So often we forget, in motherhood, how crucial it is to care for yourself or have care provided by professionals who ensure healthy progress after childbirth
With the advent of technology and the Internet revolution,
modern women are kept abreast of almost every physiological change that occurs in
their body, and the developing fetus, from conception to birth. Once the baby
is born, the focus shifts almost completely from the mother to her new baby.
Other than the immediate postpartum healing period, there is very little
education about the importance of maintaining pelvic health and muscle
strength.
However, pregnancy and childbirth are the most common
factors leading to a condition that occurs when pelvic tissues and muscles
become significantly weakened. The condition is called pelvic organ prolapse
(POP), and it is diagnosed in approximately 50 percent of women between the
ages of 50 and 79.
In addition to pregnancy and childbirth, other factors can contribute to the
weakening of pelvic tissues and muscles. These conditions include obesity,
smoking, a family history of POP and/or previous pelvic injury. While POP can
usually be prevented, and its symptoms can by minimized, many women unknowingly
neglect their pelvic health by failing to make healthy lifestyle choices and
perform exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor. This can result in more
severe cases of POP that could require surgical intervention.
Pregnancy, Childbirth
and Pelvic Organ Prolapse
During pregnancy, a woman's uterus and the connective
tissues that support the uterus are stretched to multiple times their normal
size. While these tissues are designed to expand and contract to accommodate
pregnancy and childbirth, in most cases, they never quite return to their
pre-pregnancy strength and tone.
When combined with the eventual decline of estrogen as a
woman approaches menopause, these tissues begin to weaken further. If they
become weak enough, they aren't able to provide proper support to pelvic
organs, such as the bladder, urethra, uterus, cervix and rectum. In moderate to
severe cases of POP, pelvic organs will begin to shift toward the pelvic floor
and can even begin to collapse onto and into the vagina.
There are several things women can do to keep pelvic muscles
healthy and strong, and prevent symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse:
·
Healthy
lifestyle choices. The healthier a woman is, the healthier her tissues are.
A nutritious diet and exercise keep pelvic tissues healthy and help her to
maintain a healthy weight. Women should stop smoking as soon as possible.
·
Pelvic
exercises. Kegels are the most common exercise for toning and strengthening
vaginal and pelvic floor tissues. Physical therapists can recommend additional
exercises to focus on pelvic strength and tone.
·
Postpartum
massage. Postpartum massages have been shown to facilitate healing after
childbirth and can help to realign organs that have shifted out of place. Women
should seek a massage therapist who specializes in postpartum or pelvic
massages.
One of the most common treatments for moderate to severe POP
involves a medical device called transvaginal mesh.
Unfortunately, transvaginal mesh has been linked to thousands of cases of
serious health complications. Many of these cases have turned into transvaginal mesh
lawsuits against manufacturers of mesh products. The best thing women can
do to avoid surgery is to focus on pelvic health, reducing their chances of
developing POP.
Elizabeth Carrollton writes to inform the general public
about defective medical devices and dangerous drugs for Drugwatch.com.
