How Pelvic Floor Therapy Made My Birth Experience Easy
Have you ever heard someone call birth “EASY” ??
I can say without a shred of doubt that pelvic floor physical therapy made my pregnancy pain-free and birthing easy. Thanks to pelvic floor strengthening, I also maintained full control over my bladder throughout my entire pregnancy and I never had to get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night (which meant my sleep was never disrupted by needing to pee!!!)
If you want to dodge the pregnancy aches and pains, have full control over your bladder, sleep through the night without getting up to use the bathroom, avoid perineal tearing, and return to your pre-pregnancy body quickly, then keep reading.
So here is how it all started.
When I was 12 weeks pregnant, I happened to stumble upon some articles that outlined the benefits of pelvic floor physical therapy and instantly was intrigued. That very same week I discovered one of my female colleagues was going to pelvic floor physical therapy for back pain and she raved about her experience.
As if the universe hadn’t already given me enough signs that I should seek out pelvic floor therapy, the very next week I came across an instagram post of a local friend advertising she was a pelvic floor physical therapist.
Of course, I immediately reached out to her and asked what I needed to go to get started.
At my next obGYN visit I secured a referral and began my pelvic floor therapy journey. A journey I was not at all expecting to impact me the way it did.
I began attending weekly pelvic floor therapy visits at the start of my second trimester (around week 13/14) and continued up until the week I gave birth.
Now for those of you who are wondering, “what the heck even is pelvic floor physical therapy?” it’s a form of physical training for your pelvic floor muscles to properly support your pelvic floor organs, physically support your baby, reduce urinary leakage and prepare you for birth.
Benefits of pelvic floor therapy during pregnancy:
Reduce pregnancy related pain
Improve posture
Boost sleep quality
Prevent incontinence
Smooth labor and delivery
Quick postnatal recovery
Does that not sound like everything you hope and pray for during pregnancy???
During my sessions, I would perform core and hip strengthening exercises along with pelvic floor contraction and strengthening. I learned the art of belly breathing and was introduced to my new bathroom best friend - the squatty potty. But in all seriousness, I was able to experience a pain-free pregnancy, fully control my bladder without needing to take 1000 bathroom breaks, sleep through the night, birth my baby with ease, not tear during birth, and quickly recover physically postpartum.
After roughly 25 weeks of pelvic floor therapy, I gained full control of my pelvic floor muscles and truly felt physically prepared to birth my baby, which certainly contributed to my positive birth mindset.
When I went into labor and it came time to push, I knew exactly how to activate the right muscles (it’s very easy to push incorrectly, especially when you have an epidural). I had built up enough endurance to only need to push for 30 minutes before my beautiful baby girl was born. To top it off, I didn’t tear - literally the ultimate goal!
Seriously, I had the pregnancy and birth dream experience, and I owe it to pelvic floor physical therapy.
And the benefits don’t end after baby is born.
Once pregnancy ends, you enter the postnatal recovery phase. And yes, my pelvic floor work paid off then too.
After I was cleared by the doctor to continue exercise at 6 weeks postpartum, I returned to pelvic floor therapy for a final evaluation and passed the eval with flying colors. No signs of prolapse, no signs of diastasis recti, and my pelvic floor muscles had hardly weakened.
What does that mean? I physically recovered A LOT faster than most women.
Don’t get me wrong, I indeed felt the normal soreness that every woman experiences after a vaginal birth. And of course it took some time to return to pain free sex and regain my physical endurance after resting for a month and half, but compared to most, I was THRIVING.
I want the same experience for you, too!
Pelvic floor physical therapy is a magical hidden secret that can dramatically improve your life while pregnant. I truly don’t understand how it’s not broadcasted to everyone - which is why I am here to shout it from the rooftops! Every pregnant woman needs pelvic floor physical therapy!!
The good news is, there is a TON that you can easily do at home without needing to pay for 30+ appointments and I’m here to share it with you!
So, if you want to alleviate bladder leakage, feel empowered going into labor and delivery, and quickly fit back into those favorite jeans you’ve been dying to wear for months, then I urge you to begin your pelvic floor journey!
Momma, I am so glad you are here!
To learn how you can facilitate your own pelvic floor therapy at home, allow me to meet you in your email inbox :) Not only will I share at-home exercises, pain relief strategies, and tips on how to crush your pregnancy, but I’ll also share so many goodies for breastfeeding, birth, baby care and beyond.
