Understanding Pregnancy Posture and Its Impact on the Pelvic Floor

Pregnancy is a wild ride and it comes with its own set of challenges and changes, especially when it comes to posture. As your body adapts to accommodate your growing baby, these postural changes can significantly impact your pelvic floor. 

Let’s dive into how pregnancy affects your posture and what you can do to support your pelvic health.

The Postural Changes During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, your body undergoes several postural changes to balance the shifting center of gravity and support the additional weight. Some of the most common changes include:

Increased Lumbar Lordosis: As your baby (and abdomen) grows, your lower back (lumbar spine) often curves more pronouncedly to accommodate the forward shift in your body’s center of gravity. This increased curve is known as lumbar lordosis. This also means that these back muscles (paraspinals) can become tight.

Glute Gripping: To maintain balance and stability due to a loss of core strength, some women may excessively contract their glute muscles, leading to what is known as glute gripping.

Increased Thoracic Kyphosis: The upper back (thoracic spine) may become more rounded due to changes in the center of gravity and the tendency to slouch forward as the breasts enlarge and the abdomen grows, this causes forward head posture. Slouching also causes forward head posture (as well as a few other things we do that we know we do, eek!)

How These Changes Affect the Pelvic Floor

These postural adaptations, while functional, can place significant stress on the pelvic floor muscles:

Increased Lumbar Lordosis: The exaggerated curve in the lower back can cause the pelvic floor muscles to overstretch and weaken, potentially leading to issues.

Exercises to help:

• Hands and knees breathing

• Psoas release

• Deadbugs (or other abdominal work with awareness)

• Releasing back muscles with breathing over a swissball.

Glute Gripping: Excessive contraction of the gluteal muscles can create undue pressure on the pelvic floor. Glutes help us maintain a neutral spine and protect the lumbar spine.

Exercises for great glutes:

• Stop clenching

• Build eccentric strength (lengthen those babies! Think Glute bridges with a deficit) Squats/Deadlifts (light or no weight)

• Build concentric strength (shorten) Squeeze those glutes when contracting the muscle.

Increased Thoracic Kyphosis: The rounded upper back can affect breathing mechanics and core stability, which in turn impacts the pelvic floor muscles. 

Goal for pregnancy - keep mid back moving throughout the entire pregnancy!

Exercises to help:

• Open book

• Thread the needle

• Doorway chest stretch

• Keeping upper back strong! Rows, reverse flys, etc.

Supporting Your Pelvic Floor During Pregnancy

Maintaining proper posture and body mechanics throughout your pregnancy can minimize unnecessary strain on your pelvic floor muscles. Here are some tips to help you support your pelvic health:

Practice Good Posture: Stand tall with your shoulders relaxed and your pelvis in a neutral position. Avoid slouching or leaning too far forward or backward (easier said than done right?)

Strengthen Your Core: Engage in exercises that strengthen your core muscles, including your pelvic floor. Practice 360 breathing, Kegels, Pelvic tilts, appropriate core exercises, and prenatal Pilates can be beneficial.

Use Supportive Equipment: Consider using a pregnancy support belt to help distribute the weight of your growing belly and reduce strain on your lower back and pelvic floor.

Seek Professional Guidance: A pelvic floor physiotherapist can provide personalized exercises and techniques to help you maintain a healthy pelvic floor during pregnancy.

Understanding the impact of pregnancy posture on your pelvic floor is crucial for maintaining your overall health and well-being. By being aware of your posture and incorporating exercises into your daily routine, you can help reduce the discomfort and promote a healthy pregnancy.

Remember, taking care of your pelvic floor now can lead to a smoother postpartum recovery and long-term pelvic health, how good!