"I had a csection, so why do I need to heal my pelvic floor?"

This is a question I seem to get quite often. "I had a csection, so why do I need to heal my pelvic floor?"

During pregnancy, your pelvic floor muscles are compromised and stretched with weight of growing baby and uterus.  This can cause the pelvic floor muscles to be more lax than normal.  Changes in posture during pregnancy, also cause changes to pelvic floor muscles.  For example, standing with your butt tucked under to accommodate growing belly, can cause tightness and change in tone in your pelvic floor muscles.  This can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction (urgency, frequency, leaking of urine, pelvic pain). 

Pelvic floor muscles are also involved if you pushed prior to cesarean birth.  Also, cesarean scars can cause issues with nerve function to the pelvic floor, where you might develop pelvic pain with sex, urethral burning, or feeling of needing to pee all the time.  It is important to get the pelvic floor muscles to function properly with your “core” after birth.  See a pelvic floor physical therapist to re-train your pelvic floor muscles and core to function properly again as you care for your family at home or during an exercise routine.  

Seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist postpartum is ideal.  If you are looking for someone in your area and would like a recommendation, just let me know!!