Yay!!! You’re having a baby! It is a very exciting time for your growing family! For 9 months, the baby has been growing in your abdomen with the body changing to accommodate and nurture the growing baby. But eventually… The baby is going to be leaving their current residence. This may cause some anxiety for you or it may not. Many people take classes prior to feeling more prepared. However, the reality is that every baby, every mother, and every birth is different.

As an occupational therapist who specializes in pelvic health, I am accustomed to being asked the question, “What's the difference between OT and PT?” The answer varies by practice area, whether it’s in pediatrics, home care, acute care, orthopedics or hand therapy, for example. The reality is that occupational therapists and physical therapists are more similar than they are different, because they both have one primary goal in mind: to improve your quality of life.

You may have heard that breathing is good for the pelvic floor, or you may have received breathing exercises from a PT before. But why? Here I will dive into how the pelvic floor and breathing are intimately connected and why it’s important in your pelvic floor care.

As a pelvic health physical therapist, a question I get often is, "When should I come back to physical therapy after my baby is born?" Typically there's no clear answer to this. While our society dictates 6 weeks as the "normal" recovery period; in reality, we should address the body (especially the pelvic floor) both before this and far after it. The short answer is: you can come in whenever you need it!

So you had your baby, congratulations! As a pelvic health physical therapist, I often get the question, “If I had a c-section, do I still need pelvic floor physical therapy?”. The answer is that pelvic PT is not just for those who birthed vaginally, it's also hugely beneficial for those who underwent a c-section. No matter how you gave birth, pregnancy affects the pelvic floor muscles.

When it comes to your bladder, have you ever wondered, is this normal? Most of us have asked ourselves that at some point in our lives, especially after having a baby, surgery, or any injury. As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I've been asked that question countless times. So here's a breakdown of urinary habits and functioning: what is normal, what is not, and what we can do about it.

You just returned from your 6-week follow up appointment with your medical provider and they cleared you to return to activities and sex. What are the first thoughts that go through your mind? Are you excited? Or hesitant? Maybe nervous or scared? Some moms are thrilled and get right back to it. Great! BUT the majority are on the other side...

Many people who give birth are ‘cleared’ at either 6 or 8 weeks by their medical provider. However, there is often a lot of confusion about what exactly someone is cleared for at that early postpartum checkup. Many people have questions about when they can resume exercising and often interpret that 6 or 8 week checkup as the green light to start their pre-partum exercise routine.

The winter holidays are a special time of year for many. They are filled with family get-togethers, delicious treats, and heart-warming traditions. For as sweet and jolly as this time of year can be, it can also be a sneaky pelvic floor saboteur! Watch out for the following things around the holidays so you can be prepared to keep your pelvic floor happy...

Vaginal flatulence, queefing, or farting from your vagina. These are all the same thing and can take you by surprise when you're moving through a yoga class. So what is vaginal flatulence? Is it actually gas like what passes through your rectum? Short answer: vaginal flatulence is when air that is trapped in the vagina is released. It is not created by digestion but rather by air that gets trapped as we move through space.