Understanding Your Nervous System as a Piece of Pelvic Health

Hannah Mueller

Jul 6

6 min read

Have you ever been overstimulated?

It seems like such a silly question, especially for a mom. Baby is crying, the dog had an accident, and all while you are just trying to get out the door to an appointment. When are you not overstimulated, right?

In this blog, we are going to dive a bit deeper into what that feeling and others like it are triggering in your nervous system. We will start with understanding our nervous system just a little more, applying that to our real lives and what’s happening physically in our bodies, and then talk about the tools we can use to take a little more control over this invisible system.

What most people don’t know about stress and overstimulation

When we experience those high levels of stress that seem all too frequent as mothers and women, there is often a physical response.

Sometimes we notice this ourselves, you might be aware that you clench your jaw or your fists, your back or shoulders could be tense, some of us even experience stress headaches.

What few people often think about is their pelvic floor, the group of muscles in our pelvis that hold our bladder, bowels, and reproductive organs. These muscles and ligaments do way more than you might think. They help control the pressure in our abdomen, they contract and relax to allow us to pee and pass bowels, they even help with arousal and sexual function. And just like the rest of our body, they can tighten in response to stress, so when you get tense, your pelvic floor does too.

Why does it matter if your pelvic floor is tight?

The simple answer is that it can be just plain uncomfortable. Tension in the pelvic muscles can also cause leakage of pee or poop, pain and discomfort in the pelvis and abdomen, pain with sex, and MORE mental stress.

Pelvic pain is no joke, and many women who experience it do not realize they have options. Pelvic floor therapy is one option, and prevention is another. In a moment, we will talk a bit more about the tools we can use to prevent that tension. First, let’s talk about what is happening in your nervous system when this dysregulation occurs.

The vicious cycle

While it may not feel like it, dysregulation is a symptom of your nervous system trying to do what’s best for you. When you or your child are in danger, a section of your brain called the amygdala releases cortisol into your body through a complicated cascade of hormones. This is a necessary process that allows you to have those mom reflexes that keep your baby safe or anticipate an emergency.

The difficulty is when the system doesn’t stop. At first, the brain is responding to the stimuli of a dangerous situation. The problem occurs when that stimulus is replaced by an anxious reaction. This happens when your brain interprets that anxiety as a new dangerous stimulus and releases MORE cortisol in response.

The cycle then repeats, and sometimes, we don’t have the know how to stop it on our own.

Hyperarousal, Hypoarousal, and the difference.

Imagine that your nervous system is a swing set.

Now imagine the swing sung out to one side. This is hyperarousal. In this state of dysregulation, your heart rate and blood pressure are higher, breathing becomes quickened and erratic. This kind of dysregulation is commonly referred to as “fight or flight” and often comes with intrusive or out-of-control thoughts. Many people in hyperarousal are operating with a “what will happen next” or “how can I be ready” mentality and experience heightened sensations.

The opposite is when the swing goes to the other side, hypoarousal. This is also dysregulation, but here your breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure slow down. While this doesn’t sound all that bad at first, it comes with an absence of sensations, slower processing, and general withdrawal. This is a freeze response, that leaves you feeling shut down, numb, and disassociated.

In both hyperarousal and hyperarousal, your nervous system is at a disadvantage where:

Limited emotions can be experienced
You cannot fully engage in your environment
No new learning can take place

The sweet spot - Regulation

When the swing is at rest, not moving, that is when your nervous system is regulated. Your blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing are automatic and relaxed. When your system is regulated, your brain has the capacity to:

Experience a full range of emotions
Bond and connect with others around you
Process and learn new information
Make informed decisions and good judgments
Tap into intuitions and insights

This is the ideal place for your nervous system. Realistically, we do not spend as much time as we should in a regulated state. This is especially true for moms. So, what can we do about it?

Three tips and tricks to settle the swing

In this last section, you are going to learn some clear-cut ways to bring your nervous system to a regulated place. The important thing to know is that every system is different. These tips are a starting point, not a hard line. Make these your own by trying them out and figuring out what works and fits into your lifestyle.

Rhythmic movements

Nothing soothes the nervous system like movement. When you activate muscles and systems connected to the nerves that regulate you (like the vagus nerve), you are sending signals to that nerve that work like pressing a reset button.

Some things you can try could be as involved as; dancing, yoga, or tai chi; or as simple as bouncing on a medicine ball, swinging your arms back and forth, or rocking back and forth.

A word for the wise: rhythm is key. Keep the movements slow and controlled. The idea is to take a few moments to get out of your head and into your body. Try to avoid rushing through or treating it like a task. Prioritize smooth swooping movements over jerky, forceful ones.

Breathwork

Meditative breathing (also known as box breathing) is a great way to take a task that is usually automated by the nervous system and take manual control for a short time. Once again, we reset the system to find a breathing pattern that is gentle and controlled.

Breathing in slowly through the nose and slowly out through the mouth is the first step. To incorporate the pelvic floor, put thought into where the air goes as you breathe in. Allow your body to relax before inhaling from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet. As you inhale, try to feel the air filling your belly, sides, and lower back, allowing them to expand.

If this is simple and helpful, you can also add in the box imagery. Picture a perfect square, as you inhale, count to four. You are climbing the left side of the box. Now, hold that breath for four seconds and picture traveling along the top of the square. Repeat with the exhale along the right side of the box for four seconds and hold for four on the bottom. Then, repeat!

Get grounded

This last piece is all about the practical. We have addressed the big movements of the body, and the automatic ones, now, we consider our thoughts.

Identify:

Where are you in this moment?
What are 3 things you know for a fact?
What are 3 things you don’t know?
Who are 2-3 people you could contact right now if you needed them?

You can take this a step further, or start with the following exercise:

Close your eyes and identify 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste.

It seems so simple, and that is the point. Here, we recognize what is real, and end the vicious cycle.

These activities are made to be adjusted

Find what works for you. Adjust. Change. Add to what you have. You can even get creative and involve the kids. There are moments they will need it to. What better way to learn than to teach?

You deserve to feel at home in your body. Yes, so that you can be present for your kids and for your family. But all that aside, stress has an impact on your body. You deserve to feel soothed for no other reason than your own comfort.