Brittany Mahomes Raised Awareness for This Common Health Issue in Women
Women who have been through childbirth are likely aware of their pelvic floor, however, many don’t always do the work they are meant to after giving birth.
Brittany Mahomes is one of those women, and after experiencing issues with her pelvic floor, she is urging other women to make sure they look after theirs.
Pelvic Floor Muscles Help Organs in your Pelvis
According to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s important to work on your pelvic floor muscles, as this helps support your bladder, bowel, and internal reproductive organs.
![The female anatomy showcasing the pelvic floor. In the picture are the hip bones, intestines, and other pelvic floor muscles.](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/2d3bf757-screenshot-2024-03-13-164045.jpg)
Source: Continence Foundation of Australia/YouTube
These muscles weaken over time, either due to aging or injury, which is why it is important for everyone, especially if you are about to or have recently given birth, to do the correct pelvic floor exercises to ensure these bodily functions are working as they should.
A Weakened Pelvic Floor Can Lead to Serious Issues
Having a weakened pelvic floor isn’t just about having issues such as incontinence, as it can lead to some quite serious health issues.
![Woman hunched over stomach](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/efa88ba3-pelvic-floor-2.jpg)
Source: Canva
One of these issues is having an organ prolapse, which means that one of the pelvic organs will drop down into the vaginal canal and may even possibly stick out of the vagina.
There Is No Education Regarding the Pelvic Floor
Despite many individuals going through childbirth, not many of them are made aware of what they can do to help their pelvic floor until after they have given birth.
![A pregnant woman wearing an orange striped dress holding her baby bump.](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/086bdf60-screenshot-2024-03-13-164130.jpg)
Source: Spora Weddings/Pexels
Forbes reported that 25% of U.S. women have issues with their pelvic floor, yet many of those women have received little to no education on how they could have avoided those issues.
Brittany Mahomes Aims to Raise Awareness
Brittany Mahomes is a mother to two children and has recently shared on her Instagram story how her pelvic floor has affected her.
![Brittany Mahomes wearing a red coat and trousers, a black hat and gloves, and a yellow bag. She is on an NFL football pitch.](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/780a6af4-screenshot-2024-03-13-164151.jpg)
Source: @brittanylynne/Instagram
She urged her followers, especially those who have had children, to look after their pelvic floor, and ended the post with, “from a girl with a fractured back,” as reported by NBC News.
Pelvic Floor Problems Are Related to Back Issues
Some people might be confused about how having problems with your pelvic floor can relate to having back issues, but doctors have said that this does happen.
![A person massaging someone else’s back.](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/e274f888-screenshot-2024-03-13-164211.jpg)
Source: Milius007/Pixabay
Dr. Roger Dmochowski told NBC News that women are likely to develop issues with both if they have been through pregnancy and childbirth.
Most Pelvic Floor Issues Happen in Older Women
It is important to start working on pelvic floor exercises sooner rather than later, as the National Institutes of Health reports that it is older women who suffer most from it.
![Woman feeling stomach pain](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/74fd2bf3-pelvic-floor-1.jpg)
Source: Canva
Only 9.7% of women ages 20 to 39 had issues with their pelvic floor, compared to 49.7% who were 80 years or older.
Women Should Learn the Early Symptoms of Pelvic Floor Issues
Due to a lack of education, it might be difficult for women to spot the early signs of having issues with their pelvic floor.
![A woman stood next to an open toilet holding her bladder.](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/a126d61c-screenshot-2024-03-13-164256.jpg)
Source: Jcomp/Freepik
One of the first signs is either a loss of urine or an overactive bladder. However, sometimes there are no symptoms, and the issue will only be discovered if a woman goes to the doctor for an examination.
Pelvic Floor Issues Worsen as They Progress
Just like most health problems, pelvic floor issues worsen as they progress, which is why it is best to get it checked out as soon as you first notice the symptoms.
![A woman sat on her bed holding the lower part of her stomach looking in pain.](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/a6e8f9a8-screenshot-2024-03-13-164315.jpg)
Source: Freepik
As the prolapse starts to happen, you might notice that either the rectum, bladder, or uterus, and sometimes all three, end up falling into the vagina, which can be quite painful.
Pelvic Floor Exercises Are Simple to Do
Those who are not used to going to the gym or who live busy lifestyles might think that they don’t have time for pelvic floor exercises.
![A woman in workout gear holding a yoga mat and kegal exercise ball.](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/275f61fa-screenshot-2024-03-13-164335.jpg)
Source: We-Vibe Toys/Unsplash
Doing pelvic floor exercises can even be as simple as contracting and then relaxing your bladder while you are out driving to help strengthen the pelvic muscles.
Some Women Might Need Physical Therapy
While for some it might be as simple as carrying out pelvic floor exercises on their own, others might need physical therapy.
![Person lying down with hands on stomach](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/c441a8ce-pelvic-floor-3.jpg)
Source: Canva
However, physical therapy for pelvic floor issues currently isn’t an option in the U.S. It is only offered in exceptional circumstances, such as if a woman went through a difficult childbirth delivery.
Some Pelvic Floor Issues Require Surgery
In the most severe cases, likely whenever a woman has a prolapse, surgery will be required to fix things.
![Two surgeons performing surgery on a patient.](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/2b5c0e0a-screenshot-2024-03-13-164433.jpg)
Source: Olga Guryanova/Unsplash
Johns Hopkins Medicine states that the surgery is known as laparoscopic colposuspension. It is minimally invasive and reconstructs the pelvic floor.
The Lesson Is to Start Pelvic Floor Exercises Early
Due to the lack of education, many women are unlikely to have done this, but to preserve your pelvic floor, it’s best to start doing the exercises early.
![Three women doing yoga. They have their hands on the mats, have one leg on the mat, and one leg is meant up in the air.](https://images.caredoctor.com/2024/03/21ccb3e8-screenshot-2024-03-13-164533.jpg)
Source: Bruce Mars/Unsplash
Pericoach states that women can start doing pelvic floor exercises as early as their 20s, regardless of whether they are pregnant or have given birth. However, it is generally recommended to start them once you find out you are pregnant to get into the practice of doing pelvic floor exercises before you get to a stage where problems can occur.