The Importance of the Pelvic Floor in Pregnancy

A Guest Article by Mary Bacon

In today’s blog, I want to demonstrate how to effectively strengthen your pelvic floor, and how to relax your pelvic floor muscles.

As a young mum no one educated me on the importance of pelvic strength during pregnancy and post-delivery.  I had my first baby at twenty, and second at twenty-two. Two very different pregnancies, but both natural deliveries without any complications.

About Me

I found my passion in the fitness industry after my first daughter was born.

I joined a gym and started my journey in fitness, strength, and happiness.

Thirty years later, the passion is still strong.

Over the years as I personally trained women, it became evident that women are not being taught how to activate their pelvic floor muscles correctly. Some women presented with weak muscles, and small percentage with unusually tight muscles. To my surprise most of the women who had super tight pelvic floor muscles were the group fitness instructors or heavy weights lifters. We can understand why there are so many pelvic floor physios nowadays.

The Importance of the Pelvic Floor in Pregnancy

Your pelvic floor muscle is only one part of the core muscles. It covers a good area of the deep part of your pelvis supporting your bladder, baby, organs, and bowels.

During pregnancy this muscle has a lot of load to carry, especially as your baby grows. Knowing how to effectively strengthen it is key, not only to facilitating a smooth birth, but also to avoid future problems like prolapses and incontinence.

Towards the end of the pregnancy all mums need to do some exercises to relax the pelvic floor and prepare for the birth. Alison uses Optimal Maternal Positioning with all her clients to help with this preparation.

Strength and Relaxation

The hormones progesterone and relaxin are high in the first and the third trimester, their function being to help loosen muscles, joints, and ligaments, especially in the pelvic area, in preparation for the growth of your baby and for delivery. But it is also beneficial for the mum to know how to consciously relax her pelvic floor muscle, as this will help move things along during labour and delivery.

There are different methods of strengthening pelvic floor. My favourites are ultrasound machine or a blood pressure cuff as a bio-feedback tool. But of course, how many mums would have access to these? If you do go to a pelvic floor physio, look for one that has an ultrasound machine and can test your pelvic floor.

With an ultrasound machine you get to contract your pelvic floor and visually see on the screen if you are doing too much or too little. I have personally had this done and have been present during many of my pregnant ladies’ ultrasound sessions. They are blown away by how much concentration it takes to contract, control and yet not over activate.

The blood pressure cuff is used as a bio-feedback tool. This can be used at any stage of pregnancy or for lower back rehabilitation. Basically, the mum lays on her back with knees bent. The pressure cuff is pumped to a certain measurement and placed directly under her lower back. Breathing exercises, followed by pelvic floor contraction, are then done to generate a certain pressure reading on the cuff.

This is repeated a number of times, and progressively pelvic floor strength and stability is improved. It is very concentrated effort, and might seem slow and perhaps boring at times, but it’s for a short period of time.

According to Pelvicfirst.org.au, bladder and bowel control problems affect almost 4.8 million Australians, 80% of whom are women. That is the equivalent of the population of Sydney.

Exercise prescription for core work needs to be individually tailored, as some women have a flat back, some lordotic (eg: gymnast curve) and most women have a neutral normal curvature.

Strengthening the Pelvic Floor

Let’s assume everyone has a neutral curve in the lower back.

In this example I will help you do your pelvic floor exercise. Imagine you’re doing it with a blood pressure cuff under your back – except you will use your hand to perform this exercise.

1. Lay on your back with both knees bent.
2. Place one hand under the small of your back. Generally speaking it’s the area directly under your belly button area.
3. Breathe in diaphragmatically. Your diaphragm sits between your ribcage and belly button. (Ensure that your lungs are not expanding, as it’s the diaphragm that should be expanding first).
4. As you breathe out, slowly and gently lift your pelvic floor muscles in. Your pelvic floor muscles are like an internal hammock, which attach to the pelvis via ligaments, and extend from in front of your vagina to behind your anal passage, so ensure that you are contracting this area also. It should be a very gentle lift, and not a sharp pull or a strong contraction. This part is the internal lift of your pelvic floor.
5. While maintaining the lift of your pelvic floor muscles, you will need to draw the lower portion of your abdomen inwards (or towards the spine). At the same time, gently press your lower back down on the hand under your back.
6. This will create pressure in your abdominal wall. Hold that pressure while still breathing normally for 10 seconds and relax for 10 seconds.
7. Repeat for 10 times or as many as you can. Movement should be slow and controlled.  Build up on it.

There are many other pelvic floor exercises which incorporate other core muscles, but this is the foundation that you build with first as it isolates the muscles. You can then integrate with other muscles later.

Relaxing your Pelvic Floor

In your third trimester, you need to focus more on relaxing the pelvic floor muscle.

