Contents
Having a baby affects every mother’s body in different ways. Many of the changes that happen during pregnancy are temporary, like gestational diabetes or low back pain. However, stretching and pressure on the muscles in your pelvic floor can cause pain, incontinence and other health problems that don’t go away. It will take some time for your body to recover, and some of these conditions require treatment. With some help from a physical therapist, you can minimize any long-term effects and get back to feeling like yourself as soon as possible.
After you’ve given birth, you’ll want to focus on giving your baby everything they need. But between feeding, changing and soothing your baby, you’ll need time to tend to yourself. Your physical therapy appointments are your time to check in with your body and focus on your recovery process.
In this blog post, we’ll talk about eight benefits of working with a physical therapist after childbirth.
How can physical therapy help women after childbirth?
Postpartum physical therapy can help you make a faster and more complete recovery. You may have pain, stiffness and desensitization in places where you didn’t even know you could feel such things. The good news is that women’s bodies were made to recover after childbirth. Physical therapy can help you restore circulation and healthy movement in different parts of your abdomen and pelvic floor. You’ll develop resilience for better sexual function, and you’ll regain control of the muscle groups you use for urination and bowel movements. Postpartum physical therapy helps many new mothers enjoy a better quality of life.
8 benefits of postpartum physical therapy
In many ways, your life after giving birth to a new child will never be the same. Caring for your little one will bring a lot of joy and give you a new sense of meaning and purpose. Many women accept that their bodies won’t look or function the way they did before having a baby. However, there are treatments that can help with things like bladder leaks and pelvic pain. Seeing a physical therapist after giving birth can help you recover faster and feel better in your body. This way, you can focus on what matters most: doing your best to raise your child and make memories you’ll hold on to for the rest of your life.
Postpartum physical therapy can provide the following benefits to new mothers:
- Improved bladder control — After having a child, many women have a harder time controlling their bladder. You don’t want to have to worry about leaks every time you sneeze or cough. Your physical therapist can provide treatments to help you condition your pelvic floor muscles and learn to control them. They’ll teach you exercises so you can maintain better pelvic health in the long term.
- Help with pelvic dysfunction — Shortening and stiffening of pelvic floor muscles is common after childbirth, and some women experience pelvic organ prolapse. This is when the uterus, bladder and other pelvic organs shift down into the vagina because the muscles and tissue that usually support them are weakened. Your physical therapist will interview you to get a good sense of your symptoms and do some physical tests to see how your pelvic floor muscles are functioning. Then they’ll create a personalized treatment plan to help you recover.
- Reduced pelvic and abdominal pain — Pelvic floor dysfunction can cause general pain and pain during sex, bowel movements or urination. This can slow you down, causing fatigue and making it hard to focus. Conditioning affected muscles and tissue after childbirth can reduce or eliminate your discomfort.
- Help with abdominal wall separation — Separation between the left and right abdominal muscles during pregnancy is called diastasis recti. Many women don’t realize they have this condition, but it should be treated right away. In some extreme cases, surgery may be necessary. However, physical therapy helps most people recover their abdominal muscles and close the gap.
- Better posture — Your entire body shifts and makes adjustments while you’re carrying your child. Problems in the pelvic floor, abdomen and low back are often related to posture. Your PT can guide you through exercises to help you gain an awareness of your posture and sit and stand with a straighter back.
- Scar management techniques for C-sections — Pain, tenderness, tightness and stiffness around C-section scars can be treated with physical therapy. Your PT will teach you techniques to care for your wound and stretch your skin throughout the healing process. Starting physical therapy as soon as possible after a C-section will help ensure the best results.
- Overall faster recovery — Without physical therapy, it may take months for your body to heal after childbirth. Many women are left with unpleasant effects for the rest of their lives. A physical therapist can help you reduce pain and discomfort and help you feel more in control of your health. If pain, stiffness and other symptoms after childbirth are affecting specific activities, your PT may be able to help you make some adjustments that help. With the right treatments and exercises, you can make a smoother transition back to your usual routine.
- Better quality of life — It’s easy to take your pelvic health for granted until you start having pain or incontinence after childbirth. With a new baby, you won’t want to be bogged down with these worries. You don’t have to struggle through it in silence or continue to make sacrifices. At Lattimore Physical Therapy, we’ve helped many new mothers improve their pelvic health after giving birth, and we can help you too.
Get a personalized plan for postpartum physical therapy at Lattimore PT
Many new mothers have never talked openly with a care provider about problems like pelvic pain and incontinence. It can be hard to start these conversations, but we’re passionate about empowering women to take control of their health. Our physical therapists are great listeners, and they’ll be able to educate you about what’s happening in your body. We take the time to understand our patients’ concerns, so you’ll be able to wrap up your treatment feeling confident and cared for.
Pregnancy and childbirth can cause all kinds of musculoskeletal conditions, which is our specialty at Lattimore PT. Many of our PTs have a Certification in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (COMT), which isn’t something most physical therapists can say. This means they have a high level of expertise in assessing individual patients and creating treatment plans based on their physical signs and symptoms. Every treatment we provide is chosen with a specific goal in mind, and we continuously evaluate our patients to monitor their progress. By the time you’re done with your treatment, you should see noticeable improvements.
After you’ve had a baby, it might seem like physical therapy is just one more medical expense and another appointment to add to the list. Did you know that you don’t need a referral to see a physical therapist and that most treatments are covered by insurance? Postpartum physical therapy is about holistic, natural treatments that most often involve gentle touch and movement. We won’t do unnecessary testing or prescribe invasive treatments and medications. Most importantly, the long-lasting improvements in your health and well-being will make it well worth your time. With less pain and discomfort, you’ll have more energy to spend better quality time with your new baby.
Are you expecting a new baby or recovering after delivery? Congratulations. Let’s talk about how we can get you feeling your best. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
