Quote:Dr Jocelyn Fitzgerald, who specializes in disorders of the pelvic floor, is ‘begging women to learn’ the physical risks and changes that accompany childbirth

Quote:I like to joke, but actually I’m very serious, that the reason more women don’t know about urogynecology is because we would have to admit that we need urogynecologists,” Fitzgerald says.

Urogynecologists specialize in disorders of the pelvic floor and all of the organs contained within the pelvis of people assigned female at birth: the vagina, the uterus, the bladder, the rectum and all of the pelvic muscles and nerves. One of the most common conditions they treat is vaginal prolapse, which usually happens as a result of childbirth, and occasionally requires reconstructive surgery.

Fitzgerald says it makes her “angry” that so many people are blindsided by the pelvic floor injuries and complications that can happen during and after childbirth. “We portray motherhood as this beautiful calling, and for some women it is,” Fitzgerald says. “But that doesn’t change the fact that the calling comes with some real costs.”

(Feb 12 2025, 4:47 AM)Persephone First comment I see is "There is no point resenting it."

Forces, I hate seeing this "it is what it is" attitude so prevalent among women. We hold back our own healthcare and technological progress by bending over and accepting our suffering and sacrifice as part of "what it's about" or whatever.

(Feb 13 2025, 10:43 PM)wormwood don’t want to read the piece for, um, reasons, but does she say if there’s anything a pregnant woman can do to help prevent injury? I know childbirth is a traumatic and unpredictable event, and nothing can be ruled out, but to improve the odds?
When I was pregnant the advice was to avoid pelvic floor exercises in case the triggered labour prematurely.

Dr Jocelyn Fitzgerald How can women prepare themselves for some of these potential injuries and complications?
There are definitely more resources than there used to be. Just knowing that urogynecology is a specialty in medicine that is dedicated to these issues is a huge part of the battle. It’s rare, but I’ve had patients come to me before they get pregnant to ask for counseling about pelvic floor disorders related to birth. I’m not saying everyone needs to do that.
There are a lot of patient-facing resources on the American Urogynecology Society (AUGS) website. [Fitzgerald is a member of AUGS.] There’s an inexpensive AUGS book – I don’t make any money from it – that is all about pregnancy and postpartum and your pelvic floor. It’s really easy to read, and has information about how to hold your baby so that you protect your back, and other postural and hormonal changes that happen.
And just know that pelvic floor therapy is out there. There are a lot of reputable pelvic floor therapists that have a lot of good information about pelvic floor rehabilitation. And talk to your obstetrician, of course.

(Feb 14 2025, 3:54 AM)Wandering_Feminist56 Wow, one commenter on Ovarit says that having children is about courage and sacrifice so these risks and this pain is part of it, others dismiss these risks and experiences and minimize their significance. It's so weird and sad. They're against a Handmaid's Tale-like society but are minimizing concerns about health and pain as part of pregnancy. It reads as very conservative, and even more so when they discourage fully informing women about the possible consequences.

What the heck?

Quote:Persephone
They called themselves pro-women, but were adamant to defend, deny or deflect any suffering caused to us by nature and not the hands of men.