The Pelvic Floor After Birth: Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore

The pelvic floor, a group of muscles and tissues that support your pelvic organs, plays a crucial role in your overall health. However, during pregnancy and childbirth, these muscles can become stretched or weakened. You might experience various symptoms that impact your daily life.

It's essential to understand that many women experience pelvic floor issues after giving birth, but this doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence. Recognising the warning signs and seeking postnatal physiotherapy can make a world of difference in your recovery and overall well-being. 

Here are some of the most common symptoms to watch out for:

1. Incontinence: Urinary or Bowel Leaks

One of the most frequent issues new mothers face is incontinence, whether it’s urine leakage or difficulty controlling bowel movements. These issues can occur due to the weakening of pelvic floor muscles during childbirth. You might notice leaking when you sneeze, laugh, or even when you exercise. 

While incontinence is common, it is not inevitable, and physiotherapy can significantly help by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, improving control, and reducing the frequency of leaks.

2. Pelvic Pain or Pressure

After giving birth, if you experience a feeling of heaviness or pressure in your pelvic area, this could be a sign that your pelvic organs (like the bladder, uterus, or rectum) are no longer fully supported. This sensation might become more noticeable when you stand for long periods or engage in physical activity. 

Pelvic organ prolapse, where one or more of the pelvic organs descend into the vaginal canal, is a potential cause. Since our physiotherapist Magdalena specialises in postnatal care, she can guide you on exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor. This will reduce this pressure and improve your quality of life. 

3. Pain During Sexual Intercourse

Experiencing discomfort during or after sex is another common concern post-birth, especially if you had a vaginal delivery or experienced perineal tearing or an episiotomy. The pelvic floor muscles can become tight or weakened, making penetration painful. This issue can be worsened by scar tissue from tears or stitches. 

Seeking professional help from a postnatal physiotherapist can make all the difference. It means you can alleviate pain through pelvic floor relaxation exercises, scar tissue massages and specific stretches to improve your comfort. 

4. Back and Hip Pain

The strain on your pelvis during pregnancy and childbirth can sometimes lead to persistent back or hip pain. These aches and pains can result from weak or misaligned pelvic muscles, or even from diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles). 

Postnatal physiotherapy can help realign the body, strengthen the muscles, and relieve pain in your back and hips, enabling you to return to normal activities more comfortably.

5. Abdominal Weakness

After childbirth, it’s not unusual for the abdominal muscles to weaken, especially if you’ve had a C-section or experienced abdominal separation. This can cause poor posture, back pain and difficulties staying active.  

Our postnatal physiotherapist can assess your core strength and provide tailored exercises to help rebuild abdominal muscle strength and gain control again. 

Don’t Ignore the Signs

If you're experiencing any pelvic floor issues after giving birth, don't hesitate to contact us for help. Our postnatal physiotherapy can offer you the support you need to feel strong, healthy, and confident in your body once more.