Why should you see a pelvic floor PT BEFORE you have your baby?
Working on labor positions
There are times when I tell someone I am a pelvic floor therapist and they say, “Oh, I guess I will need you after I have my children.”
But did you know that we prefer seeing people BEFORE they have children rather than waiting until after they deliver their baby? There are several reasons for this:
We want to know what your pelvic floor is like before you have a child. It will help us know what your body is like, so that we can set goals specific to you for your post-birth phase.
If we can help your pelvic floor relax during pregnancy and teach you how to push without putting added pressure on your pelvic floor, then everyone will be happier in the end. You will actually end up needing LESS pelvic floor therapy after you have your child.
Our patients who prepare for birth beforehand end up with shorter labor times and less tearing from labor.
We know this is true because we hear it time and time again from the many wonderful midwives, doulas and OB-GYNs we work with!
Even before going into labor, your pelvic floor is doing lots of extra work supporting your pregnancy. It is very common for problems with the pelvic floor to develop during this period, and the earlier these problems are identified and treated, the better.
So, what does pre-birth pregnancy care look like at Insight? During pregnancy, we work on several things with our patients. If there is pain, pressure, or leaking during pregnancy, we address these things first. Then we assess the coordination of the pelvic floor muscles. This is done because it is so important to be able to relax during pushing. Did you know that many common pushing styles can actually cause your pelvic floor muscles to tense up when they should be relaxed? This means that you could actually be working against your body rather than with it when you are trying to push your baby out.
We also give you things that you can work on at home to help prepare you body for labor. Some of these things focus on your body’s readiness, and some of them address the position of the baby. All of this preparation gets results—people who come in regularly during their third trimester to help get their pelvic floor ready for delivery end up needing fewer postpartum visits.
So if you or anyone you know wants help achieving a pain-free and leak-free pregnancy, please reach out! We can help. If you want a copy of what Insight’s pregnancy program includes, send us a message by clicking the button below.