Pelvic floor recovery after a C-section: Why and how does it work?

The pelvic floor recovery in postpartum naturally forms part of the recovery programme for new mums after giving birth. However, many women ask the same question: is it really necessary to do pelvic floor training after a C-section too? The answer is clear: YES!

After a C-section (and indeed at any other time in a woman’s life), it is essential to take care of your pelvic floor and strengthen it to preserve your intimate well-being.

Discover today in this article:

• The impact of 9 months of pregnancy: During pregnancy, your body changes on the outside but also on the inside—discover how.
• The risks and the right timing: Urine leaks, prolapse... Find out when to act and why you should strengthen your pelvic floor before your abs.
• At-home pelvic floor recovery solutions: How to regain control of your intimate health at your own pace and safely after your operation thanks to biofeedback technology and the Emy Trainer smart pelvic floor trainer.
  

The effects of pregnancy and childbirth on the pelvic floor

Throughout our lives, the pelvic floor is often weakened by different factors. Whether during sport, during menopause, during pregnancy or because of the strain of everyday movements, our pelvic floor is constantly put to the test!

Many women only hear about their pelvic floor after giving birth. Indeed, childbirth can weaken it. But be careful: many people wrongly think that only women who have given birth vaginally need pelvic floor training. That’s FALSE!

Think of the pelvic floor muscles as support for the bladder, uterus and vagina. Your muscles are used throughout the day. For 9 months, a woman’s uterus grows to make room for the baby. This puts pressure on the bladder, and the weight of the foetus presses on the lower abdomen and therefore on the pelvic floor, which stretches and weakens.

Indeed, vaginal birth puts even more strain on the pelvic floor... But even in the case of a C-section, the pelvic floor is stressed by the extra weight. That is why it It is so important to strengthen your pelvic floor after a C-section.

Prevention is better than cure: why support matters

The consequences of a weakened pelvic floor are numerous: urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pain during intimate moments or back pain, to name just a few. The condition of your pelvic floor after giving birth has a direct impact on your quality of life.

Through regular exercise (such as the well-known Kegel exercises), you can regain good muscle tone. This training helps relieve pain, supports the body’s supportive function and can even improve your sex life: if your pelvic floor is toned, you can contract your vagina better, making sex more intense for both partners!

Thanks to pelvic floor strengthening exercises, you can avoid many short- and long-term complications.

The right timing: from your check-up to getting back to sport

After the procedure (planned or emergency), recovery takes time. You need to wait for your postnatal check-up with your doctor or midwife (around 6 to 8 weeks) to get medical advice.

To treat the pelvic floor, it is essential to see a professional (a midwife or a physiotherapist specialising in pelvic physiotherapy, whether in a practice or a clinic) for a full pelvic floor assessment. The good news is that this care is often covered by health insurance for each patient.

Re-educate your pelvic floor at home with a medical device like Emy Trainer

In addition to your sessions with a healthcare professional, you can train your pelvic floor thanks to our Emy app. Very easy to use, it makes every training session fun and effective. With 32 adaptive mini-games and 8 game worlds, you can personalise your training according to your preferences and needs.

And to go even further, you can use our connected pelvic floor trainer Emy Trainer. It works with biofeedback, meaning the trainer detects the contractions of your pelvic floor muscles and the Emy app lets you see on your screen how effective your efforts are. It’s the guarantee of a fast and safe new technique to support you at home.

What to remember about your postpartum recovery

• An essential recovery step: Caesarean birth does not spare your pelvis. The weight carried during the 9 months of pregnancy calls for pelvic floor recovery to regain good muscle tone and prevent urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse.
  
  
• Medical follow-up with the right professionals: Wait until your postnatal check-up (6 to 8 weeks after giving birth) to carry out a assessment pelvic floor. Support from a midwife or a specialist physiotherapist is the key to successful care.
  
  
• Maintaining your progress at home: To preserve your quality of life in the long term, continue training at home. Using a connected medical device like the Emy Trainer pelvic floor trainer helps you strengthen your pelvic floor effectively thanks to biofeedback.

Sources:

• Pelvic floor rehabilitation in the context of postpartum, Haute Autorité de Santé, December 2002, Clinical practice guidelines - link

• Childbirth and returning home, Health Insurance (Ameli), July 2023, information sheet. - link 

• Prospective evaluation of the connected biofeedback EMY Kegel trainer in the management of stress urinary incontinence, Jochum F et al., February 2022, Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics and Human Reproduction 51(2):102280. - link