The Womens Health Rehabilitaiton Team at AAMC wanted to share some helpful information on common issues postpartum as this is a topic that is not discussed enough!
Some of the issues post-partum are urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, and core weakness, pain with intercourse,back and hip injury are common after labor and delivery; be it vaginal or C-section delivery. These issues can be mild to severe and affect many aspects of your daily life and function especially functioning totake care of the new little one. Many women go through life experiencing one or many of these issues in private post-partum however there is help via Pelvic Physical Therapy.
Incontinence is NOT normal , but it is common. Many women experience incontinence after childbirth due to damage and defect of the muscle from prolonged labor or sometimes even very quick labor. We hear it all the time from women. I pee when I sneeze or cough. A pelvic physical therapist can help you gain control of your muscles.
Pain with intercourse post-partum and while breastfeeding is common, but doesn’t have to be as thereare steps you can take to decrease pain. Breastfeeding causes fluctuations in your hormones levels and can lead to vaginal dryness and affect the tissue quality of the vagina. Tissue tearing and stretching can occur during labor and delivery which can also lead to pain with intercourse post-partum.Weakness in core muscles along with increased physical demands of being a new mom can cause backpain and injury. Diastasis recti is a common diagnosis seen after birth which is a separation of theabdominal muscles. It is also common to have pain and weakness after a C section due to surgical scaradhesions and incision into abdominals.
Pelvic, back and hip injuries are very common during child birth due to birthing positions and thedemands child birth puts on the body especially with prolonged labor and delivery process.Constipation and difficulty having a bowel movement are common after child birth due to many factorsincluding, increased need of fluid due to breastfeeding, use of pain medications, decreased fiber intact, as well as pelvic injury due to child birth.
Pelvic physical therapy is a comprehensive therapy that addresses all the needs of mommies to be aswell as new moms. Sessions are one hour long, one on one and include consultation/treatment aboutany problem(s) that you might have. We are lucky to have this amazing resource in the Annapolis Area forpostpartum moms. Check out the Pelvic PT’s at Womens Health Rehabilitation Team at AAMC.