Do c-section mamas need to think about strengthening the pelvic floor after birth? The simple answer is – yes!!
Your Pelvic Floor Post C-Section
So often moms with c-section births think they don’t need to heal or strengthen their pelvic floor after baby comes – after all, they most likely weren’t pushing through birth. But, the pelvic floor is so intertwined with your entire body. Pregnancy and birth (no matter the method) affect your pelvic floor, and your pelvic floor affects your deep core, hamstrings, abdominals, alignment – basically everything!
Many moms with a cesarean scar experience scar tissue under the incision. If this is you, you may be feeling numbness around that scar, even if it’s been years and years post birth. But, if you haven’t done anything to wake up that muscle under your scar, the numbing can stay. You can begin to wake up that muscle by becoming aware of and strengthening the pelvic floor.
Strengthening the Pelvic Floor to Reduce Numbness
To get rid of the numbness associated with a cesarean scar, you need to understand how to activate, or effectively strengthen, the pelvic floor. The first thing you need to do to strengthen your pelvic floor post-c-section is to be aware of it. Here is a simple exercise you can do:
- Sit on an exercise ball, yoga mat, towel, or chair – anywhere you can sit straight comfortably.
- Think about lengthening your body by zipping up your middle and being tall through the top of your head.
- Inhale as you release and relax from your ribs through your hips.
- Now, think of your pelvic floor sitting at the base of your pelvis. Picture it as a diamond with 4 points. Exhale and lightly draw those four points of the diamond together. lengthening the points and drawing them tall.
Here’s a video explaining this move in further detail:
When you do this, it’s a very gentle, breath-centered exercise that helps you become more aware of your pelvic floor. We often think of a move like this as a kegel – but I encourage you to reframe your thinking. Think about this move as strengthening your pelvic floor as a way to connect through your whole body. Once you’re aware and have practiced that feeling of drawing the four-point diamond together, you’ll be able to wake up that numbing under your cesarean scar. This won’t happen overnight, but the more you practice, the easier it will become. If you’re looking for more advanced moves to strengthen your pelvic floor after a c-section, our Core Rehab program is the place to find them. You’ll also find more in-depth videos on these basic moves to really identify the pelvic floor.
Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor with Core Rehab
Whether you’re newly postpartum, 4+ years postpartum, or you had a cesarean or vaginal birth, this exercise is the first step in strengthening the pelvic floor. To continue strengthening your deep core and setting your body up for strength success, consider finding out more about my Core Rehab program. Recommended by OBs, physical therapists, and most importantly, other moms, it is the perfect program to heal your core and body postpartum.
