In France they call it “ la rééducation périnéale”, - perineal re-education. And boy, did they get it right. I am very passionate about this subject for a variety of reasons, but mammas if you get one thing from this blog, please take away this - EVERY WOMEN SHOULD HAVE SOME FORM OF PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY AFTER BIRTH (C-SECTION OR VAGINAL). I know as a doula I’m not supposed to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but let me put it to you like this….do you want to risk having to possibly wear DEPENDS by the time you are 50, or feel pain every time you have sex with your partner for the next 50 years?
Ok let me back track. So, why would you need pelvic floor therapy if you’ve had a c-section? Well, think of your pelvic floor as a stretchy basket that holds all of your nether organs in place and keeps them from falling out of your butt. Now think if you put tons of pressure on that basket for 9 months then cut through that basket and put it back together again. I bet that basket isn’t as strong or stretchy as it was before, right? As mother’s we put our bodies through so much to conceive, carry, and birth our babies. It doesn’t matter if you have a vaginal birth, c-section, tear, episiotomy or fully intact hooha. In all of those situations those mothers have strained their bodies to bring life into this world. It’s extraordinary and wild. And very hard on our vaginas and pelvic floors. You deserve to keep that basket strong, pain free, leak free, and to keep all those organs where they belong (not falling out of your butt)!
Let me tell it to you straight. I had an all natural VBAC with my daughter and ended up with a third degree tear. After a few hours she had to be transferred to the NICU in another town and I made the choice to discharge myself only a few hours after birth (did I already say with a THIRD DEGREE TEAR?!). Needless to say, things got rough by day 3 or so and I was in MAJOR pain. Now how long do you think that pain lasted? I had some form of vaginal pain for 6 MONTHS before I addressed it with my doctor and got referred to a pelvic floor therapist. Yup. 6 whole months. I thought it would pass. That it was normal to have pain every time I tried to have sex with my husband. That I should just drink wine beforehand to help, or add more lube, or just grin and bear it. That this was my new normal. Luckily I had an OB that cared enough to tell me that it was NOT normal. That I DID NOT have to live that way. In fact, that I shouldn’t live that way. So he referred me to my amazing pelvic floor therapist. Is it weird that I truly think my pelvic floor therapist changed my life? Really. She did. And I think that Christy Ciesla is incredible, kind, and one badass chick. Thank you Christy!
So, I started my pelvic floor therapy 6 months postpartum and went EVERY WEEK for 2 months! Yup. That’s a lot of twit twat massage (this is what I used to call my vagina as a kid, yes my mom let me say twat as a toddler). Was it weird? At first, maybe a little because I wasn’t educated on my pelvic floor and pelvic floor health, but as I learned more it was fascinating, helpful, and totally not weird. It was awesome! I was taking care of my body. Preventing issues that could crop up 30 years down the line, strengthening my body, and most importantly ensuring that I would finally find my groove again in the bedroom, PAIN FREE. I was skeptical at first - is this really going to make the pain go away completely? Am I doing all this to make it a little better, but will I still have to deal with uncomfortableness? Will it work for awhile then go back to feeling painful once I stopped pelvic floor therapy? To answer these questions: yes, the pain went away completely. No, I no longer have any uncomfortableness with intercourse, and it’s been a year and my vagina is still doing great! My vagina got “re-educated” and yes it was worth it! Best thing I ever did for myself postpartum. So, run (don’t walk) to your doula, friend, or trusty google and find a great pelvic floor therapist near you. You won’t regret it.
