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Pregnancy is a special time. You’re literally growing a new person in your body and creating a brand-new member of your family. But as exciting as it can be, there’s also another reality: Being pregnant takes a toll on your body.

Not only are you carrying around extra weight, but your body releases a hormone called relaxin (seriously, that’s what it’s called!) that causes your joints, muscles and ligaments to relax. This helps your body make room for your growing baby and prepares you for delivery.

Unfortunately, you can also be more prone to injuries because of these changes to your body. The combination of extra weight and loose joints can lead to issues during and after pregnancy. However, physical therapy can reduce aches and pains associated with pregnancy, prepare you for labor and help your postpartum recovery.

Managing aches and pains

Whether it’s lower back pain, pain around the bottom of the belly or other aches throughout the body, women commonly experience pain during pregnancy. This is not surprising, considering how rapidly the body adapts to meet the needs of your growing baby. But if the pain you’re experiencing is particularly bad, physical therapy can help.

“Some aches and pains are pretty common during and after pregnancy, but nothing should be so unmanageable that you can’t do your activities of daily living,” says Kali Abel, a physical therapist at Sentara Therapy Center - Williamsburg and Sentara Therapy Center - Gloucester. “If it gets to that point, you should come see us.”

A physical therapist will determine the cause of your pain and then develop a plan to help mitigate it. For instance, lower back pain is by far the most common complaint that physical therapists see in pregnant women. Different factors cause it, each requiring a different treatment approach.

For example, if you’re hurting because of weakened muscles in the lower back, then a strengthening regime might be appropriate. If it’s due to sacroiliac (SI) joint issues, then a therapist might prescribe an SI belt to provide additional support.

No matter where you’re experiencing pain, Abel encourages women to be proactive in seeking help before more serious problems develop.

“Don’t be afraid to ask your provider for a referral to physical therapy at the first sign of a problem,” says Abel. “We want to nip it in the bud. When you get something sooner, it’s much easier to treat than if you wait.”

Preparing for labor

You may think of physical therapy as something you do to recover from injury, but when it comes to childbirth, it can also help you avoid injury.

“Labor is a really physically demanding task,” says Abel. “We want you to be prepared for that.”

So, how can physical therapy help prepare you for labor? One way is to strengthen muscles that are important for delivery, but you might not use regularly. For instance, if you can’t get into a deep squat, physical therapy can help strengthen your core and leg muscles so that the position will be easier for you when it’s time to give birth.

In addition to strengthening, physical therapy can also help you to coordinate your pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and ligaments at the bottom of the pelvis that support organs like the bladder, uterus and bowel.

During labor and delivery, pelvic floor muscles help guide the baby through the birth canal by stretching and opening as the baby moves down. Pelvic floor therapy enables you to improve muscle control, making the delivery process easier and lowering the risk of injury.

“Preparing for labor is about strengthening things but also about coordinating your pelvic floor and relaxing when it needs to relax,” says Abel, adding that pelvic floor therapy is recommended for all women who are pregnant.

Postpartum recovery

Labor and delivery may be the climax of your pregnancy story, but it’s far from the end. Giving birth is hard on your body, akin to undergoing major surgery. But, unlike recovering after surgery, new mothers are typically expected to jump right back into life.

“You’re given a six-week follow-up, but then you’re told: ‘OK you’re good to go,’” says Abel. “With other surgeries, you’re given a graded return to your normal functions. Postpartum care is something that all women could benefit from.”

Abel says that physical therapy can help women strengthen their pelvic floors, as well as build the general strength needed to do new-mom tasks like carrying car seats or picking baby up from the floor.

“After giving birth, everything is deconditioned, so we do a lot of generalized strengthening, getting the core back to functioning in a safe and appropriate way, as well as the arms and back,” says Abel. “We can help you get back to working out, or back to running and help you with pelvic floor issues like leakage.”

All pregnant women can benefit

Abel says that the majority of her patients come to her via a referral from their primary care physician or OB-GYN. Your insurance may also allow you to schedule an appointment directly with a physical therapist. However you go about it, seeing a physical therapist while you're pregnant is a great way to minimize the stress on your body that comes with giving birth and to speed up your postpartum recovery.

“Even if you’re not having issues, it's a good idea to visit a physical therapist before delivery to get an idea of how your body moves, and what you can do to prepare,” says Abel. “It’s almost like going to a dentist. We go a couple of times a year, and they almost always find something small, something that you’re not really thinking about. We can find a movement pattern that maybe you haven't noticed that you can optimize.”

 

Learn more about our rehab and therapy services and talk to your provider about scheduling an appointment.