How do I avoid "peezing" postpartum? What's the deal with the pelvic floor?

Dear Peeze Preventer,

What a wonderful inquiry! Your pelvic floor is oh-so glorious and there are absolutely ways to take can of it postpartum. Let’s break it down:

Pelvic Floor

It’s no exaggeration to say that the pelvic floor is one of the most important muscle systems in the body. It’s a hammock-shaped group of muscles that sits along the floor of the pelvis, holding things like your bladder, urethra, intestines, uterus, cervix, and more in place. Essentially, it’s the thing that holds you up! People of all genders have pelvic floors, and this amazing muscle group requires movement, hydration, and support through all phases of life — not just pregnancy and labor.

Birth is one event that can put your pelvic floor in the spotlight. During pregnancy and labor, the pelvic floor shifts and opens up to allow the little one to move through the pelvis. With help from key hormones and the ever-growing weight of the uterus, the pelvic floor stretches and loosens, and it typically takes around 6-8 weeks for it to reestablish its pre-pregnancy position. 

Returning to a resting position is hard work for your pelvic floor, and you can help it along by focusing on:

• Nourishment. When your pelvic floor is loosened or weakened from labor, it can impact the muscles and organs needed for bowel movements and urination. Eating fiber-rich, nutrient-dense foods can help regulate digestion and support the pelvic floor as it repositions itself. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in some nuts, seeds, and fish, can help reduce inflammation, while the magnesium found in foods like bananas and potatoes can help your muscles recover. Also, drinking lots of water helps your body absorb vitamins and nutrients, helps remove toxins from your body, and keeps your muscles and joints lubricated. It’s a key ingredient to postpartum pelvic floor support!

• Rest. Your pelvic floor just had a huge workout! And after every good bout of exercise, your body needs rest and recovery. Sleep is crucial for postpartum recovery overall. It gives your body a safe, restful opportunity to heal and restore itself, and lack of sleep can affect everything from muscle recovery to mental health. To help your pelvic floor rebalance, follow a common midwifery postpartum adage: “Aim for the first 5 days in the bed, the next 5 days on the bed, and the next 5 days hanging out around the bed.”

• Movement. Slowly integrating movement back into your daily routine can be a great way to help your pelvic floor restore itself. Extra emphasis on “slowly,” though! The fastest way to get back to movement is to rest. Balancing slow movement with rest can help you avoid conditions like diastasis recti, a condition directly connected to the pelvic floor, where the abdominal muscles have trouble moving back to the center of the abdomen. Every care plan should be individualized to the person, so work with your provider or pelvic floor therapist to ease yourself into your exercise routines, sticking to gentle, controlled motions and avoiding high-impact movements. 

Having some additional support from a pelvic floor therapist can also work wonders. With specialized training and knowledge, these providers can help you “find” your pelvic floor and give you resources and tools to help you strengthen and care for this muscle group. They can also identify any pelvic floor challenges, such as a weakened pelvic floor or pelvic floor organ prolapse. Midwives can also help you prepare your pelvic floor before birth, assess the core or pelvic floor after birth, and make referrals to therapists in your area.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine if seeing a midwife or pelvic floor therapist is right for you: FREE Pelvic Floor Screening Referral Form