The chances of having physical issues are increased during pregnancy. The pelvic floor is under a lot of pressure because of the growing belly and the abdominal organs are being shoved to the side. Issues are easy to develop during pregnancy. These are the 10 most common pelvic issues during pregnancy:
- Difficulty with emptying your bladder during pregnancy.
- Having pressure in the lower abdomen during pregnancy.
- Having pressure in the lower abdomen accompanied with pelvic pain after pregnancy.
- Obstipation during pregnancy.
- Issues with or during sex during pregnancy.
- Firm bellies during pregnancy.
- Changing sex positions during pregnancy.
- Varicose veins during pregnancy.
- Vaginal infections and discharge during pregnancy.
- Urinary incontinence during pregnancy.
A pregnancy brings a lot of chance, especially around your pelvic area. It’s crucial to maintain a healthy pelvis before you become pregnant. You’ll have to deal with a lot of emotions and your pelvis is getting tested. There are a lot of symptoms you can develop when you have pelvic instability during and after pregnancy. I will discuss a variety of pelvic issues that you can develop during or after pregnancy in this blog. I’ll mainly focus on incontinence issues, but sex and varicose veins also pass by to keep a bit of variation going on.
Click here if you’re looking for pelvic floor muscle exercises or click here if you’re looking for products for your pelvis and go to de Bekken Winkel.
I’m going to introduce you to the discovered relevant information about several symptoms for pelvic instability of which you can develop during or after your pregnancy. There are a lot of other blogs on my website that can help you further when you don’t have an answer to all of your questions in this one. Click on the blue words to directly go to the right information.
The 10 most common pelvic issues during or after pregnancy
It’s possible that you are still experiencing pelvic issues despite following my advise and tips. I will discuss 10 pelvic issues with you.
Pelvic issue 1: Difficulty with emptying your bladder during pregnancy.
Having difficulties with emptying your bladder is a common pelvic issue during pregnancy. Being able to relax on the toilet is pretty hard. The pelvic floor is tensed up and the growing belly is pushing on the bladder. Having an urgent sensation is very normal because of it. You have to be aware of the optimal way of going to the toilet if you want to be able to relax. People often aren’t quick to think about the way they’re going to the toilet. Your toilet habits are very important here. Sitting properly will already help you out a lot if you want to empty your bladder. Urine, in its final phase, comes from your kidneys. Your kidneys aren’t working optimally when you’re lying on your back. They work properly once you’re seated. Posture does make a change.
4 tips about posture when you’re having trouble peeing during pregnancy:
- Sit up straight on the toilet. Place your feet firmly on the floor or a stool. Place your hands on your knees and relax.
- Many people think that you have to push when you’re on the toilet, but that’s nonsense. Relaxing is key. Let it go.
- Go once you have the urge. Don’t ignore any urges. Relax and take your time.
- Stay hydrated. Drink at least 1,5 to 2 liters every day.
4 tips to prevent bladder infections during pregnancy:
- It’s recommended to wear underwear made out of cotton and to wear as little panty liners as possible. This can cause a bladder infection because of how muggy it gets down there.
- Never wash your privates with soap or body wash. Use lukewarm water instead.
- Always pee after having sex. Wash the involved genitals and hands. Be hygienic.
- A bath can be a pool of bacteria. Taking a shower is better.
Pelvic issue 2: Having pressure in the lower abdomen during pregnancy.
Having pressure in the lower abdomen isn’t a weird thing at all when you’re pregnant. There’s more blood flowing to your lower abdomen and there’s a lot happening. We call this engorgement. It’s a pressing and heavy sensation in the groin or lower abdomen. You will experience this more when your baby descends. The pressure on the pubic bone and pelvic floor increases.
You can also experience this sensation when you have an organic prolapse. Your organs like your uterus, bladder or intestines can lower when your pelvic ligaments become weaker. This causes pressure in the lower abdomen.
It’s advised to go to a specialist when you have a prolapse. Visit your doctor.
Avoid doing heavy chores in both cases. Refrain from bending over and lifting. This increases the abdominal pressure. If you want to become an expert when it comes to abdominal pressure, take a look at these tips. Make sure you catch a break every once in a while so that you can relieve your pelvis.
Pelvic issue 3: Having pressure in the lower abdomen after pregnancy.
If you experience pressure in the lower abdomen accompanied with severe pain attacks after your pregnancy, then you might be dealing with a twisted ovary. These pain attacks can be immobilizing and they might even send you into the ER. The root of the issue is often hard to find, but through personal experiences I do know that an ovary may be the cause of severe pain in the lower abdomen. This can be an ongoing, present, nagging sensation in the lower abdomen with unexpected pain attacks. Seek a specialist immediately. This is a serious issue and it could even be life threatening when you wait too long with it. A twisted ovary can cause some serious pain. Even if the doctors don’t immediately suspect such, do press on that you want to get it examined. Pain shouldn’t control your life and pain isn’t normal to have.
