Take care of your pelvic floor: how to combat the five most common postpartum disorders

Until relatively recently, the pelvic floor was a great unknown. Luckily, today women begin to realize the importance of keeping these muscles toned, especially during the postpartum period, which is when they become more weakened.

An expert explains to us What are the five most frequent disorders after childbirth, related to the pelvic floor, and how to combat them.

¿Why is it so important?

The set of muscles and ligaments that close the abdominal cavity in its lower part is known as the pelvic floor.

It has the function of holding the pelvic organs (bladder and urethra, uterus, vagina and rectum) in proper position, so that they function properly.

A strong and toned pelvic floor in pregnancy helps to correctly control the urinary and anal sphincter, in addition to supporting the extra weight of the baby, and helping to push it through the vagina at the time of delivery.

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But in addition to pregnancy, there are other causes that cause their lack of tonicity: obesity, chronic constipation, continued practice of impact sports, vaginal surgeries, hormonal changes of menopause or advanced age.

But its function will also be fundamental during postpartum and throughout life, avoiding very important discomforts and dysfunctions.

The five problems associated with the pelvic floor

Sara Cañamero, matron of the MaterNatal center and a partner of Suavinex in women's health, explains what problems are more common in her postpartum consultation.

  • Pain in the pelvic area. If it does not respond to anti-inflammatory treatment or goes beyond the first two 'logical' weeks that the episiotomy or tear needs to be cured, it is pathological and the cause must be sought.

  • Urinary incontinence The weight that the pelvic floor has had to support during pregnancy may have weakened the muscles, causing urine drops to escape involuntarily in the face of certain efforts. This situation usually disappears five or six weeks after giving birth, but it is advisable to consult with a midwife or a physiotherapist specialized in pelvic floor, so that they value it, and give us guidelines to strengthen it and avoid losses.

  • Painful sexual intercourse If there is pain during penetration, a symptom known as coitalgia, it is advisable to go to a consultation, because if it is treated early it can be resolved in a short time. But if it becomes chronic, it can lead to painful intercourse forever or unpleasant sexual intercourse.

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  • Prolapses The sensation of weight that some women feel in the vagina is due to the fact that the pelvic floor muscles are so weak that they are not able to fulfill one of their most important functions: that of supporting the organs that are inside and above the pelvic cavity

There are different degrees of vaginal prolapse, depending on the severity: from one to four, one and two being mild and moderate, requiring rehabilitation; and three and four, serious, and need surgery to be treated.

  • Diastasis The rectus abdominis extend during pregnancy to make room for the baby.

In the postpartum period, two out of three women who have already had more than one child suffer from a non-physiological diastasis, which does not respond to diet or exercise, and causes a displacement of internal organs.

This causes the weakness of the pelvic floor may be accompanied by certain discomfort in the lower back, heavy digestions ...

If nothing is done to correct it, the diastasis can last over time, so it is appropriate to go to a specialist to recover, since the same pelvic floor strengthening exercises do not work. In fact, Classic abs can even make it worse.

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Expert treatment

To avoid any type of pelvic floor of this type, Sara Cañamero advises:

  • Go to the trusted specialist, doctor or midwife, six weeks after giving birth.

  • Do not settle for the pains or consider them as 'normal'.

  • Enjoy motherhood.

Even women who have given birth by caesarean section should check their pelvic floor, because the problems in this area are not exclusive to vaginal delivery.

It will be the specialist who determines the most appropriate treatment for the recent mother, according to her problem.

Surely, two of the measures to strengthen in the immediate postpartum, will go through Kegel exercises and hypopressive abdominal gymnastics, which also helps with contractions of the uterus, tone the abdomen, and reduce the gut.

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Later, there are other therapies that also help, such as the practice of certain yoga and pilates exercises, and other therapeutic tools, such as cones or Chinese balls, very useful for strengthening.

The expert insists that "The discomfort of the pelvic floor is usually one of the most frequent consultations of women who have given birth." Therefore, the role of midwives is very important in providing rigorous information, care guidelines, recommendations and demystifying established beliefs regarding female sexual and reproductive health at this stage.

Photos | iStock

Video: Pelvic Floor Safe Core Exercises. Physio Safe Core Exercises Video (March 2024).