What’s it all about?
Postpartum is the period between childbirth and the return of menstrual cycles and periods.
The period following the birth of your child can be a complicated one, with moments of fatigue, altered physical abilities and often urogynaecological symptoms such as bladder weakness, anorectal leakage, a feeling of heaviness in the perineum, pain or an inefficient abdominal girdle… in short, not necessarily the idealized picture we’re used to being presented with!
BLADDER WEAKNESS AT
EFFORT. Leakage
occurs when the abdominal
pressure is exerted on the perineum (e.g. when coughing, sneezing, jumping, laughing, etc.). If the resistance of the perineum is less than the abdominal pressure, then there’s a leak!
You may also find that you have
IMPERIOSITY, that capricious bladder that makes you want to urinate often, even though it’s not full enough to make you want to…
More rarely,
ANO-RECTAL LEAKAGE can
occur, often due to
distension or even tearing
of the anal sphincter.
PAIN is
regularly described at
vulva level, particularly following vaginal deliveries
and at
tear or episiotomy scars.
I’m not forgetting the particular context of caesarean deliveries, whether scheduled or emergency. The presence of this large scar in the lower abdomen remains
complicated to manage, painful, with occasional healing problems and closing postures that require strategies to counteract.
To complete the list of inconveniences, let’s not forget the sometimes significant weight gain, the risk of diastasis (widening of the abdominal muscles at the level of the linea alba), hormones that have a mind of their own and generalized muscle loss…
In the end, all this is quite normal, nothing dramatic if we’re well informed and prepared, so there’s no fatality, you have the power to put order back into this mess.
Risk factors
During pregnancy, it’s normal to gain weight and lose muscle. The perineum, abdominals and lumbar spine muscles suffer and are less effective, which is why it is necessary to consider comprehensive post-partum work.
Of course, you need to regain a functional perineum, i.e. one that is free of bladder leaks, and an engaged abdominal girdle that can be worked on without putting pressure on the perineum, as well as regaining your posture with effective lumbopelvic statics.
If you have a scar (Caesarean section or episiotomy), it is important to reconnect with this part of your body at the
appropriate moment, by becoming aware of it and massaging it to encourage healing without adhesions.
With hormonal variations, ligaments tend to distend and the perineum to lose strength. This is why you may experience a sensation of perineal heaviness. No pressure: things will get back to normal! Our post-partum care program is tailored to your pace and takes into account all the characteristics of this very special period.
So... listen to yourself and take care of yourself!
