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Postpartum Recovery Under the Radar Issues

Marianne Ryan PT recently had an article published in Motherly.com on the subject of These under the radar issues are all too common during postpartum recovery.

 

Pregnancy and childbirth can be an amazing experience for women, but it can also cause some intimate issues postpartum. First and foremost, know you're not alone, mama, and find a trusted healthcare professional you can talk with honestly. And, remember if you have urgent concerns, consult with your doctor.

Here are some common situations and tips on how to handle them in your postpartum recovery.

1. Diminished sex drive

Not having the urge to have sex can happen for a couple of reasons. First of all, there are tons of hormonal changes a woman has to deal with postpartum. It can take up to three months after childbirth for your hormones to rebalance and even longer if you're breastfeeding. Specifically, the hormones produced in lactating mamas suppress estrogen and testosterone and this lowers desire and can cause vaginal dryness.

Some ways to deal with the hormonal effects are by using over the counter vaginal moisturizers or using a prescriptive vaginal cream to replace estrogen. Exercise and sleep have also been found to be helpful tools to improve overall health and sexual desires.

Pain can be another causative factor. Women often feel pain in the pelvic floor muscles from birth trauma and it can be painful to have intercourse. Additionally, those who have larger tears often feel pain where they have stitches and scars.

To relieve pelvic floor muscle spasms, women can try the following:

1. Take a warm bath to relax the muscles prior to intercourse.

2. Try doing the child's pose and deep squats to help lengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

3. Breathing exercises and meditation may help.

4. If pain persists, consider treatment with a women's health physical therapist.

For the full article click HERE

MARIANNE RYAN PT, OCS is an award-winning author, physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist with more than 30 years’ experience treating prenatal and postpartum women. She is the owner and Clinical Director of Marianne Ryan Physical Therapy in New York City and the creator of the groundbreaking DIY “Baby Bod” program, which is the first of its kind to bridge the gap between medical care and fitness advice. As a leading women’s health expert (and a mom), Marianne is passionate about helping women reclaim their changed bodies, whether they are pregnant, recently took part in the joy of birth or are experiencing the “joy” of menopause. Watch her TEDX video, “What Your Momma Never Told You About Childbirth” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zyv5Inj_lE&.