Here is the most common thing that I hear pregnant people tell me about their pelvic floor. “ I have been doing my kegals so I’m fine there.” No. No you are not fine. The biggest thing that you can do for your body and your baby is understand the physiology of birth and their body. Kegals are not enough. We need to understand the impact of exercise on pregnancy, what works and what doesn’t. Here’s a little secret. Breathwork. Diet. Those things also impact our pelvic floor.
A lot of people talk about the fact that after they have a baby, they pee their pants a little when they sneeze or cough. I have had client’s that mention this to their provider, and they are met with comments like, “well you just had a baby. That’s common.” Here is what I want you to know, common does not mean normal. 25% of women have pelvic floor dysfunction, and many are just accepting that. You don’t have to. The very first thing that I recommend to my clients that they work with a pelvic floor physical therapist. There is so much that they can do to help this. Here’s a list of some tips and tricks for in the mean time.
Avoid bladder irritants. Things like alcohol, chocolate, apple juice. The other thing that i suggest is that you keep a bladder journal for a few days. What we put in our body matters, and certain things irritate us, often times we just don’t pay attention.
Don’t hover over the toilet seat. If you need to put some toilet paper down on the seat, but don’t hover.
Don’t “just in case”. I think we are all taught to do this, and and it’s not great for your pelvic floor.
Simple breathwork can also help with your pelvic floor. Below are some of my favorites, but here is what I hear all the time. “This doesn’t feel like I am doing anything.” Trust me. You are. There are exercise’s that build strength, and remind our body to function properly, and that is exactly what breath work does. Here is one of my favorite’s.
Find a comfortable seated position. Posture is important here as well. This means sitting upright on your sit bones, not back on your tailbone, and keep your back straight. You can sit on the edge of a solid chair, or kneel, or sit cross legged on the floor. You can use a bolster or a cushion under your bottom for support and to help you to sit up on your sit bones. Place your hands on your ribs, breathe in, fill your lungs, and let your rib cage expand. Then exhale, emptying your lungs, while drawing your belly button gently back towards your spine. Keep your shoulders down and your neck relaxed. Your tailbone should NOT tuck under, and try to keep your butt unclenched.
Diet. This is a big one. Everything that we put in our body matters. Insert eye roll here, but hear me out. I get it, life is busy and sometimes grabbing what is most convenient is processed food. Don ‘t do it. You will feel so much better if you eat the rainbow. Diets that are high in fruits and vegetables will serve your body best. It’s hard for me too. If you need a jump start, order a two or three day meal delivery service. Once your begin to feed your body in this way, it will crave it. My personal favorite jumpstart is SAKARA. It is perfect, comes right to your door, and is a plant based diet to jumpstart your healthy eating. The best thing about it is that they also have a digital magazine called S LIFE which will help you to eat healthy after the meals are gone. It’s the answer, I swear to you.
The biggest piece of advice that I can give here is SEE A PELVIC FLOOR PHYSICAL THERAPIST. Don’t wait. Don’t assume that you just have to live with and accept some of things that we are told are common. Just remember, just because something is common, does not mean that it is normal. Your bladder ad pelvic floor will thank you.