This will prepare you for natural birth and needs to be practiced now.

As this muscle is internal, and you can’t very well pick it up and stretch it, it has to come from the brain connecting with this muscle and doing a slow and gentle push. Fortunately, it’s quite easy.

1. Find your comfortable position. You can lay on your back with your knees bent, or do a bridge like position on all 4’s. (hands and knees).
2. Do your breathing as you would for the above exercise, including a small contraction. Don’t hold it – instead gently push out from the internal section of your vagina. It can help to visualise you are pushing the baby’s head out, or that you are about to poop. (TMI, but I actually pooped during the crowning of my baby’s head. I was very embarrassed, but the nurse made me feel so comfortable I was over it in a sec).

This is the time that you just let it all out and relax. Your mindset should be all around welcoming this baby in the easiest and most natural way possible. The more tension you hold the longer it takes to birth the baby. So, being visual and relaxed will help you manage pain and a give you a better birthing experience.

Mary Bacon is a pregnancy fitness expert, personal trainer and a published author of Pregnant Fit and Fabulous. Her work is endorsed by doctors and PhD’s and is sought after by Olympic medallists such as Jana Pittman, who represented her country at three Olympic Games. Mary also helps mums and couples get fit and healthy before they fall pregnant. Her passion is to help women feel confident, nourish their body and baby, and have a happy and healthy pregnancy. Mary’s reputation in getting mums back in shape after delivery is like no other. She takes a total holistic approach, focusing on recovery, nutritional balance and individual exercise programs.

As a certified life coach, Mary also covers the mental and emotional aspect of pregnancy and postpartum or fourth trimester.

You can follow Mary on FB or Instagram @pregnantfitandfabulous 

If you would like more information on how to strengthen your pelvic floor, or you have questions about any other aspect of your changing body, l would love to chat. Give me a call on 0422 258 771 or contact me:

Postpartum Nutrition & Nurturing – Why They’re So Important

One of my favourite responsibilities in my role as a doula is providing nutrition and nurturing to new mamas in the postpartum period. Helping them transition from woman to mother in a way that feeds their soul and strengthens their body. This is what led me to undertake the Milk & Seed Apprenticeship. I consider myself a bit of a food alchemist, for me alchemy is creating from individual ingredients something that, when combined in a certain way, makes something wonderful. Something far superior and energetically valuable.

What is the Postpartum Period?

Before we get into why nurturing and nutrition during this period is so important, let’s be clear about what the postpartum period is.

Most maternal health practitioners, whether they be doctors, midwives, or doulas, consider the postpartum period to be 6-8 weeks post-birth, although some argue it may be as long as 12 weeks.

This is the period of time it takes for most of the major organ systems of the body to largely return to their pre-pregnancy state. This includes the hormones, metabolism, the genitourinary organs, and the circulatory system.

That said, full recovery of a woman’s body can take 6-12 months, particularly the restoration of muscle and connective tissue.

Why Mama’s Need Nurturing and Nutrition

Over the past 100 years or so Western culture has created an expectation that a woman will give birth and go right back to business as usual. But carrying and birthing a baby, then learning to be a mother, is an enormous undertaking. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. And culturally. As a mama we are now responsible for keeping a life other than our own safe, happy, and thriving until they are able to do so for themselves. That is no small undertaking.

But you cannot pour from an empty cup, so taking care of the mamas, ensuring they have the nutrition and nurturing they need to step into their new role is vitally important.

What is Milk & Seed?

Milk & Seed is all about using food as medicine. Their philosophy takes modern superfoods, combined with ancient, traditional healing foods and practices from around the globe, to help new mothers replenish their vital life force.

Their Apprenticeship taught me how to cook nutritious comfort food for mamas, using ingredients specifically chosen to address their postpartum needs, as well as the practice of healing rituals which have been used for centuries to nurture and restore.

The philosophy at Milk & Seed is simple – when women are well, the world is well.

Why I Did the Milk & Seed Apprenticeship

I am passionate about nurturing and supporting mamas during the postpartum period. Not only to help them become the best mama they can be, but also helping them recover their pre-pregnancy health and vitality.

The knowledge I gained through this course has helped me develop recipes for comforting food that is nutritionally designed to provide mamas with everything they need for:

• healing the body
• balancing the hormones
• increasing the quality and quantity of milk production
• returning energy and strength

Healing and nurturing rituals also provide an antidote to our rushed modern lifestyle, helping women to ease into the joy of motherhood with grace and love.

Recipe

I want to share with you a wonderfully indulgent recipe I learned at Milk & Seed, which is easy to make, keeps well in the fridge, and provides that comfort we all seek from time to time – chocolate – but in a healthy and nourishing way.

