PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH and PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE

 

Today's blog is by a guest blogger who is passionate about getting critical medical matters into the public eye. I felt this was an important topic to inform mammas of, so I was excited to hear her desire to write this for you all!
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.