Pelvic floor dysfunction: let’s discuss.

I’m currently brewing baby #2, and, looking back on both of my pregnancies, I’ve realized I didn’t even know about pelvic health until I actively sought information on my own.As far as postpartum care goes, I didn’t receive any helpful information outside of “This is what postpartum hemorage symptoms are, don’t soak in a bath or have sex for 6 weeks, call 911 for chest pain, abnormal swelling or sudden splitting headaches that don’t improve with tylenol.” Which, cool, the absolute bare minimum, life endangering information was addressed. But what about general healing? What about potential short – and long-term changes to my body? Can we talk about any of the actual realities of postpartum life before being thrown to the wolves? No? Cool.Unfortunately, most people don’t know what to ask or where to look until things are already affecting them. Even worse, some are just left to assume “this is the new normal” without being informed that certain symptoms can actually be improved, if not removed, via physical therapy and such.So let’s chat about this. I’d like to know many of you actually have an OB or midwife that has mentioned changes to the pelvic floor during and post pregnancy? Is it ever brought up by them during appointments or, like me, did you have to discover what a pelvic floor was, what damage can happen to it and what questions you should ask to get the support you need to heal, all prior to the topic even being broached, if ever, by the professionals you’re entrusting with your care?What changes have you noticed if you’ve already delivered? Are you experiencing changes during your pregnancy?This gap in pre – and postnatal health is huge, and it should be openly discussed to ensure people are getting the very necessary support they need for such huge changes to their bodies.For those of you reading this that aren’t 100% sure what pelvic floor dysfunction is, it can be any of the following:Urinary issues – incontinence, urge changes (too much or too little), not fully emptying bladder when going to the restroom, and slowed stream.Bowel issues – incontinence, prolapse, constipation, incomplete evacuation, and rectoceles.Genital issues – vaginal prolapse, painful intercourseAnd I’m sure there’s more.Things that can help improve or remove some of the symptoms listed above are pelvic floor therapy and / or surgery.Just because you’ve grown and delivered a baby does not mean you have to pee yourself every time you sneeze. It doesn’t mean you are 1000% condemned to having your pelvic organs slip into your vagina. It doesn’t mean sex has to hurt forever. And it’s really important to learn this prior to these potential circumstances so you know what your options are if you ever encounter them.Lastly, I’d like to address three common misconceptions about PFD:Having a c-section does not remove the risk of all forms of dysfunction. Your pelvic floor can be altered throughout pregnancy due to the weight of the uterus and other factors, even if you don’t end up delivering through your vagina.PFD symptoms may not arrive for weeks or months after delivery. Or, they can even arrive before delivery.You don’t have to be experiencing all or most of the aforementioned symptoms to still be affected by PFD. If you’re experiencing just one of them, it’s still good to get support to heal from that symptom.Anyway, I just wanted to bring some attention to this very real experience. A fair amount of people who have birthed a baby go through this on a daily basis, and they deserve support. And if we aren’t talking about it, others will experience these things without knowing that help is out there.Sources: Post partum pelvic floor changes Ylenia Fonti, Rosalba Giordano, […], and Beatrice La RosaPelvic Floor Dysfunction – American Society of Colon and Rectal SurgeonsWHY YOU SHOULDNT IGNORE YOUR PELVIC FLOOR AFTER CHILDBIRTH. -National Association for ContinenceEvidence Based Birth Podcast – EBB 256 – Top 3 Recommendations for Preventing Pelvic Floor Dysfunction after Birth with Dr. Sarah Duvall, Founder of Core Exercise SolutionsEvidence Based Birth Podcast- EBB 155 – Pelvic Floor Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum with Dr. Juan Michelle Martin via /r/pregnant https://ift.tt/zFPd5h8