Throughout a woman’s life, her body undergoes significant changes, especially during and after pregnancy. As the body works to accommodate and nurture growing life, one area that often experiences a considerable amount of strain is the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor muscles support vital organs such as the bladder, uterus, and bowel. During the late stages of pregnancy and postnatal period, these muscles become stretched and weaker, leading to possible urinary incontinence.
Studies estimate that a relatively high percentage of women experience some form of urinary incontinence postpartum. This issue can drastically affect the quality of life and mental health of new mothers, making it crucial to find effective methods of prevention and treatment. One such method is Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT), a series of exercises that strengthen these muscles, lowering the risk of postnatal incontinence. This article aims to shed light on how PFMT can benefit British women during the postnatal period.
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Understanding the Pelvic Floor and Postnatal Incontinence
Before diving into the specifics of PFMT, it’s essential to have a good understanding of the pelvic floor’s structure and function. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that extend from the front to the back of your pelvis, forming a kind of muscular ‘hammock’. These essential muscles support your bladder, womb and bowel, helping you maintain control over your bladder and bowel movements.
During pregnancy, the weight of the growing baby puts extra pressure on these muscles, stretching and weakening them. This weakening can lead to urinary incontinence, where you involuntarily leak urine. It is generally common during the later stages of pregnancy and after childbirth. However, the risk increases for women who have had multiple pregnancies, a vaginal delivery, or a large baby.
Additional reading : Effective Physical Therapy Strategies for UK Women to Alleviate Pregnancy-Related Sciatica
Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT)
Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT) is a series of exercises designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. These exercises involve contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, which over time can lead to increased strength and control.
The idea behind PFMT is simple: by increasing the strength of the pelvic floor muscles, you can better support the bladder, uterus, and bowel, reducing the likelihood of incontinence. Many clinical trials have shown the effectiveness of PFMT in both preventing and treating urinary incontinence in women.
How to Perform Pelvic Floor Exercises
Performing pelvic floor exercises is something that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. The beauty of these exercises is that they can be done anywhere, at any time, without anyone even realising you’re doing them.
To begin, you need to identify your pelvic floor muscles. Next time when you go to the toilet, try stopping yourself midstream. The muscles you engage to do this are your pelvic floor muscles.
Once you have identified these muscles, you can start exercising them. Contract your pelvic floor muscles and hold for a count of ten, then relax for a count of ten. Repeat this cycle ten times, ensuring that you are breathing normally throughout. Aim to do these exercises three times a day.
The Benefits of PFMT for Postnatal Women
In addition to reducing the risk of incontinence, PFMT has several other health benefits. It can improve sexual satisfaction, correct bowel movement issues, and even help to prevent pelvic organ prolapse, a condition where the pelvic organs descend due to weak pelvic floor muscles.
Moreover, the mental health benefits of PFMT should not be overlooked. Incontinence can lead to feelings of embarrassment and social isolation, and by reducing the risk of incontinence, PFMT can significantly improve the mental wellbeing of new mothers.
Overcoming the Barriers to PFMT
Despite the benefits, uptake of PFMT is low among British women. Various factors contribute to this, including lack of awareness, embarrassment, and difficulty in correctly performing the exercises.
Thus, it is vital for healthcare professionals to promote PFMT and provide clear, easy-to-understand instructions. Additionally, women should be encouraged to speak openly about incontinence and pelvic health without feeling any shame or stigma.
In conclusion, PFMT presents an effective, non-invasive treatment for reducing the risk of incontinence in postnatal women. By incorporating these exercises into their daily routine, women can enhance their physical and mental wellbeing during the challenging postnatal period.
Implementing Pelvic Floor Muscle Training
Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT) can be an effective tool in reducing the occurrence of postnatal urinary incontinence. However, despite this, it remains overlooked in many postnatal care plans. A significant reason for this is the lack of awareness and knowledge about the importance and benefits of PFMT.
Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in bridging this gap. By advocating for PFMT, they can help postnatal women understand its significance and encourage them to incorporate it into their daily routines. The key is to make PFMT less intimidating and more approachable. Providing clear, precise instructions and demonstrating the exercises can greatly assist in this.
Moreover, it’s not enough just to introduce PFMT; it should be consistently followed up. Regular evaluations can help assess the effectiveness of the training and make necessary adjustments for better results. This initiative can ensure that women don’t give up on PFMT due to a lack of noticeable progress.
Additionally, creating a supportive and non-judgmental space where women feel comfortable discussing their concerns about incontinence and pelvic health can greatly encourage the uptake of PFMT. This can be achieved by fostering open conversations about these topics and dispelling any associated stigma.
PFMT: A Path Towards Improved Quality of Life Postpartum
In conclusion, Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT) demonstrates high promise in mitigating the risk of urinary incontinence in postnatal women. The incidence of urinary and faecal incontinence in the late postnatal period can be significantly reduced with consistent and correctly performed PFMT.
The benefits of PFMT extend beyond physical health; they also have a profound impact on the mental wellbeing and quality of life of postnatal women. By reducing the risk of incontinence, PFMT can alleviate feelings of embarrassment and social isolation, thereby enhancing the overall mental health of new mothers.
However, for PFMT to reach its full potential, barriers such as lack of awareness and the stigma associated with incontinence need to be addressed. This calls for a joint effort from healthcare professionals and society at large. By implementing PFMT effectively and fostering open conversations around pelvic health, we can ensure that postnatal women in Britain lead healthier and happier lives.
Remember, a healthy pelvic floor contributes to a healthier and happier you. So, don’t delay, start your pelvic floor exercises today!
