When to start pelvic floor therapy during pregnancy
If you are pregnant or planning to be, you may have heard that pelvic floor therapy can help. It can ease or even prevent common symptoms during pregnancy, like hip/back/SI joint pain, urinary incontinence/leaking, pelvic pain, diastasis, and more.
You can start pelvic therapy at any stage of pregnancy. I have many folks who see me from pre-conception, throughout their pregnancy, and then postpartum.
If you haven't tried pelvic therapy or physical therapy during pregnancy, you may be wondering when to start. Let's chat.
What is pregnancy pelvic therapy and pelvic floor therapy?
Here at Durham Pelvic, pelvic therapy is all I do. So, pregnancy pelvic therapy is a subset of pelvic health physical therapy. Simply, it's pelvic floor therapy during your pregnancy.
Read more about pelvic therapy here, but pelvic health physical therapy is a specialized subset of physical therapy. To be a pelvic floor therapist, you need special training. This training focuses on the pelvic area, which includes the pelvic floor muscles and how they work with joints and other muscles in the body.
Pregnancy physical therapy focuses on providing support during pregnancy and birth, which are a huge undertaking. You deserve support during this phase of life.
Pelvic PT sessions during pregnancy can help you avoid pain, stay strong and remain active during pregnancy, avoid unnecessary secondary effects of pregnancy (like incontinence and excessive diastasis), as well as prepare you for birth as much as possible.
When can you start pelvic therapy during pregnancy?
You can truly begin sessions with me at any time during your pregnancy.
If you’re experiencing symptoms, schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
If you are not experiencing symptoms early on, I suggest coming in early during your second trimester. This way, we have enough time to discuss any concerns from your first appointment. I can also help you as your belly grows during your pregnancy.
What symptoms can pelvic therapy help with?
Pelvic floor physical therapy can be extremely valuable during pregnancy, from early on in your first trimester all the way into your third trimester to address pregnancy-related concerns as well as avoid pregnancy-related aches and pains.
Here are some of the most common things that I treat and help my pregnant patients with:
Labor and delivery preparation: In sessions, we work to prepare the whole body, mentally and physically, for birth so that you can lower your risk for birth-related trauma. This is also a great place to ask any questions you have related to birth, what to expect, how to push, when to change positions during birth, what birth positions exist and how to use them during different stages of labor, how to utilize partner positions, how to reduce the risk for birth-related trauma, and more.
Core strengthening: Strengthening the core muscles is a focus within our sessions as well as core lengthening. It is normal and expected to have some abdominal muscle separation during pregnancy to accommodate your growing baby and while your baby is growing, we can work together to ensure that you maintain optimal strength and coordination of the abdominal muscles so that you can have an optimal recovery after birth.
Leaking: It’s very common to leak with increased pressure (the baby!) on top of your pelvic area. The good news: you don’t have to deal with leaking throughout your pregnancy. We can go over strategies to mitigate this, which will also help you postpartum.
Pelvic floor muscle relaxation: We work a lot on relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles. This helps prepare your pelvic floor for birth; we need the muscles to relax and lengthen during the birth process, rather than being bound up and tight so that the baby can pass through the birth canal with ease, rather than fighting against tight muscles. When the pelvic floor is able to relax, there is a lower risk for birth-related trauma. Since strengthening of the pelvic floor is typically well-known, it’s important to note that all of the kegels in the world won't help you push the baby out, but in sessions, we will go over what will help with those pushes during birth. These pelvic floor exercises are, in my opinion, essential to have and know.
Breathing for birth: We’ll cover breathing strategies to use during birth that can help you have a better birth experience overall as well as help with pelvic floor muscle relaxation.
Common diagnoses during pregnancy: Pain during pregnancy (back pain, hip pain, SI joint pain, etc.), leaking/urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, diastasis, and more.
Strengthening in general: Safe strengthening is a must. We will go over lifting, carrying, exercise guidelines, and more so that you’re prepared to do any necessary tasks after birth as you are able. We will also cover typical fitness-related questions, such as “can I do XYZ type of exercise or exercise class while pregnant” and anything else you want to cover.
Preparing for postpartum recovery: Carrying baby and birthing the baby are just two parts of this experience. Pregnant women often wonder what the postpartum period is going to look and feel like and I would love to help you prepare as much as possible.
Where to find pregnancy PT and pelvic therapy in Durham NC
If you’re local to Durham, NC or the surrounding areas, I’d highly recommend making an appointment so we can get started with pelvic therapy and/or plan your pregnancy PT visits!
I’d love to help you have a pregnancy that is comfortable and work with you so you can feel confident, prepared, and ready to tackle everything that comes with this season of life.
You can reach out by completing a contact form here, scheduling a complimentary discovery call here, or by clicking the button below.
