Postpartum, Lifestyle
Your pelvic floor after birth deserves more than a leaflet
Leaking when you sneeze is common, and common is not the same as something to live with. What helps, and when to ask for a referral.
Reviewed against NICE Guidelines, 1 min read, published
Carrying a baby and giving birth put months of load through a set of muscles nobody mentioned to you before, and afterwards those muscles need rehabilitation like any others.
Leaking is common, and treatable
Leaking when you laugh, sneeze or run is common in the early months. It is also treatable, and it is not a fee you pay for having children.
Encourage women who are pregnant or who have recently given birth to do pelvic floor muscle training, and explain that it helps prevent symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Doing the exercises properly
Pelvic floor exercises work, but only if they are done properly and for long enough — think months, not a fortnight, and quality over repetitions.
Quick summary
- Leaking early on: common, and treatable
- Exercises: done properly, for months rather than a fortnight
- Ask for: a pelvic health physiotherapist if things have not improved, or you feel heaviness or dragging
