• Following childbirth, 50% of women experience pelvic organ prolapse with symptoms of bladder and bowel dysfunction. Hagen et al 2004
• 50% of women who have had children have some degree of symptomatic or asymptomatic pelvic organ prolapse. Hagen & Stark 2011
• 1 in 5 women who have not had children had signs of pelvic organ prolapse in the study done by Hendrix 2002
• In women with vaginal prolapse, 63% will experience urinary stress incontinence. Bai et al 2002
• Urinary incontinence during pregnancy nearly doubles the likelihood of urinary incontinence at three months post baby (this is regardless of delivery method, so Caesarean section or vaginal). Eason et al 2004
• Women who are incontinent before pregnancy are 5 times more likely to leak after birth than women who are continent before pregnancy. Sampselle et al 1998
• 52% of women with lower back pain during pregnancy were found to have pelvic floor dysfunction in a study by Pool-Goudzwaard et al 2005
• Retraining muscle after injury is essential as inhibited muscle does not automatically reactivate and retrain. Stener & Petersen 1962
• a study of 1004 women with pelvic organ prolapse showed that straining on the loo is associated with anterior vaginal wall and perineal descent. Kahn MA 2005
• According to a study in 1999 housewives are 3 times more likely to undergo surgery for pelvic organ prolapse than managerial/professional women. Chiaffarino 1999
• POSTURE. Loss of lumbar lordosis/ lower back curve is associated with pelvic organ prolapse. Nguyen 2000
• Training post birth after experiencing pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy using a specific stabilisation exercise programme, results showed significant reduction in pain and 50% reduction in disability. This tells us that specific stability exercises are useful for reducing pelvic girdle pain after pregnany. Stuge et al 2004
• 52% of women with a pelvic floor dysfunction (stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse) have a Diastasis Rectus Abdominis. Spitznagle et al 2007
• 115 postnatal women had the inter-recti distance (the gap between the rectus muscle) measured on ultrasound imaging at 1 day, 8 weeks, 6 months and 12 months after birth. Results showed that the inter recti distance decreased from day 1- 8 weeks postpartum and then there was no change from then to 12 months post partum (after birth) . This means that without intervention, the inter recti distance or recti diastasis will not change with time. Coldron 2008
• 66% of women with a diastasis recti abdominis have a pelvic floor support dysfunction (stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse) Spitznagle et al 2007
• 45% have urinary incontinence 7 years post natally. Wilson et al 2002
• 36% have rectus diastasis abdominis 8 weeks after delivery. Boissonnault 1988
• Prevalence of stress or urge incontinence and intravaginal prolapse was 42% in women with one or more vaginal deliveries as opposed to 35% in women who had a C-section delivery. Sakala 2006
• Women who have had surgical repair of their prolapse can expect that 30% of initial repairs and 50% of second surgical repairs will fail. Pessary treatment can be just as effective as studies show comparing after one year. Fernando et al 2006