Why connecting to your pelvic floor is so important during pregnancy
What is the pelvic floor?
The pelvic floor is the very base of your core and is a broad sling of muscles, ligaments and sheet-like tissues that stretch from your pubic bone at the front of your body, to the base of your spine at the back. It has so many roles and contributions including but not exhaustive to:
pelvic organ support; sexual function; urinary and faecal continence; modulation of intra abdominal pressure; contributes to control and support of the lumbar spine and pelvis; and a trampoline of support for baby during pregnancy.
The importance of pelvic floor functionality
Let’s be really clear that all muscles in the body for them to function well MUST have the ability to not just contract but also relax, so the same goes for the pelvic floor. If you were to hold the top of a bicep curl in a contracted position forever and always, it wouldn’t be strong would it? No, because repair and restoration happens when we relax, and your biceps would likely be tired, overworked, and therefore weak. It is the exact same principle for the pelvic floor. Muscles like our biceps can more tangibly be seen and felt, but the internal positioning of the pelvic floor means that for many of us it is a little more mysterious and difficult to vision or understand. So…
How to understand your pelvic floor
Understanding your pelvic floor means also understanding and feeling into your breath. When we inhale the diaphragm descends, a vacuum is created that sucks air into the lungs, the pelvic organs move down, and the pelvic floor relaxes downwards too to regulate pressure and make space.
When we exhale the opposite happens, the pelvic floor contracts, inner organs move back to resting position, the diaphragm ascends back up, air is expelled.
Yes pelvic floor strength is important, but more important is its adaptability and functionality. We know that while tone and strength of your pelvic floor is necessary, so is the beautiful contradiction of softening and letting go, therefore:
Tips for effectively connecting to your pelvic floor during pregnancy:
Find ‘360 breathing’: either seated or side lying, inhale fully and fill your lungs through not just the front but also the sides, and through the back
Work with your breath to contact the pelvic floor as you exhale (an upward lift sensation) and relax it as you inhale (a downward softening sensation)
Do all of this with a relaxed jaw and without clenching your glutes or back passage
Stay for 1-2 minutes
Start incorporating the above with pelvic tilts and gentle movement. Kneel in an all fours position and as you inhale tilt the pelvis forwards and feel for the pelvic floor relax and widen, as you exhale posteriorly tilt the pelvis down and back and feel for the pelvis floor contracting and gathering (think cat cow, but just focusing on movement in the pelvis and lumbar)
When doing this awareness exercise, what do you feel? What do you not feel? Is relaxing easier than contracting or vice versa? Be curious but also importantly please do not self-diagnose or use google to decide where your pelvic floor is at because everyone is so different. Also, pelvic floor diagnostics isn’t as simple as ‘weak’ or ‘strong’ or ‘normal’ — one can experience tightness or weakness in the front, back, or either side of the pelvic floor independently. I strongly encourage if possible to go see a pelvic floor specialist when prenatal and also after your six week postnatal check, they would be able to tell you so much more. Your pelvic floor (again, like every muscle) through appropriate and consistent programming has significant potential for change and adaptability.
How pregnancy yoga can support you
My pregnancy yoga classes are for both expectant pregnant people with no experience of yoga, and pregnant yogis wanting to modify their practice and allow for the changes occuring in their body. We work on: strengthening surrounding muscles of the pelvic floor to support pelvic floor strength and adaptability; appropriately twisting and working with the core; techniques to support optimal breathing; exercises to feel powerful and strong; and sequences and postures to help you feel open and a sense of relaxing and letting go. Whether you are looking to support a more comfortable pregnancy, hoping to prepare for and improve labour, or keep moving and strengthening through your term — you are so welcome here.
Alice Gray teaches a weekly pregnancy yoga class with Studio 70 on Sundays 5-6pm.