Pregnancy and Postpartum Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy in Columbus, Ohio
You don’t have to do postpartum alone!
Picture it: You finally find someone to watch the baby and you’re thrilled you can catch up on Grey’s Anatomy while spinning away the baby pounds on the elliptical. As the doctors passionately argued over surgical techniques, the sweat began to pour. Then you feel that dreaded sensation. . . you have to go to the bathroom. And not in a let-me-finish-this-episode kind of way. No, this is the holy-crap-get-out-of-my-way kid of way. You do everything you can to get to the bathroom but you don’t make it on time. Thank goodness your gym hasn’t gone green yet and there are still paper towels in the bathroom for you to clean up your mess! You feel completely mortified. With your underwear in your pocket, you run directly to the car. You can’t possibly go back in there and face anyone ever again!
Immediately your brain starts playing out all the worst case scenarios on why this happened. It was a spinal cord tumor! I’ve had some sort of birth trauma that is just now presenting itself! I’m going to be like this and have to wear Depends for the rest of my life like an old lady.
You set an appointment with your OB hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.
As it turns out, the best-case-scenario wins out! You are not dying nor suffering from some life altering condition, even though it feels that way. The problem is, the doctor says exactly what you don’t want to hear. They say “Everything looks fine” with a smile on their face, like you should be pleased! . . . You do not feel pleased.
You ask for more information, wondering how could this happen to an active, healthy, young person. They reply “What do you want me to say? You had a baby. You’re not 15 anymore. Just do 100 kegels every time you feed your baby.”
That’s what they say, sure. But here’s what you hear: “You have a sloppy vagina. Sucks to be you.”
It takes everything you have to not take your stirrup-ed foot and kick them in the face. Even though you leave that day feeling completely lost and depressed, you know there must be another solution.
A Better Way to Postpartum Care
Sadly, this is a true story, my story (yes, my doctor did say that) and I’m not the only one who has experienced stories like this.
Even though I wasn’t currently practicing in the pelvic health world at the time of my first childbirth, I knew there were physical therapists who helped new moms who were in the same boat as me. But my knowledge of their scope was minute compared to what they could actually do. I dug a little deeper, did a lot of training, and realized that no, I don’t have to settle for sloppy vagina thoughts, it’s not just 100 kegels every time I feed my baby, and that age has nothing to do with it.
I learned that with some simple tools and physical therapy, I could actually get control and be able to work out without peeing my pants. I could poop and have sex without pain or fear of pain. I could take my little angle to the zoo without feeling like my internal organs were falling out. After dedicating myself to learning and growing both for myself and my patients in this area, I can now do anything I want in both my day-to-day and my workouts without my pelvis holding me back (and definitely without peeing all over myself).
I looked around me in this process and saw that so many other new parents like me were going through a similar struggle. These new parents, like me, were settling into resignation that their bodies were just broken, this is just how it is now, and a handful of kegels every now and then will fix them.
But here’s the thing, you have just been through battle to bring a life into this world and your body showed just how powerful, strong and amazing it is! This also means that with the right tools and guidance, your body can be resilient, recover and thrive so that you can care for your bundle of joy and yourself without compromising what’s important to you.
You can have this vision! There is hope! Helping birthing people who are struggling with trusting their new body achieve their postpartum goals, whether that’s getting back to sitting at a desk for full days of work or kicking butt in the gym is paramount to postpartum care and recovery.
It was my own experience as a new mom and my passion for working with others like me that led me to do what I do today. I am so excited to announce that we are offering the first program of its kind in the Columbus Metropolitan Area to help new parents when they need it most: Thriving in the 4th Trimester! Postpartum Care Program
Thriving in the 4th Trimester! Postpartum Care Program
In this program, we work with you while your pregnant to help you manage any active symptoms of pain, pelvic dysfunction or weakness you may have. If you’re symptom free, great! We will help you prepare for the labor and delivery process by learning how to move and work with your body instead of being beholden to it.
After baby arrives, we’ll come to you and help you find ways to move and navigate your new life with less pain, leakage and pelvic pressure and help you feel confident on your journey to having a strong and healthy life.
We will be with you and care for you during the no-man’s land of birthing your child to your 6-8 week follow up with your medical provider. No more wondering if what you’re experiencing is normal or expected, you’ll be able to ask all the questions and know that a qualified professional is there to help you manage any red and yellow flags and encourage you to follow up with your medical provider if further follow up is needed.
If this level of care resonates with you and you’re ready to take action in your postpartum recovery, just know that you already have the tools to feel like the strong person you’ve always wanted to be. We’re just here to show you how to use them.
You don’t have to settle for feeling “broken” just because you had a baby.
We’d love to invite you to step into a strong, confident body and mind so that you can be the role model parent you always envisioned!
Reach out to set up a call and get started on your journey.
