#1. C- section is EASIER than Vaginal Birth: There is often a misconception that because your birth was surgical that it was easier- especially if you scheduled your C-Section. Surgical birth has become very safe and common, so many people assume that the recovery is easy, However, Caesarean birth is still major abdominal surgery and will generally have a longer recovery time. If you experience a C-section, remember to be gentle with yourself and give yourself plenty of time to rest and recover. Not only are you healing from the demands of pregnancy but you are now healing from major surgery as well
#2 C -sections will prevent urinary incontinence: While the statistics show that there is a greater incidence of stress urinary incontinence associated with vaginal birth than with a planned C-section, women who undergo a planned C-section can still experience urinary incontinence. According to a recent study published in the May 2021 issue of the medical Journal Medicine, more than mode of delivery was associated with risk of Stress Urinary Incontinence. For first time mothers, pre-pregnancy BMI, Diabetes, Abortion, Newborn Weight, Use of Epidural Anesthesia and Duration of Second Stage of Labor all were significant factors in development of Stress Urinary Incontinence. An honest conversation with your healthcare provider will allow you to make the best decision for your birth.
Reference:
Gao J, Liu X, Zuo Y, Li X. Risk factors of postpartum stress urinary incontinence in primiparas: What should we care. Medicine (Baltimore). 2021;100(20):e25796. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000025796
#3 Sex will hurt the first time after birth- While this can be the experience of some women, it is definitely not the norm. Just as before baby, intimacy is more than just intercourse and your biggest organ of intimacy is your brain. Communicate any fears to your partner and make sure that you take physical intimacy slowly. Give yourself enough time to heal and find new ways to be physically intimate along the way. Massages, warm baths, have a good laugh and/or an enjoyable dinner, plenty of time to relax can help. Remember that each woman heals differently after birth and give yourself plenty of time to work your way into a physical relationship. If the above suggestions are not working or you feel something is really off, this would be a great time to schedule an evaluation with Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy.
#4 Labor has to be a painful and awful experience- Watch any shows on television and you will see birth as a painful and tortuous experience. Unfortunately, we are not shown how many labors are a lot of work but can be peaceful and rewarding. There are many childbirth preparations classes available that show that by physically and mentally preparing for a birth, you can have a wonderful experience. Chrissy’s personal favorite resource is Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin because more than half the book is dedicated to affirming and uplifting birth stories that help combat the negative images of birth that we are surrounded with by society.
#5. Just because your Healthcare Provider clears you for activity at your 6 week check up does not mean everything has to be back to “normal”- Post-partum recovery takes much longer than 6 weeks! Your body is amazing when it grows (and delivers) a human, Post-Partum recovery can take up to a year especially if you are breast feeding. It is never too late to help with post-partum issues. As a physical Therapist, I have helped women more than 10+ years post-partum deal with issues that happened
during or after their pregnancy. If you are struggling with back pain, incontinence, pelvic pain or heaviness, difficulty getting back into an exercise routine or difficulty exercising, schedule an appointment to see Chrissy, our Pelvic Health PT, to help you speed up your healing process
Chrissy Frey, Pelvic Health PT