While various studies have addressed pelvic floor changes during pregnancy few have focused on primiparous women exclusively addressed pelvic floor function comprehensively and gathered data across all three trimesters.
Changes in pelvic floor during pregnancy.
Focusing on the core and pelvic floor during pregnancy is beneficial for a few reasons.
At around 36 weeks your baby starts to drop lower into your pelvis.
It is important to understand pelvic floor changes associated with childbearing and their possible temporal nature.
This is called lightening and it s a sign that your body is getting ready for labor.
Pregnancy and childbirth are well known risk factors for the development of pelvic floor disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence 1 3 hormonal and mechanical changes during pregnancy might contribute to impairment of normal pelvic floor function.
The stronger the pelvic floor muscles during and after pregnancy and the better the pelvic floor muscles are working the less the risk of stress incontinence which is leakage of urine during a cough sneeze laugh movement lifting sport or exercise.
Changes to your core and pelvic floor in pregnancy an enlarging uterus and growing fetus add another element of pressure inside your abdomen.
Even though changes to these areas are normal and expected it s still very helpful to give these areas extra attention during pregnancy.
Maintaining core strength during pregnancy helps you recover easier and quicker postpartum.