Post Partum Recovery

IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING AFTER PREGNANCY 6 WEEKS POST-PARTUM, CONSULT WITH A PHYSIOTHERAPIST:

• Tenting of your abdominal muscles (diastasis recti)
• Difficulty with activities of normal living
• Urinary or fecal incontinence when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise, etc.
• Pain with intercourse
• C-Section scarring, episiotomy or tearing
• Any bulging at the opening of the vagina
• Heaviness or pain in your back, hips, abdomen, pelvis, rectum or vagina
• Pelvic girdle pain (difficulty walking or transferring)
• Difficulty emptying your bowel or bladder
• Constipation

The first 6 weeks post-partum, sometimes called the 4th trimester is a time to get plenty of rest and allow your body and nerves to recover from birth. This is not a time to get back to high-intensity exercise. If during this time you have any discomfort or concerns and want to have an assessment or treatment, please come in for a visit. Although we do not do an internal vaginal exam until 6 weeks post-partum, we can assess externally.

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SHOW?

• 50% of women have some degree of prolapse after giving birth (Hagan et al, 2011)
• Pelvic floor physiotherapy should be the first line of treatment for women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse