Pelvic physiotherapy during pregnancy: understanding its importance and when to do it

Many mothers are unsure about the need for and when to start pelvic physical therapy. Find out how it contributes to pregnancy

Pelvic physiotherapy is among the specialties that help mothers deal with pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period with a better quality of life. This is because the treatment prepares the pelvic floor for the birth of the baby, as well as preventing common problems and relieving muscle tension and pain.

The main question related to pelvic physiotherapy is when to start treatment. However, there is no exact answer to this question, even among experts. You can start at 14, 20, 28, 32 and even 36 weeks.

For Dr. Marisa Marin, dermatofunctional and pelvic physiotherapist, even without this definition, there are other ways to understand the ideal time for each patient to start treatment during pregnancy. According to her, it is important to follow each phase, recognizing the changes and discomforts that the patient may present.

Evaluation with the physiotherapist

Once the pregnancy has been discovered, an initial evaluation can be carried out, i.e. a medical history, in which the specialist will have to advise:

• Physical activity exercises;
• Sun/light care;
• Risk of spots/melasma;
• Presence of urine leakage (during physical activity, sneezing, coughing, exertion, etc.);
• Presence of pain during sexual intercourse (which already demonstrates the existence of muscles with more or less tension points);
• Patient posture;
• Tendency to have back pain or sciatica.

“It is important to take a general look at physiotherapy and, after this process, a first pelvic physiotherapy session will be carried out to evaluate some points,” says the physiotherapist. Among the aspects present in the evaluation he mentions:

• The abdomen, to understand what abdominal diastasis is like (at the beginning);
• Release points that may present pain, because the patient often thinks it doesn’t hurt, but this could be a mistake
• Provide practical guidance on the importance and what exercises should or should not be performed with particular attention to the stage of pregnancy, e
• Assess the pregnant woman’s pelvic knowledge, whether or not she knows how to contract the muscles of the vaginal canal, contract, relax, whether she has pain when touched, tension, whether she has weakness, constipation, whether she has hemorrhoids.
• If perineal awareness is aligned with muscle movement. This is because women think they understand it, but not exactly. Many also have difficulty relaxing and so on.

“!In this way and by knowing the different possibilities and the different patients and needs, the ideal period for each procedure is defined, which can be weekly, or fortnightly, or alternated, it all depends”, says Dr. Marisa.

Possibility of pelvic physiotherapy

For the professional, based on the information that starting from the 36th week of gestation the baby can be born, this is a period in which the mother should feel ready to give birth. “Whether she is aware of the stages of labor, understands what is expected, or not, during the birth process, with less discomfort and pain during pregnancy, so that at that moment she can “only” feel the pain of the uterine contraction.” , he states.

Additionally, pelvic physiotherapy can allow the mother to be aware of the perineal movement and control needed for force to expel the baby through the vaginal canal, and also to have the muscles prepared for the stretching that must occur during childbirth.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.