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Protecting Your Pelvic Floor

How Much Do You Know About This Part of Your Anatomy?

By Jacqueline Rupp

4. True. "In general, incontinence symptoms after birth lessen and disappear during the recovery period in the months after birth," says Dr. Sakala. She says that research does not show a link between the common incontinence experienced later in life and the way a woman gave birth. "Many women in later life who never gave birth at all experience incontinence. There are also many non-reproductive risk factors for urinary incontinence, [including] many [that are] modifiable, like, smoking, cough, HRT use, excessive weight, sedentary lifestyle, some medications and chronic diseases."

Dr. Sakala says regular pelvic floor muscle exercises such as Kegels can reduce or eliminate symptoms. "Pelvic floor dysfunction is almost entirely avoidable through proper care during the pushing and birth phase of labor," adds Henci Goer, author of The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth (Perigee, 1999) and resident expert on the Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth's Web site.

5. d. "One of the most serious problems with the talk about the hazards of vaginal birth is the failure to acknowledge and address the fact that many women receive care that is not needed and can cause injury while giving birth vaginally," says Dr. Sakala. She says a classic example is episiotomy, which in North America is performed by cutting straight back (midline). "This increases a woman's risk for a serious tear into or through her anal muscle," says Dr. Sakala. "Despite many beliefs about the value of routine episiotomy, serious investigations (most recently in the May 2005 edition of JAMA

Want to see more?

• Birth Positions: How the Right Position Can Prevent an Episiotomy
• Powerful Pushing: New Method Promises Safer, More Efficient Delivery
• Pregnancy Nutrition From A to Z: A Comprehensive List of Nutrition Issues for Moms-to-be
• The Grand Tour: A Quick Trip Through the Labor and Delivery Room
• Pelvic Power: The Benefits of Kegel Exercises for Pregnancy and the Rest of Your Life
• Talk about it!