Benefits of Pelvic Floor Therapy In Pregnancy
Prenatal Pelvic Floor Therapy At Root To Rise Physical Therapy & Pelvic Health
We are seeing a lot more awareness in the world of perinatal care about the benefits of receiving pelvic floor therapy during pregnancy. We have even had more people over the past few years reach out to us to book pelvic floor therapy appointments purely because they are planning a pregnancy or just had found out they were pregnant. Gone are the days of “just wait until after you’ve had the baby to address a problem if it comes up.” And we sure are so here for it.
There are countless benefits to beginning your pregnancy journey with a trusted pelvic floor therapist on your team.
Here are just a few of the benefits of prenatal pelvic floor therapy:
Establishing a baseline. Our bodies don’t come into pregnancy from a clean slate. Our movement and postural patterns, past injuries, muscle tension or weakness, bladder and bowel habits, and so much more that we bring with us into pregnancy become part of the picture during pregnancy as well. The earlier you are in your journey, the sooner we can establish your baseline, assess and address any non-optimal findings and set your body and your routines up for success.
Developing a relationship with your pelvic health team prior to postpartum. This can be a game changer. Pelvic floor therapy can feel intimate and vulnerable and there may be many new things you are learning along the way. It can be wonderful to get to know your therapist and the practice before you have a newborn feeling exhausted from childbirth and adjusting to your new life as a parent. Prenatal pelvic floor therapy sets the ball in motion sooner and you’ll feel much better being familiar with the process already. It will be one less thing that is brand new during such a transitional time of newly postpartum.
Support in staying active and symptom free. Our bodies change drastically throughout pregnancy and it’s common to experience decreased ability to continue to participate in activities or exercises that you love to do. It’s also common to experience symptoms of musculoskeletal pain, pelvic pain, bladder and bowel symptoms such as leaking, incomplete emptying, vaginal pressure, constipation and more. If and when these things come up for you, your pelvic floor therapist can address them right away and help to improve and often eliminate your activity limitations and symptoms during pregnancy. This allows you to have a happier and healthier pregnancy and improve your overall postpartum recovery outcomes.
Labor and delivery preparation. This is SO important and we are extremely grateful to be able to support pregnant people with manual treatment, programming and education to promote the best outcomes for birth that we can. Whether you are planning a vaginal or C-section delivery, there are so many things we work on together ahead of time to make sure you are ready for your birthing day.
At Root To Rise, we are committed to providing the most comprehensive individualized care. If you are planning a pregnancy or are currently pregnant, we would love to support you and you do not need to have symptoms to come see us and you don’t need a referral from your doctor to get started. Read more about prenatal pelvic floor therapy at Root To Rise in our Blog Post Healthy Pregnancy Programs at Root To Rise PT
If you’re interested in learning more about preparing for labor and delivery, stay tuned for our upcoming blog post, Your Pelvic Floor Therapist’s Goals for Birth Prep.
Join us for our monthly birth prep workshop called Stage 2 Of Labor, Pushing & Your Pelvic Floor with Dr. Jenn, Owner of Root To Rise Physical Therapy & Pelvic Health and Alayna Marchessault Birth Educator and Doula!
At Root to Rise Physical Therapy & Pelvic Health, we believe in a holistic approach to physical therapy. Our Doctors of Physical Therapists are specialized in treating both orthopedic and pelvic health conditions. Our practice also integrates acupuncture and yoga and we are always excited to be a resource for the community we practice in. We are located in Scarborough, Saco, and Bath, and are here to support you!
~Dr. Jenn & The Root To Rise Team