Pelvic issue 4: Obstipation during pregnancy.
Your intestines are quite the scapegoat during a pregnancy. They are being stretched out by hormones and squished by the baby. You can imagine that obstipation won’t be a surprising thing to experience. The longer the feces stay in the intestines, the more moisture is being absorbed by the intestines. A shrunk, solid piece will be left behind. Iron supplements can also rain on your parade. Maybe you’ve become anemic which you’re taking those tablets for, but they often cause obstipation as well.
You can do a few things to solve obstipation. Eat enough fibers and drink 1,5 to 2 liters of water. Dried fruits can give you the fibers you need. Think of plumes and apricots. Peanuts and other nuts are also suitable and often very tasty too! It counts the same for fruits and vegetables.
Don’t hold yourself back. If you feel like you need to go to the toilet, just go. Don’t postpone it too long. Be sure to relax on the toilet and keep your toilet habits in mind. Doing sports and moving enough also have a positive influence on your bowel movements. Walk up and down the stairs a few times, you will notice that you’ll be quicker to get the urge.
Pelvic issue 5: Issues with or during sex during pregnancy.
You can run into a lot of issues when it comes to sex. Maybe you aren’t able to find the right position and the usual positions aren’t working out when you’re pregnant. That’s why I’ve written a blog about the ideal sex positions during pregnancy. You may also need to deal with some problems after pregnancy. Be sure to fully recover before you even think about having sex. You could be too tense and have an overly tense vagina as a result. This can cause a lot of pain when you want a penis, finger, or dildo to be inserted. The pain can make you more anxious and could develop vaginismus. Check out my blogs about vaginismus, sex during pregnancy and sex after pregnancy.
Pelvic issue 6: Firm bellies during pregnancy.
Firm bellies are often being caused by the contracting muscles in the uterus. This can be caused by physical extortion, especially when it comes to sex. Sex by itself is extorting but a lot of muscles in and around the vagina, uterus and abdomen contract when you reach your climax. This can cause a firm belly. Even stimulating your breasts or the male hormones in the sperm of your partner can cause your firm belly.
Pelvic issue 7: Changing sex positions during pregnancy.
This isn’t really a symptom but it is interesting! Your sex positions will change. You’ve probably been with your partner for quite some time and you have found a certain rhythm and have built up a few habits when it comes to your pillow fights. But that will probably change a little. Make it a fun thing to discover. The bigger the belly, the less you want to lay on your back. Being on hands and knees would be the most ideal for you, the same counts for being on top or doing it sideways. Explore together and most importantly, enjoy!
Pelvic issue 8: Varicose veins during pregnancy.
Maybe it’s everyone’s fear. Varicose veins. And I can make it sound even more horrible. They don’t always have to be located on your legs. Varicose veins can also appear on your labia. Your blood flow is being obstructed by the growing uterus. The pressure on your legs will increase, but the pressure in your pelvis can also increase which causes your labia to be the victim. Engorgement is something that can be incredibly annoying. Varicose veins are also genetic. Ask your mom if she’s ever had them. Maybe not about the labia, but I’m sure you can ask about the legs.
You can do some things against varicose veins. Be sure to move enough. Your legs will push the blood back up again. Don’t stand still for too long. Have a seat when it’s possible. Wear suitable shoes and don’t wear tight clothing. Having a bed with a heightened frame would be perfect. Do you have an electric one? Fantastic, how luxurious! Don’t you have an electric one? Chin up, having a pillow underneath your mattress often is enough too.
If you step into bed with your beautiful, round belly, be sure to lay on your side. This prevents your baby to put additional pressure on your organs and pelvis. Your blood vessels will be less pressured as well. You can also do a special leg movement. It’s like a pumping movement so that your blood will properly flow through the legs. Pump up your feet and legs, up and down. Staying active rocks! Keep your abdominal breathing in mind, this often encourages the blood flow.
Pelvic issue 9: Vaginal infections and discharge during pregnancy.
Your vagina has a better blood flow during pregnancy. This will cause a lot of pleasure to you and your partner! But this also means that you will experience more moisture. The acidic levels in your vagina have decreased which makes it more vulnerable to infections. A yeast infection is the most common one – also known as Candida. Normal discharge is a bit transparent and white, like egg white. You recognize infections by its strong smell, grainy or dark discharge, or having an itchy vagina.
