But…I had a C-Section
The only thing that can be confidently stated about the childbirth experience, is that no two stories are the same! Every person has their own unique experience. This is also true about Cesarean section (C-section) births - everyone has a different story! Maybe the circumstances that led up to the procedures were different, maybe the procedure itself had unique components, and obviously even the recovery from the procedure can be very different for each person.
Today our blog is talking about the connection between C-section and urinary leakage (incontinence). What? I thought that urinary incontinence only happens if you have a vaginal birth and you have to spend hours pushing your baby out? Wrong. There are many people who have given birth vaginally who never experience leakage. There are many people gave birth via C-section who DO experience urinary leakage. The important message is that if urinary leakage does happen to you, it is a common occurrence following ANY kind of childbirth, including C-sections. Common does NOT equal normal, and there are pelvic floor physical therapists here to help you gain back confidence and control of your bladder symptoms.
C-sections can commonly affect urinary symptoms because the procedure involves opening many layers of abdominal muscles, peritoneum (lining around abdominal contents), and the uterus to allow the baby to safely be delivered. Each of those layers, when they are stitched back together, can often develop scar tissue adhesions that can create tension or pulling through the pelvic floor (and other areas) as they heal. Imagine taking your T-shirt in the lower abdominal area and twisting it up into a knot, you may start to feel pulling or tugging sensations even behind your lower back or shoulder or another area farther away from the part of the T-shirt you just tightened up. This is essentially how the pelvic floor can be affected by the C-section scar tissue. For that matter, it can also happen with other abdominal surgeries as well (appendectomy, gallbladder removal, laparoscopy, or hysterectomy as examples). When the scar tissue in the abdominal area “pulls” or “tugs” the pelvic floor muscles, it can create symptoms such as pain in the pelvic area or urinary leakage.
If you have experienced urinary leakage after having a C-section and thought that you were alone, you’re NOT ALONE! Most importantly, we can help you overcome those symptoms. Pelvic floor physical therapists can assess whether your scar tissue is affecting your urinary symptoms, or whether there are other factors that are involved in your symptoms. Don’t delay - reach out to Shift Physical Therapy to gain back confidence and control over your urinary leakage symptoms.
Written by: Renee Hancock, Physical Therapist
