Common, Not Normal

How many times have you shared something in conversation and received the reply, " well that's just a part of motherhood?" Take something like unwanted leakage with a sneeze for instance. How many of us moms have been forced to squeeze our knees together during a laugh attack?

I once had a patient tell me she couldn't enjoy comedy show date nights with her husband anymore because a night of laughing was a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, this is all too common and a result of the standard of care for pregnancy, childbirth, and the subsequent recovery (or lack thereof).

While there are so many changes and challenges during pregnancy and postpartum, it is important to separate the "common" from the "normal". So let’s talk about a few statements I often hear and discuss ways we can provide better solutions for ourselves to feel more prepared, confident, and strong as a mother!

#1 "I Pee my pants when I sneeze, but I've had babies. pssh!"

Common? Yes! Normal? NO!

Research tells us that 5-35 % of postpartum women experience urinary incontinence. (1-4) Just because many women experience it, doesn't mean you have to live with it!

How? Well, I will tell you this for starters, the answer is NOT "Just do kegels!" There are so many other factors that play a role in pelvic floor function. Whether you are days or decades past having children, we can address the pelvic floor dysfunction. It's not too early or too late!

# 2 "I can't jump on a trampoline or do jumping jacks...unless I'm wearing a pad."

Common? Oh yes! Normal? NOPE!

Stress urinary incontinence imposes significant psychological disorders such as low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression causing a staggering decrease in participation of daily activities. (7-8) With proper rehabilitation and healing time, we should all be able to get back to the things we love and want to do! If you are having difficulty meeting your fitness goals, lets work together!

#3 "I had an epidural, so I just live with low back pain!"

So Very Common!

About 50% of women experience low back pain during pregnancy or within their first year postpartum. (10) But did you know studies have found that there is not a significant difference in back pain between women who received an epidural and those who did not? I was very surprised to learn this however it opened my eyes to how much all the other things can affect the way our body functions rather than one needle (hopefully just one) in the back!

If you are experiencing back pain during pregnancy or postpartum, email me at motherhoodwithmacy@gmail.com to schedule a free consult!

I want to help you move better!

If you relate to these statements above, this is your reminder that it doesn't have to stay that way! Email me or find a pelvic floor physical therapist in your area!

What is a common misconception you have faced in motherhood? Share in the comments below!

[1] Wang H, Ghoniem G. Postpartum stress urinary incontinence, is it related to vaginal delivery? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2017;30:1552–5.

[2] Zhu L, Li L, Lang JH, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for peri- and postpartum urinary incontinence in primiparous women in China: a prospective longitudinal study. Int Urogynecol J 2012;23:563–72.

[3] Perera J, Kirthinanda DS, Wijeratne S, et al. Descriptive cross sectional study on prevalence, perceptions, predisposing factors and health seeking behaviour of women with stress urinary incontinence. BMC Women Health 2014;14:78.

[4] Bo K, Hilde G, Tennfjord MK, et al. Does episiotomy influence vaginal resting pressure, pelvic floor muscle strength and endurance, and prevalence of urinary incontinence 6 weeks postpartum? Neurourol Urodyn 2017;36:683–6.

[5] Lasak AM, Jean-Michel M, Le PU, et al. The role of pelvic floor muscle training in the conservative and surgical management of female stress urinary incontinence: does the strength of the pelvic floor muscles matter? PM R 2018;10:1198–210.

[6] Thomaz RP, Colla C, Darski C, et al. Influence of pelvic floor muscle fatigue on stress urinary incontinence: a systematic review. Int Urogynecol J 2018;29:197–204.

[7] Lin YH, Chang SD, Hsieh WC, et al. Persistent stress urinary incontinence during pregnancy and one year after delivery; its prevalence, risk factors and impact on quality of life in Taiwanese women: An observational cohort study. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2018;57:340–5.

[8] Radziminska A, Weber-Rajek M, Straczynska A, et al. The impact of pelvic floor muscle training on the myostatin concentration and severity of urinary incontinence in elderly women with stress urinary incontinence - a pilot study. Clin Interv Aging 2018;13:1893–8.

{9} Macarthur AJ, Macarthur C, Weeks SK. Is epidural anesthesia in labor associated with chronic low back pain? A prospective cohort study. Anesth Analg. 1997 Nov;85(5):1066-70. doi: 10.1097/00000539-199711000-00019. PMID: 9356101.

[10] Malevic A, Jatuzis D, Paliulyte V. Epidural Analgesia and Back Pain after Labor. Medicina (Kaunas). 2019 Jul 9;55(7):354. doi: 10.3390/medicina55070354. PMID: 31324024; PMCID: PMC6681359.