Have you been told to do KEGELS during pregnancy to prepare for birth? Do you even know what your pelvic floor muscles need to do during birth?
In this blog post, I'll be discussing the main JOB of your pelvic floor muscles during your birth.
WHAT IS THE PELVIC FLOOR?
The pelvic floor muscles are located at the base of your pelvis and form a "hammock" from your pubic bone (front) to your tailbone (back) and side to side between your "sitz" bones. Your pelvic floor muscles are likely other muscles in your body in the way that it must have its full mobility, or range of motion, and strength to function.
In the graphic below, you see the pubic bone in the front, and tailbone in the back. The pelvic floor muscles (in red) are supporting 3 different pelvic organs/structures, including the urethra/bladder, vagina/uterus, and anus/rectum.
Your pelvic floor muscles must be:
Relaxed
Lengthened
Soft
during birth! YOU ARE NOT PUSHING THE BABY OUT WITH YOUR PELVIC FLOOR. Your uterus is doing the pushing!
Imagine having a very tight and rigid pelvic floor. The baby is going to experience a lot of resistance to exit the pelvis. On the other hand, having a pelvic floor that is relaxed and mobile allows the baby to exit the pelvis more easily, allowing for decreased pushing and a more efficient labor.
Below, is another photo of the pelvic floor muscles, from the bottom view! You see the 3 canals: urethra, vagina, and anus.
In pelvic floor physical therapy, I teach my clients how to connect to their pelvic floor, and LENGTHEN those muscles to prepare for birth, decreasing risk of tears, and decrease need for medical interventions like forceps delivery or vacuum assisted delivery.
Come visit my website to learn more about how I help pregnant soon to be mom's prepare for labor and birth!
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