The Mothering Body: How Parenthood Affects the Pelvic Floor
…and what we can do about it.
Motherhood is often painted in soft pastels and sleepy smiles, but beneath the surface lies a body that has undergone incredible transformation. One of the most impacted (and often ignored) areas... the pelvic floor.
Whether you’ve had a vaginal birth or cesarean (c-section), the journey of mothering can profoundly influence the pelvic floor muscles; those deep, stabilizing muscles that cradle our pelvic organ and support our core.
Let’s talk about it.
What Happens to the Pelvic Floor During Pregnancy and Birth?
During pregnancy, the pelvic floor holds more than just our organs; it bears the increasing weight of a growing baby, responds to hormonal changes (like the softening effect of relaxin), and adapts to shifting posture and pressure.
If a person gives birth vaginally, the pelvic floor stretches up to and beyond three times its original length during labor. And even with a C-section, the abdominal and pelvic systems are deeply affected by pressure, tension, and surgical trauma.
All of this means:
The pelvic floor deserves recovery, not just resilience.
What Exactly Does a Struggling Pelvic Floor Look Like?
Everyone is different, with different factors so it will likely present differently between all of us, but some common signs and symptoms.
Leaking urine when laughing, coughing, or sneezing
A feeling of heaviness in the pelvis
Painful insertion with intercourse or even sanitary products
Constipation or incomplete elimination
Lower back, sacral, or hip pain
Emotional tension held in the belly and womb space
These symptoms aren’t just “part of being a mom.” They are signals; calls for support, rest, movement, and reconnection. And anyone can get them. Moms have the risk factor of not just stressing the pelvis but also ignoring these signs to care for those in her life, like her new baby, and often the older ones too.
Reclaiming Your Pelvic Floor with Care, Not Kegels
What helps?
1. Movement that softens before it strengthens.
Gentle yoga, pelvic tilts, supported squats, and breath-based practices can begin to invite the muscles back into balance without force.
2. Breathing that drops into the body.
When we inhale into the belly, the diaphragm and pelvic floor move together. This natural rhythm restores tone and reduces gripping.
3. Self-massage and bodywork.
Abdominal or pelvic massage can bring circulation and healing touch to areas that have felt numb, tense, or disconnected.
4. Support and education.
Seeing a pelvic floor specialist or learning about your anatomy gives you tools to take care of your body with more awareness and kindness.
A Love Letter to Every Mothering Body
If you’re healing from birth (from 6 weeks, 6 or even 16 years ago), raising small humans, or simply holding it all together each day:
Your pelvic floor is part of your strength and your softness.
It has expanded, held, and adapted in ways most people never see.
Let’s mother the mothering body with patience, presence, and pelvic care.
Your body is worth your time and energy, and you are allowed to take space for you.