Why would I need Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy before having a baby?

Congrats on your pregnancy! Now it's time to grow a baby, compare their size to vegetables, and... take care of your pelvis! Did you know that participating in pelvic PT can greatly impact your delivery outcomes? Let’s talk about it!

Starting pelvic PT during a pregnancy is one of the best things you can do for your body during pregnancy. Oftentimes, we don't know what "normal" is, because the truth is that every pregnancy is different, and every pregnant person is going to have an entirely unique experience.

This depends on your overall health, your activity level prior to pregnancy, your body’s requirements from day-to-day, if you have had other children or pregnancies... the list could go on and on!

Pelvic PT can help you learn what "normal" is and help to mitigate any problems or discomfort that arise throughout your pregnancy. Studies show that pelvic PT during pregnancy can result is a significant reduction of the second stage of labor, or the pushing phase. This is good news, as longer pushing times are correlated with increased risk for prolapse, incontinence, and tearing.

Studies also find that pelvic PT reduced the rate of urinary leakage during and after pregnancy, and that perineal massage resulted in less perineal pain during labor and delivery.

Your pelvic floor muscles need to be strong and supportive during a pregnancy, but also need to be able to get out of the way and stretch while you are pushing so baby has a smooth exit!

There’s so much we can do during a pregnancy that will set you up for success during delivery and postpartum. I love to see pregnant people as early as possible to talk about exercises that are going to be helpful for your pelvic floor, core, back, glutes, and hips, that are specific to them!

For example, working in the warehouse lifting boxes and working at an office are going to have very different requirements on your body.

Later in your pregnancy, we can talk about how to lengthen your pelvic floor, go over the best ways to labor and push, and how to care for your body after having your little one.

I’m so excited to work with you to help your through this time of transition! I have so much more to share about how pelvic PT can help with your pregnancy! Call or send me a message to see if Breeze would be a good fit for you!