New Study Says Childbirth Is as Strenuous to Your Body as Running a Marathon

A recent study from the University of Michigan found that labor and delivery have effects on the body that are similar to those seen in endurance athletes. While it is commonly known that pregnancy itself takes a huge toll on the body, this is the first time that researchers have taken a good look at the post-partum effect on the mother’s body.

Studying mothers like athletes reveals surprising information

The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, used MRI techniques commonly used in sports medicine to track injuries and healing times in a group of pregnant women before and after birth. The results turned old assumptions about post-partum healing upside down.

Researchers found that women sustain serious injuries during labor and delivery that can take more than 8 months to fully heal. The injuries, similar to those seen in long distance runners and other extreme athletes, included fluid in the pubic bone marrow, stress fractures in the bone, and excess fluid in pubic muscles. Forty-one percent of the women also sustained pelvic muscle tears in which the muscles partially or fully detached from the bone.

Janis Miller, an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, told Michigan News, “Women with pelvic injuries often feel like something isn’t right, but they don’t understand why and can’t get answers from physicians. If an athlete sustained a similar injury in the field, she’d be in an MRI machine in an instant. We have this thing where we tell women, ‘Well, you’re six weeks postpartum and now we don’t need to see you- you’ll be fine.’”

If you feel like something is wrong, it probably is

Many women blame themselves when they don’t feel right months after birth. Doctors often prescribe Kegel exercises to help strengthen pubic muscles after birth, but when the muscle is partially or fully torn, no amount of exercise will fix it. The team hopes that the study findings will help to eliminate the one-size-fits-all approach to post-partum care.

The research team will continue to monitor their test group through subsequent pregnancies, but their findings are the first step to implementing better post-partum care for mothers after delivery.

If you sustained injuries during labor and delivery that were disregarded by your physician, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering and medical expenses to repair the damage. The experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips LLC can evaluate your case and help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.