It’s important that you take care of your vagina during your pregnancy. This becomes harder the longer the pregnancy takes. Always wash with lukewarm water only. Don’t wash it with soap or body wash. Use little to no panty liners, this often only irritates the skin. Don’t wear tight clothing and wear cotton underwear. Wipe down your vagina from front to back after you’ve peed.
If you still develop an infection, keep my tips in mind and go to the doctor.
Pelvic issue 10: Urinary incontinence during pregnancy.
Another common issue during and after pregnancy is incontinence. Incontinence is a reflection of the health of your pelvis. You’ll notice that toilet visits have become more frequent during pregnancy – especially during the first and the last trimester. 60% of women experience more frequent toilet visits at the start of their pregnancy, while 80% of women experience it at the end of their pregnancy.
This is a typical case of stress urinary incontinence. This is common among women with pelvic instability during or after pregnancy. There’s a chance you will experience stress urinary incontinence after pregnancy when you’ve also experienced it during your pregnancy. Research shows that the risks of developing incontinence when you’re older have increased when you’ve experience urinary loss during pregnancy.
7 causes of stress urinary incontinence during or after pregnancy
Stress urinary incontinence. The pelvic floor muscles are tensed up and the belly is growing. The pressure on the bladder increases because of the growing belly. However, the growing belly isn’t the only thing that causes the frequent urinating during pregnancy.
Cause 1: Less space in the belly
The growing pressure because of the growing womb. This occurs pretty early on in the pregnancy. Your body immediately pumps a lot of blood towards your womb which causes it to grow. Your bladder isn’t far away from your womb, and your womb will be compressed. This will decrease after about 4 months, the womb isn’t only growing downwards but also upwards. But don’t worry, you’ll be back to square one once your baby descends.
Cause 2: Lots of liquid
You often drink a lot more because your kidneys force you to! Feeling thirsty happens more frequent during pregnancy, this causes your bladder to fill up more often.
Cause 3: An increased abdominal pressure
Having an increased abdominal pressure means experiencing more urinary loss. Think of coughing, wheezing, laughing, lifting or sneezing. The baby will add more pressure on the pelvic floor once it descends around week 36. You’ll notice it’s harder to breathe through the abdomen. This increases the abdominal pressure.
Cause 4: Weakened pelvic floor muscles
Your pelvic floor muscles weaken over time. This is primarily caused by your pregnancy hormones. These muscles stabilize your pelvis and lower back. You also control your continence with the pelvic floor muscles. You will have less control over your urinating once your pelvic floor muscles weaken.
Cause 5: Overactive pelvic floor muscles
Instead of weakened, your pelvic floor muscles can become overactive as well. The pelvic floor muscles are too tight and too tense. Relaxing the pelvic floor has become difficult. This makes you unable to urinate properly. The bladder becomes too full and bits of urine can leak out.
Cause 6: Having experienced multiple vaginal childbirths
Earlier vaginal childbirths could have damaged your bladder, urethra or pelvic floor. The risk of urinary loss during the next pregnancy is higher than during the first pregnancy.
Cause 7: Infections in the pelvic floor
Irritations and infections in the pelvic floor, bladder or vagina can agitate the pelvis. This also affects the bladder, which can cause signals of having to pee to be distorted.
Pelvic floor exercises for urinary loss during the pregnancy
An easy and quick advise is to drink a lot so that you urinate frequently. Don’t make a habit out of it to drink less. You should try to drink more instead! Urine with a deficiency of liquid can cause irritations in the bladder. Don’t drink too much coffee, carbonized drinks and sour fruit juices. Keep it to water. Especially drink a lot in the mornings and afternoons, then you don’t have to get out of bed too often. Make use of my pelvic floor exercises as well. Using a combination of awareness and pelvic floor exercises is ideal for your recovery.
It’s important to actively focus on your pelvic floor during your pregnancy. Learn how to properly use the pelvic floor muscles so that you can start with the pelvic floor exercises after pregnancy if necessary.
The pelvic floor exercises for urinary incontinence during pregnancy are also awareness exercises. Become aware of your pelvic floor muscles. It’s logical that you don’t immediately know how to find them, let alone use them. Once you’ve found them and have become aware of them, you can start and follow the pelvic floor exercises. The nifty thing about these exercises is that you can perform them anywhere, without anyone noticing!
And lastly, are you looking for more information?
Hopefully this information was useful to you! If you’re still looking for some more information, feel free to take another look around on the website. It’s filled with in-depth information, tips, a web shop and also exercises. I still have a lot of articles with lots of information about other symptoms and issues. Feel free to click on the blue words to take you straight to the right page.
