We all know just how traumatic child birth can be on our bodies, and now scientists in the US have proved what we’ve known all along.

 

According to researchers at the University of Michigan, not only is childbirth much harder than running a marathon, it can take up to eight months for pelvic injuries to heal.

 

Despite new mums being typically told that their bodies will start getting back to normal after six weeks, Dr Miller, associate professor at the university’s school of nursing, said that most mums won’t feel better that soon.

 

 

Adding that many can feel like there is something wrong with them, Dr Miller explained that for some even the recommended Kegel exercises don’t work.

 

“Women with pelvic injuries often feel like something isn’t right, but they don’t understand why and can’t get answers from physicians. A woman may have bladder problems, and in some cases prolapse of organs if the pelvic muscles are not functioning well enough to hold them in place,’ she said.

 

The team used MRI scans to diagnose childbirth injuries and the time it took for them to heal.

 

 

The results showed that despite previous thoughts that post-partum pelvic injuries are nerve-to-muscle related, one quarter of women had fluid in their pubic marrow bone, two-thirds had excess fluid in the muscle and around half had pelvic muscle tears.

 

While women in the study had high-risk factors of muscle tears, you should always seek medical attention if you experience unusual symptoms or discomfort after giving birth.

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