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Pregnancy is an incredible journey, marked by anticipation, change, and the joy of preparing for a new life. As you prepare for your baby's arrival, it’s easy to focus on the big things—setting up the nursery, attending prenatal classes, and planning for labor. It’s also easy to get lost in much of the fear-mongering content out there such as advice that’s confusing and myths.
However, at Pelvic Connections we want you to know our staff and pelvic floor therapy techniques can support you through this major life event and body event. We’ve put together how pelvic floor therapy can offer significant benefits throughout your pregnancy and help pave the way for a more comfortable and empowered birthing experience.
Preparing Your Body
Preparing Your Body
One of the primary benefits of pelvic floor therapy is strengthening crucial muscles such as the Transverse Abdominis and Multifidi. A pelvic floor therapist can guide you through exercises specifically designed to enhance muscle tone and endurance. A strong and connected pelvis can:
Support your growing baby's physical and emotional weight: By performing pelvic floor and core relaxation and activation exercises, we hope to increase your confidence in your bodily, mental, and emotional abilities to go through labor.
Improve posture: A strong Transverse Abdominis (TA) and multifidus support your spine on a deep, supportive layer and reduces the likelihood of back pain and leaking/incontinence. Having a great mind-body relationship to these muscles will majorly assist you even post-partum for functional tasks such as folding laundry, carrying your baby, putting away groceries, and more.
Facilitate a more effective pushing phase: When many people are kegeling away, they forget the most important part of vaginal deliveries is learning to lengthen and relax the pelvic floor musculature (opposite of a kegel!) to decrease likelihood of perineal tearing and to decrease the pushing stage of labor! In addition, we teach different positions for birth to increase the efficiency of your pushes.
Enhancing Muscle Coordination
Enhancing Muscle Coordination
It's not just about strength; coordination is equally (if not more) important. Pelvic floor therapy teaches you how to properly engage and relax these muscles so you can stay connected to your body pre and post birth. Many people use their butt or legs to kegel while unaware this is not the pelvic floor! Being able to effectively contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles helps:
Control your pushing efforts: Proper technique can make your pushing more efficient, less tiring, and decrease the pushing stage of labor.
Reduce the risk of tearing: Coordinated muscle control helps manage the delivery process, reducing the likelihood of perineal tears.
Alleviating Discomfort
Alleviating Discomfort
Pregnancy often brings with it a range of discomforts, from lower back pain to chance of tearing. Pelvic floor therapy can address these issues by:
Providing targeted exercises: These exercises can relieve pressure on your lower back, S.I joints, pelvic outlet, and pelvic inlet (depending on stage of labor and the individual)
Help engage your partner with action: We encourage your partner to attend at least one of your visits with us to practice how they can have an active and informed role in your pregnancy, labor, and delivery rather than being apart of the audience.
Offering pain management techniques: Techniques like use of E-stim for pain during contractions, breathing techniques, partnered assisted pelvic stabilization techniques all can help the birthing experience.
Myth vs. Fact
Myth vs. Fact
Pelvic floor therapy offers invaluable, empowering, and holistic support as you prepare for childbirth. Pelvic Connections is here to help you set the stage for a smoother labor and recovery. If you're expecting, planning to be, or recently gave birth, consider incorporating pelvic floor therapy into your pre and postnatal care routine. It could make a significant difference in your quality of life as you prepare for the incredible journey ahead!
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