You’ve probably heard that leaking is common after pregnancy.
{In case you’re new here, let me be clear: common is not the same as normal. Leaking is never normal, and you don’t need to live with it.}
But why is leaking common after pregnancy?
Leaking is often caused by an imbalance in your pelvic floor muscles. Pregnancy, birth and postpartum change your skeleton, muscles, posture, breathing and nervous system, and all those systems impact your pelvic floor muscles.
After pregnancy, your pelvic floor may be:
too loose
too tense
uncoordinated (the muscles aren’t firing at quite the right time, or your brain and pelvic tissues aren’t communicating well)
Looseness isn’t the only reason you can leak. Tightness and coordination problems can lead to leaking, too 🤯
The best and most accurate way to figure out why YOU are leaking is to book an appointment with a pelvic floor therapist. They are the experts, and will assess your pelvic floor muscles to determine the reason for your leaking. Once you have a diagnosis, they will discuss a program to help you heal.
In the meantime, there are lots of things you can do to help restore balance to your pelvic floor. This includes:
Breathing exercises
Strengthening the muscles that support the pelvic floor (abdominals, glutes, and spinal muscles)
Calming your nervous system
Right now, my online workshop, The Pelvic Floor Workshop for Moms is available for FREE.
This 75-minute workshop will start with a 30-minute discussion about why your pelvic floor is important, what happens to your pelvic floor during pregnancy and birth, what you can do afterward to prevent or heal common pelvic floor problems, such as prolapse, leaking, constipation and pain in your hips or lower back.
It will end with a yoga practice focused on creating balance in your pelvic floor.
The Pelvic Floor Workshop for Moms is not just for newly postpartum women, it’s also for moms who are currently pregnant and moms with older children (it’s never too late to heal).
Click here to get the workshop delivered directly to your inbox.
Warmly,