Pelvic Floor Health: How to prevent incontinence during pregnancy and after childbirth
Pregnancy and childbirth are transformative experiences, but – as we know – they come with their own set of challenges, and one that many women face is incontinence. At The Positive Birth Company, we believe in empowering you with knowledge and support. In honour of World Continence Week, with the help from the experts at Elvie, we’re shining a light on pelvic floor health, focusing on incontinence during and after pregnancy, and exploring effective treatments that can help.
What is your pelvic floor?
What is pelvic floor dysfunction and incontinence?
How common are these issues?
When does pregnancy incontinence start?
Why does it happen?
What can you do?
Firstly, WTF is your pelvic floor?
Your pelvic floor is a powerful layer of muscles that sits like a hammock between your tailbone and pubic bone, supporting your pelvic organs such as your bladder and uterus. It plays an important role in core stability, bladder control, postnatal recovery, and even sex.
Your pelvic floor muscles act as a support structure within your body. If your pelvic floor muscles are not strong enough, they’re unable to tighten and relax as they should. This can lead to pelvic floor issues such as urinary incontinence.
What is pelvic floor dysfunction or incontinence?
The pelvic floor muscles are muscles in the bottom of your body (which can weaken during pregnancy or become strained during childbirth) that support what we call the “pelvic organs”. Pelvic floor dysfunction is aptly described as “the inability to correctly relax and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles to urinate or have a bowel movement”.
How common are pelvic floor issues?
Pelvic floor dysfunction is surprisingly common, affecting one in three women and up to 70% of expectant and new mums. Following childbirth, most people will regain strength in their pelvic floor muscles within a couple of months, but for some, pelvic floor weakness can persist for months or even years.
Most importantly - if you are dealing with pelvic floor dysfunction or incontinence, rest assured you’re not the only one and it is totally normal. And the best bit? It’s treatable.
When does pregnancy incontinence start?
Incontinence can start at any point during pregnancy, but it’s most common in the second and third trimesters, and very common post birth. As your baby grows, the pressure on your bladder increases, which can lead to those unexpected leaks, especially when you’re laughing, sneezing, or coughing. These muscles are also strained during childbirth making postpartum incontinence very common.
Childbirth can really take a toll on your pelvic floor muscles. Whether you have a vaginal delivery or a C-section, the muscles and tissues can become stretched and weakened, leading to leaks when you’re active or even just going about your day.
Why does it happen?
Many assume most pelvic floor issues come from vaginal birth, but being pregnant itself can weaken your pelvic floor muscles. The main reason for incontinence during pregnancy is the increased pressure from your growing uterus and weight of your baby on your bladder. Hormonal changes also play a part, as they can relax the pelvic floor muscles, making it harder to control urine flow. Additionally, the weight of your baby can strain your pelvic floor muscles, weakening them over time.
What can you do about it?
The good news is that pregnancy and postpartum incontinence is often temporary and can be managed with the right approach. Keeping your pelvic floor strong is key to managing incontinence. Regular pelvic floor exercises, or Kegels, can help. Check out our training guide here.
If you're pregnant, get ahead of the game and start doing pelvic floor exercises straight away to help lower your risk of experiencing incontinence after you have your baby.
For an extra boost, the Elvie Trainer is a fantastic tool that helps ensure you’re doing your exercises correctly and consistently. It’s like having a personal trainer for your pelvic floor!
Remember to listen to your body and give it time to heal. Avoid heavy lifting and high-impact activities until you feel ready. Consulting a pelvic floor specialist can also provide personalised guidance and support.
Take charge of your pelvic floor with Elvie Trainer
Understanding and addressing your pelvic floor health is an important part of your journey through pregnancy and into motherhood. By staying informed and proactive, you can manage and even prevent incontinence, ensuring a more comfortable and confident experience. With 1 in every 3 women experiencing pelvic floor problems during their lifetime, the award-winning Elvie Trainer is a fun yet highly-effective tool for building pelvic floor strength, helping you get to the core of any issues you might be facing.
Elvie Trainer uses something called biofeedback to measure your pelvic floor movements in real-time and lets you know when you’re not getting it quite right, enabling you to master your technique and get the most out of your Kegel workouts.
Help us break the taboo!
At The Positive Birth Company and with the experts at Elvie, this World Continence Week, let’s break the stigma around incontinence and empower ourselves with knowledge and tools for better pelvic health. Let’s be open, speak to each other and be proactive in supporting our pelvic floor health and each other! It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
