A new national survey by the Orlando Health Advanced Rehabilitation Institute finds most Americans believe it's normal for women to experience pain, pressure and incontinence after having children. But experts say these are actually signs of pelvic floor issues, and while they are extremely common, affecting about a third of women, they are not normal. "When we say it's not normal, what we mean is it's not something you should have to live with.
It's something you can rehabilitate and improve," said Tessa Ladd, OTR/L, an occupational therapist at Orlando Health who specializes in treating pelvic floor dysfunction. "By strengthening and coordinating pelvic floor muscles and learning how to breathe and move in a way that supports the pelvic floor, these symptoms that so many women live with for years can be drastically improved." The survey, conducted by Ipsos, found that 71% of Americans agree it's normal for women to have some urinary leakage after having kids, and more than half (51%) believe it's normal for women to experience pain during sex after they've recovered from childbirth —both telltale signs of pelvic floor damage.
The pelvic floor is the group of muscles and ligaments that act as a "hammock" to support the vagina, uterus, bladder and rectum. When they become damaged—most commonly brought on by pregnancy, childbirth or aging—they can cause incontinence, as well as pain and pressure that occurs when these organs slip from their normal position, known as prol.