Having a Baby? Information You Should Know about Pelvic Floor Prolapse
Posted on: 8 July 2015
Having a baby is a joyous time in your life, but it can also cause problems with your health. One problem that you may have is pelvic floor prolapse. Below is some information about this disorder, as well as what you can do to treat it.
Pelvic Floor Prolapse
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that are located in the pelvis that support the bowel, bladder, and uterus in women. The muscles help control pressure inside the abdomen when you are putting force on these muscles, such as when straining during childbirth and bowel movements.
While a woman is having her baby, these muscles can weaken and/or stretch out, which can lead to pelvic floor prolapse. Some common symptoms of having pelvic floor prolapse include the following:
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Urine leakage while sneezing, coughing, exercising, or laughing
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Constant need to urinate
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Gas
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Heaviness in the vaginal area
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Painful sex
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Pain in the pelvic area
If you have any of these symptoms, make an appointment with your gynecologist.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises
If you have this disorder, your doctor may suggest doing some pelvic floor exercises. You can start doing these exercises at home first to see if they will work. Some of the exercises you can do include these:
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Squeeze your vaginal muscles like you would to stop yourself from urinating. Hold the squeeze for a few seconds and release. Repeat this exercise a few times every day.
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Squeeze and lift your vagina and rectum at the same time. Hold it for a few seconds and then relax. Do this exercises a few times each day.
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Insert your finger into your vagina and squeeze your vaginal muscles. You should feel the muscles tighten around your finger. Hold for a few seconds and then repeat for a few times.
Continue doing these exercises for the next few weeks to see if you notice a difference. If you do not notice any change, then you should see your doctor. He or she can get you in touch with a continence nurse or a physiotherapist, such as Women's Health Associate - Gilbert A Shamas MD, to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly. The nurse or physiotherapist may also have other exercises you can do to strengthen up these muscles. If you continue to have weak muscles, the doctor may suggest surgery to strengthen them up.
Start exercises as soon as you can after you give birth to your baby. This will help you progress faster, as the muscles can become more weakened over time.
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