Healing After Loss: The Role of Pelvic Floor Therapy After Pregnancy and Infant Loss
- Carly Gossard
- Sep 22
- 3 min read
Every year on October 15th, families around the world pause to honor the babies who were gone too soon. Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is a time for reflection, grief, connection, and support. As a pelvic floor therapist, I often meet women in the quiet aftermath of this loss - a space that is deeply emotional, physically taxing, and often invisible to others.
Too often, the physical recovery after pregnancy or delivery ends up overlooked when the pregnancy doesn't end with a baby in arms. But your body still goes through real, significant changes - whether the loss occurred at 6 weeks or full term. Pelvic floor therapy offers a way to begin healing both physically and emotionally after miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal loss. And while nothing can erase the pain of losing a child, your healing matters too.
Why Pelvic Floor Therapy After Loss?
Pregnancy - no matter the outcome - impacts the body. The uterus grows, connective tissues stretch, hormones shift dramatically, and the pelvic floor muscles carry the physical and emotional weight of that journey.
After a loss, the body is often left in a limbo state: healing from pregnancy or delivery, but without the rituals and recognition that usually accompany postpartum care. Many women are told to “rest” and “let time pass,” but there is very little guidance on how to care for your pelvic health after miscarriage or stillbirth.
Some of the common physical symptoms after loss include:
Pelvic pain or heaviness
Urinary leakage or urgency
Bowel changes or constipation
Vaginal or perineal trauma (especially after labor or surgical delivery)
Scar tissue pain (after D&C, C-section, or episiotomy)
Core and abdominal weakness or separation (diastasis recti)
These are not minor issues, and they deserve compassionate, skilled care - just as they would after a live birth.
Therapy That Honors Both Body and Grief
In pelvic floor therapy, we work gently and mindfully. We begin where you are, acknowledging that your body has been through trauma, and so has your heart. Sessions often include:
Breathwork and relaxation techniques to calm the nervous system
Manual therapy to ease pelvic pain and reduce scar tissue restriction
Pelvic floor muscle retraining for incontinence or pressure symptoms
Core and postural support to help rebuild strength
Emotional space to talk through the complex feelings that arise during healing
Referrals to trusted colleagues who are perinatal specialized for comprehensive and whole-person care
Grief lives in the body. Many women describe a physical ache in the pelvis, abdomen, or chest - a tension that words cannot always reach. Touch, breath, and gentle movement offer another way to begin processing the experience.
You Deserve Healing - Even When the World is Silent
One of the hardest parts of pregnancy and infant loss is the silence. There is no baby shower, no postpartum plan, and often, no one asking how your body feels. But as a pelvic floor therapist, I want you to know this:
Your recovery matters. Your pain is real. And you are allowed to take up space in your healing.
Pelvic floor therapy doesn’t erase grief - but it offers a path forward. It reminds your body that it is safe. It helps you feel connected to yourself again, in a world that may feel broken. And it offers gentle support on days when showing up is an act of bravery.
A Message for October 15
On this day of remembrance, we honor the babies we carry in our hearts. But let us also hold space for the parents, the mothers whose bodies still carry the imprint of that love.
To anyone grieving a loss: You are not alone. You are seen. Your healing is important.
And when you're ready, pelvic floor therapy can be part of that healing.
For local mothers and parents in Northern New Jersey, we wholeheartedly refer to:
Courage In Time: a non profit organization founded by parents who experienced infant loss themselves to provide resources and community for families.
Postpartum Support International
A Work of Heart Counseling: A mental health practice with multiple PMH-C therapists (perinatal mental health certified)
References:
Price, R., & Smith, C. (2019). The impact of pregnancy loss on pelvic health: considerations for physical therapists. Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy, 43(3), 110–115.
Deering, S. H., et al. (2018). Pelvic floor dysfunction after obstetric trauma: recognizing and treating the physical aftermath of pregnancy loss. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America, 45(3), 565–575.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). (2020). Postpartum care after pregnancy loss. www.acog.org
Fenner, D. E. (2005). Genitourinary complications after obstetric trauma. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 48(4), 972–979.
Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society). (2022). Physical recovery after loss. www.sands.org.uk
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