5 Ways to Improve Your Pelvic Floor Postpartum

Days after going through labor and delivery, whether it was a vaginal or c-section delivery, can make you question what the heck is going on “down there” and what you can be doing to help assist in your pelvic floor recovery. Read below for 5 things you can safely do immediately postpartum for your pelvic floor!

1. Prioritize rest, nutrition, and hydration

Ever heard of the 5-5-5 rule?  Recommended by many midwives and something I second as pelvic floor therapist is spending the first 5 days postpartum in the bed, day 5-10 postpartum “on the bed”, and day 10-15 postpartum “near the bed”.  All of this to say it’s crucial those first 2 weeks to let you body REST.  This is not the time to try to get back to exercise or do lots of housework. It’s about prioritizing care for you and your baby.  This ensures time for your pelvic floor to recover (this is important even if you had a c-section) and for your incisions to heal whether that be from a c-section or tears that may have occurred during delivery. 

Tips on how to do this:

• Before delivery, have a friend or family member set up a “meal train” for you so its one less thing your family needs to worry about.  

• Invest in some kind of cart or basket that will have anything you might need so you can have it close to the bed. This can include snacks, extra water, pump/nursing supplies if nursing, burp clothes, diapers, wipes, etc

• Let the housework go, its ok if things get messy during this time

2. Diaphragmatic breathing

Something important to learn from a pelvic floor physical therapist prior to labor is diaphragmatic breathing (a must during pregnancy and during labor too!).  This is very different from belly breathing! When you are diaphragmatically breathing you are focusing on expanding your entire rib cage and abdominal soft tissue including your side and back ribs/muscles. When you do diaphragmatic breathing correctly your pelvic floor will gently expand as you breathe in and come back to resting as you breathe out. This gentle movement caused by your breathing helps blood flow and healing to your pelvic floor.

3. Use your breath! Exhale when picking anything up, during transfers, and pooping 

When it doubt, blow it out!  When you exhale you reduce intra-abdominal pressure and therefore pressure on your pelvic floor; this is crucial to reduce risk of prolapse and reducing strain on the pelvic floor and along a c-section incision. Picking baby up? Breathe out.  Getting up off the couch? Breathe out. Having a poop? Breathe out. 

4. Listen to your body; it will let you know if you have done too much!

Watch your postpartum bleeding and what you are feeling in your body!  If you have a day when you are standing/walking around more than normal and notice an increase in your postpartum bleeding that is an indication you are doing too much! If you feel increased pressure or soreness in your pelvic floor aka “down there”, another indication from your body you are doing too much and need to rest! Resting when you need to will help you lower risk of prolapse and other symptoms such as leakage.

5. Make an appointment to see a pelvic floor physical therapist! 

Most women will have a 6-8 week check up with their midwife or OBGYN after delivery. In most cases, this is a less than 5 minute examination of either your vulva/vaginal or c-section scar, usually then “clearing” you for sex and exercise with little to no advice on what to expect or how to do so! This is why it's so important to see a pelvic floor physical therapist postpartum. It’s not just about the incisions but about how your body has changed during pregnancy and what it has endured through labor and delivery. Here at The HOPE Doctors we take a look at the entire body, assessing you from your feet to your jaw to make sure we are addressing what you will need most to get back to your activities postpartum!