We carry a child for 9 months and then go through the wonders of delivery. It puts our bodies through a lot of trauma and your pelvic floor takes a hit! Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support the baby. Think of it as a sling supporting all your reproductive organs, your bladder, your rectum and your vagina. As that baby grows, the pelvic floor needs to work harder to support the baby. When it is time to deliver, the pelvic floor needs to stretch to allow the baby out. For some women, everything returns to pre-baby state after delivery but for a lot of women this isn’t the case. Those muscles have been through trauma and need some rehab! Just like muscles need rehab after a knee replacement or a shoulder surgery, these muscles could use a little help as well. Physical therapy is a great way to get you back to running and make sure that no leaking happens while your are out there.
Pelvic floor physical therapy is not well known but can be life changing for some women. Most doctors send you home and if you are lucky, they remind you to do some Kegels. Do any of us really know how to do a Kegel correctly! Did you know that it is not normal to leak when you laugh, sneeze or go for a run just because you have had children. Pelvic floor therapists are specially trained to get these muscles back in shape and teach you to do Kegels the right way, so that no leaking happens.
Pregnancy also causes a lot of hormones changes. The fluctuations in these hormones can lead to joint laxity and instability. A physical therapist can take a look at your back, your hips and your overall running mechanics to make sure that your first run after your little one, is the best that it can be.
Let’s face it, it is not a topic that any woman wants to talk about but in reality, I am sure you know more women who have these issues than women who don’t have these issues. So instead of thinking it is normal, let’s fix the problem. Just like all you moms out there, I put myself after the kids, the laundry and the dishes. But I have learned in order to be a better mom, I need to take care of myself first sometimes. Let’s make the “leaking” conversation a normal one to have and start fixing this problem. Let’s make your first run an enjoyable one. Call today for an appointment and let’s get running!
