Pelvic Floor Damage After Birth

Use of forceps requires an episiotomy and is likely to result in damage to the pelvic floor.

Pelvic floor damage after birth.

During a vaginal birth the baby needs to pass through the levator hiatus in the pelvic floor and the muscles connective tissues and nerves can be damaged in the process. The muscles in your pelvic floor become stretched during pregnancy and birth. Your pelvic floor muscles and tissues can become strained during pregnancy especially if your labor was long or difficult. Your pelvic floor is the group of muscles and ligaments in your pelvic region the pelvic floor acts like a.

It is also fairly common to experience pelvic prolapse following a particularly traumatic birth or after several pregnancies where the pelvic floor is severely weakened. These issues are closely associated with birth related. There are a number of problems specific to the pelvic floor muscles which can occur as a result of birth trauma. The tailbone coccyx the triangular bone at the bottom of the spine sacrum sometimes giving birth can damage the bones in the ways described below.

Leaking urine urinary incontinence especially when coughing laughing sneezing or exercising stress urinary incontinence is the most well recognized urinary symptom of maternal pelvic floor damage. Distortion of the vagina or perineum area between the vagina and anus heaviness or dragging sensation in the vagina. Research indicates that stress urinary incontinence pelvic organ prolapse or both occur in about half of all women who have given birth. Other symptoms include increased daytime frequency 8 or more times or increased night time frequency more than once.

Continuous fetal monitoring cfm which forces women to remain lying down or semi reclining. The weight of your baby hormones that loosen your tissues and the efforts of labour all put pressure on this part of your body. Prolapse occurs when the pelvic organs are not being properly supported and therefore push down or descend into the vagina causing a heavy dragging sensation. Epidural analgesia which increases the likelihood of having an episiotomy and an assisted birth with vacuum extraction or forceps.

Pelvic bone problems are painful. Often women get experience pelvic floor dysfunction after they give birth. When your pelvic floor is weakened or damaged you may leak wee stress incontinence wind and more rarely poo faecal incontinence. Pregnancy is a common cause of pelvic floor dysfunction.