Table of Contents
Congratulations new mommy! You’ve given birth to a sweet little bundle of joy after nine long months. Finally, you’ve made it through all the stages of pregnancy, labour and childbirth. However, the pelvis is still hurting. Isn’t it? Yes! It’s natural.
Pelvis Changes During Pregnancy
The pelvis comprises the hip bones, the tailbone, and a triangular bone below the spine. During pregnancy, due to hormonal changes, the pelvis tilts, the pelvic girdle hurts and the baby dropping can give you pelvic pain.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction After Childbirth and Treatment Options
The pelvic floor may not feel that strong after your baby’s birth. Pelvic pain may be common, but every new mommy may come across other pelvic complications which can include the following:
Urinary Incontinence After Childbirth
The sphincter muscle located below the bladder helps control urine flow, which can be affected during and after pregnancy due to hormonal and physical changes. As the baby grows inside you during pregnancy, the uterus expands and the baby’s growth exerts a lot of pressure on the bladder. Even if you sneeze, cough, laugh or exercise you may leak without you knowing about it. Along with this, your age and weight are some of the big factors behind pregnancy incontinence. After childbirth also the problem of incontinence continues. The baby’s delivery leaves the pelvic floor muscles weak. This problem can further give rise to an overactive bladder.
Treatment For Urinary Incontinence
Try doing at least 10 Kegels in the morning, afternoon and night. Well! If the bladder problems persist 6 weeks after the delivery of your baby, visit the healthcare practitioner immediately.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Pelvic organ prolapse ( POP) takes place when more than one muscle in the pelvic organs – bowel, bladder, uterus or vagina becomes weak or damaged and descends into the vagina. Prolapse may not be a life-threatening condition but it may cause discomfort to you.
Treatment for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
The good news is that pelvic organ prolapse can improve with time. Bring it up to your healthcare practitioner the moment it starts showing symptoms of pressure in the pelvic area, leaky urine, lower back pain or constipation. Treatment of prolapse is based on its severity. Surgery and medication may be an option. Also including postpartum activities can be a way of treating it.
Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)
As the new mom copes with physical and emotional changes in her body and mind, pelvic girdle pain is something she might have to deal with. Around 1 in 4 women undergo pelvic pain after 3 months of her delivery due to perineal or vaginal tears, stress on the pubic bone, muscle weakness as well as pelvic organ prolapse.
Treatment For Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)
Practice deep breathing, meditation, yoga and Kegels. Alternately, you can use intravaginal tampon-like devices to make you feel relieved from stress and tension and to support the muscles within.
Perineal Pain
Perineal pain after childbirth is a common issue that can arise from natural tears or pelvic floor dysfunction. As per studies, 42% of new mommies within the first 2 weeks can face this condition, but the level of discomfort and the duration it persists can greatly differ from one new mom to another.
Treatment For Perineal Pain
Apply ice in the area for 10 or 20 minutes. Find relief through a sitz bath. Spray warm water over the area. Wear loose-fitting clothes. Include more fiber in your regular postpartum diet.
Broken Tailbone
The tailbone or coccyx is situated at the bottom of the birth canal. As the baby’s head directly meets the tailbone from the birth canal, it might at times, give rise to dislocation, fracture or bruising. In this condition, you might also feel chronic pain and a significant problem in movement.
Treatment of Broken Tailbone
Physiotherapy can surely be effective in this condition, with this, certain pelvic floor exercises – lying on the tummy, side or sitting in an adequate position can help you deal with the pain. Breathing exercises can also help you get some relief from the broken tailbone pain.
Six months after you’ve delivered your baby, your muscles and tissues are remodelled. As a result of hormonal changes during the postpartum period, the pelvic floor muscles and tissues undergo a lot of changes. Apart from the treatment options mentioned above for different kinds of postpartum complications, you can go for a postpartum massage and see a pelvic floor physical therapist.