during and after pregnancy to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. 

How can pelvic floor training help to strengthen the weakened muscles?

With the help of pelvic floor training, you can specifically strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and alleviate and avoid negative consequences such as bladder weakness and pain. The exercises strengthen your pelvic floor and thus protect it from overstraining. The pelvic floor can therefore better master its various tasks during pregnancy through pelvic floor training and becomes more resilient.

To support your pelvic floor, you can do some exercises during pregnancy. I would like to introduce two of these exercises to you here. 

1. the bridge

2. recline

How can you train your pelvic floor after pregnancy?

It is important that you do not start exercising right after the birth. Be sure to ask your midwife or doctor for advice on when you can start pelvic floor exercises. 

There are several exercises that allow you to train your pelvic floor from home. In our blog post "Short on time? Pelvic floor exercises without spending a lot of time". you will find some exercises that you can do from the comfort of your own home to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.

Would you like to learn more about your pelvic floor and get helpful tips that you can implement in your everyday life to strengthen your pelvic floor? Then feel free to visit the Pelvic floor course in our physiotherapy practice. In this course you will learn interesting facts about the structure and the Function of the pelvic floor and I will give you helpful tips that you can implement in your daily life to improve your Pelvic floor muscles strengthen. Exercises are performed together in the group to strengthen the pelvic floor and thereby improve your quality of life. You can find out more about the pelvic floor course in the article "Weak pelvic floor? Why our pelvic floor course is the solution". 

Strengthen your pelvic floor in the long term - during and after your pregnancy

Don't just support your pelvic floor when symptoms appear, but strengthen your pelvic floor muscles preventively. Prevent the consequences of a weak pelvic floor by doing regular exercises.

Don't hesitate and don't let the joys of pregnancy be affected by weak pelvic floor muscles. Actively strengthen your pelvic floor and improve your quality of life. I will be happy to help you with this. 

Would you like to effectively strengthen your pelvic floor muscles or counteract the consequences of a weak pelvic floor? Then call our physiotherapy practice or make an appointment directly. make an appointment directly.

Yours, Asita Noachtar