Chocolate Reishi Gheenache*

This decadent yet medicinal chocolate “gheenache” can be eaten with a spoon, used to frost cupcakes, cakes, or spread on toast as a healthier and incredibly nourishing version of Nutella. Any you can make it before baby comes, so it’s ready and waiting for you when you need it.

Ingredients: 

2 cups ghee

1 cup cacao 

½ cup maple syrup (or to taste) 

1 tbsp reishi powder (optional) 

1 tbsp cordyceps powder (optional)

1 tbsp shatavari powder (optional) 

1 tsp cinnamon powder (optional) 

½ tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) 

Instructions: 

Gently melt the ghee until it is a golden liquid. Then sift in the cacao and remaining powders (if using) as well as the maple syrup and vanilla extract before mixing well. If there are lumps, you can blend with a stick blender until smooth. Pour into a 16 oz mason jar and refrigerate until set. To use as a frosting, let gheenache come to room temperature after it is set for a spreadable consistency, and let your cake or cupcakes cool before frosting. 

This Gheenache is so good everyone in the house will want to try it – so don’t be afraid to double the recipe!

If you feel you, or someone you know, would like the support of an experienced and knowledgeable Doula who is qualified in providing nourishing and replenishing meals during the postpartum period, please give me a call for a chat on 0422 258 771, or contact me:

*Recipe courtesy of Milk & Seed

8 Tips for Getting Enough Sleep with a New Baby

In my experience some babies are alert all day, and sleep pretty well at night. Some snooze away the day and come awake at night. And still others don’t seem to need any sleep at all. Whatever the case with your baby, the first months of parenthood inevitably mean sleep deprivation for the grown-ups.

Here are a few tips on how to prioritise sleep so that you not only feel more like a functioning human, but you are better able to enjoy and take care of your baby.

1. Give baby the best chance to get a good sleep routine happening. If baby sleeps well, you’ll sleep well. Make sure their sleep environment is nice and dim and a good temperature. Practice swaddling, which can help stop baby from startling themselves awake. Often a white noise machine, or some form of relaxing music helps. Baby has grown in your belly with all the noise of heartbeats, breathing and digestion for company, so many babies find silence distressing. Learning how to massage your baby so they can relax can also help them drift off more easily, and has the added benefit of being a beautiful time of bonding. You might also like to check out our article on Co-Sleeping (link to article). It can be a game changer when it comes to getting enough sleep.
2. If baby needs an environment conducive to sleep – so do you. If at all possible, avoid clutter and non-sleep-related things, like work desks, in the bedroom. Even if this means you have to move some of your clutter to the loungeroom, you need an oasis in which you can relax. You won’t do that staring at the pile of ironing in the corner.
3. Set up good sleep routines. Generally, the first ‘long’ stretch babies sleep is in the evening, through to around midnight. Work out when that long stretch is for your baby and be prepared. Turn off any electronic devices 1-2 hours beforehand and once baby is down, start your own sleep preparation. Whether that’s a soak in the bath, or time with a book, that routine will help remind your brain it’s time to sleep, no matter what the clock says.
4. Embrace the nap. Power Nap. Nana Nap. Siesta. Whatever you want to call it, if baby has a 45-minute sleep in the afternoon, or the morning for that matter, get on it. A nap won’t fully replace a good night’s sleep, but it sure will help.
5. Set up a roster with your partner. If your partner normally heads to bed around 11, maybe they can take any feeds or resettling up to 11, so you can get in a solid 4 hours, and you do the after midnight. If they get up early for work, maybe they can take the dawn feed before they head out. Work out what works for you. And don’t let breastfeeding stand in the way. One word for you. Express.
6. Ask for help. If you’re not coping, and believe me you wouldn’t be alone in that, don’t be afraid to ask friends or family to step in and watch baby while you have a nap. And if baby is fussy and they can them for a walk, so much the better. What you don’t hear won’t hurt you.
7. Relax. It’s not quite the same as sleep, but spending some time relaxing can help enormously. And yes, it is possible to relax with a baby. Often, particularly with very young babies, they just want to be near you, so curl up on the sofa together – or the floor, or the bed – and watch some tv, or read them a book. If you’re horizontal your body will relax. You might even find you drift off together. Just make sure wherever you do this baby is safe.
8. Take care of your body with good food and exercise. This may seem counterintuitive, but the endorphins exercise releases will give you energy. And by choosing highly nutritious foods you are giving your body the building blocks it needs to recover from pregnancy and childbirth.

Of course, you can always call in the experts. Postpartum doulas have a great deal of experience and expertise in helping you learn how to settle your baby. They can also provide nutritious meals to help get you back on your feet, and watch baby for you while you enjoy that nap you so desperately need.

If you would like to talk about how a Postpartum Doula can help you get enough sleep in those challenging first months of parenthood, I would love to chat. Give me a call on 0422 258 771 or contact me:

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