You’re a new Mom! Congratulations. Among the changes that occur when you have a baby, childbirth and pregnancy can also have an impact on your pelvic floor.

 

In Alberta, there are specific clinics and specialists that can help and educate on pelvic floor issues, such as bladder and bowel control and pelvic organ prolapse.

 

Age can have a lot to do with your pelvic floor health, especially when it comes to recovery following childbirth. The effects of having a baby and lifestyle issues can cause to changes to your pelvic floor, resulting in symptoms. That’s why it’s important to learn what you can do to prevent and address issues, for now and for the future.

 

Your pelvic floor is at the base of your abdomen, between your legs which can be thought of as the bottom of a canister. Your abdominal muscles and bones are the back of the canister, and the top is your diaphragm, the muscle that moves your lungs up and down to help you breathe. The weight of your abdomen sits on the base of this canister, the pelvic floor. There are no bones underneath your pelvic floor, only muscles circling around it, so the pelvic floor muscles act like a sling or trampoline to support your pelvic organs. A healthy pelvic floor controls your bladder and bowels, and is important for sexual intercourse, along with lifting and carrying things by controlling the pressure inside your abdomen.

 

They also work with your deep abdominal, low back, and diaphragm to give you stable posture.

 

The large group of core muscles is called your Levator ani, which suggest there is a lifting action. Circular-shaped muscles called sphincters are around your urethra and anus. These pinch the urethra and anus closed as you do pelvic floor exercises, sometimes called Kegels.