When you enrol in ante-natal classes there is a strong focus on exercising and conditioning the pelvic floor ( Kegel exercises) The muscle group of the pelvic floor is collectively known as the ‘Levator Ani’, a thick band of muscle and connective tissue that as a massage therapist having had 2 children and a third on the way, is nigh on impossible to soften with regular manual therapy. Firstly the fibers are too thick! In order to soften those tissues you would have to work with very deep pressure, which is not for the feint hearted! The results are not good and it is terribly uncomfortable.

The pelvic region sits like a basin at the lower end of the abdominal cavity. All pregnancy causes a mild to profound anterior tilting of the pelvis causing a huge forward shift in the bodies natural centre of gravity line which alters the whole postural alignment. Remember that the body is designed as a kinetic chain and one broken link in that delicate chain can cause muscular and postural imbalances leading to pain.
Think of the last trimester and how your fore-feet tend to swell due to the enormous pressure on those delicate structures. Wearing the abdominal girdle supports is really helpful to reduce the pelvic tilt and reducing lower back strains, bringing you back into a better alignment.

The pelvis is made-up of deep facial planes that can’t be seen or palpated which interlace and intertwine every organ and structure in the whole trunk/hip and pelvic region. The stress and strain from carrying this extra weight will cause a tightening of these peri-pelvic, intra-pelvic and femoral-pelvic structures, resulting in an overactive neurological stimulation which will lead to pain and discomfort.
Even after the baby has been delivered it takes a good while for all those body structures to realign themselves, assuming you started the pregnancy with good alignment.
If you started out with poor structural alignment with pelvic tilts, torques and rotations, you are more likely to experience this very uncomfortable compression even as soon as the second trimester.

At Stretch, we recommend regular pelvic floor stretching to all our expecting Mums. You and your partner can be easily taught to do these simple stretches at home. Those deep fascial layers can be unwound and kept flexible as well as oxygenated throughout your pregnancy. Active Isolated Stretching can be used right to the day of delivery. You won’t need to push any more just simply ‘open up!’
A much easier concept and far less painful.