Vaginal deliveries and the pelvic floor muscles
More than 30% of women who give birth vaginally will experience pelvic trauma that causes damage to this muscle group.
Here are a few risk factors that can also increase the likelihood of levator ani damage, such as:
- Delivery time (pushing more than 90 minutes can increase risk of damage)
- Large birth weight
- Forcep and vacuum deliveries
- Age of the mother
- Previous pelvic surgery
- Poor diet
- Smoking
How Common Are Postpartum Pelvic Floor Issues?
Pelvic-perineal dysfunctions are the most common diseases in women after pregnancy. By one estimate, 35 percent of new mothers experience urinary incontinence following childbirth, and 20 percent of first-time moms experience severe pelvic floor muscle injury after a normal pregnancy and delivery.
Treatment
After the delivery, women who had cesarean or normal delivery should seek pelvic floor physiotherapy, as it minimizes scarring, and reduces problems and discomfort, such as urinary incontinence and the return of sexual function without pain.
Prevention
Pelvic floor exercises are important for any pregnant woman, regardless of the way of delivery, until the end of pregnancy. The natural tendency of the musculature throughout the gestational period is to weaken, but with exercise, it is possible to maintain muscle function and improve them.
From 34 weeks of gestational age, perineal massage can be performed by the pregnant woman, her partner and/or the physiotherapist in order to stretch the muscles in an attempt to prevent injuries. At 37 weeks of gestational age, we start expulsion coordination training, which will be useful at the time of the baby’s birth.
Tauranga Pelvic Health Physiotherapy 