There is nothing more exciting than being pregnant, but it can quickly become a time when aches and pains, leaks, gaps and bulges in different places can ruin the whole experience! But there are so many important preventative strategies that women can do, if only they had the knowledge! The new edition of Pelvic Floor Essentials is jammed pack full of knowledge about how to correctly exercise your pelvic floor muscles, how many exercises to do each day, what do the words mean?- the medical jargon that sounds so scary- cystocoele, rectocoele, rectus diastasis- all these terms and much more are simply explained in the Pelvic Floor Essentials book. The evidence is compelling that what we do through the pregnancy can make a difference to the outcomes for your pelvic floor, bladder and bowel function following delivery. So understanding how to correctly contract the pelvic floor muscles and how to engage the muscles prior to increases in intra-abdominal pressure is important to learn about.
I have spent the last six months of 2018 writing some new chapters for Pelvic Floor Essentials on Pregnancy, Vaginal, Caesarean births and an introduction to the evidence on factors which might help you understand which mode of delivery you might discuss with your treating health professionals.
Urinary incontinence, prolapse and bowel problems are common complicators associated with having a baby. Hormones associated with pregnancy can play havoc with the ligaments of the body, especially in the pelvic region, and also your bladder and bowel function.
Advice regarding treatment during pregnancy discusses the importance of continuing to move through the pregnancy, engaging muscles appropriately with increased pressure but relaxing abdominals, pelvic floor muscles and fixed postures at other times to decrease back and pelvic pain; a pelvic floor strengthening programme (or perhaps down training if there is evidence of tight muscles); bladder and bowel education; and advice regarding management of rectus diastasis (a over-stretching or separation of the abdominal muscles) which are all common features in pregnancy.
Here is a relevant blog on Rectus Diastasis Management