Congratulations! Baby was born! Whether you had a vaginal or cesarean birth, there are many common concerns people have.
Take Sarah for example. Sarah had a vaginal birth with an epidural 6 weeks ago. She came in for a Pelvic Health Assessment with our Pelvic Physio, Jenny.
Sarah wanted to return to her boot camp-style classes and her rec soccer league after giving birth. She had some pelvic heaviness after giving birth, which resolved, however, she heard about pelvic organ prolapse and wanted to make sure her activities weren’t going to cause problems down the road. Sarah had bladder leaking a couple times associated with sneezing, and when she played in one soccer game, she noticed a little leaking when pivoting with the ball. This is called stress urinary incontinence. Sarah hadn’t returned to intimacy with her partner because she had read in numerous places that this was going to be painful, which did not sound fun. Sarah also wanted her abs checked. She had received a lot of Facebook ads for ‘Mummy Tummy’ workout plans, and wanted to know if she should invest in one of those workouts.
During her Pelvic Health Physio Assessment, Jenny had Sarah demonstrate how she was running and pivoting in soccer. Jenny provided Sarah with some feedback, and showed Sarah how to modify her form. The modified form was more efficient and helped decrease the leaking right away. Jenny also looked at Sarah’s abdomen and explained to Sarah what changes had occured in her body. They went through some core exercise ideas to get Sarah started, without needing to buy a special online program.
Sarah also had an internal pelvic health assessment. There was some sensitivity at the entrance of the vagina, and Jenny went through strategies and ideas to help decrease that sensitivity. Jenny also offered ideas on how to approach intimacy with Sarah’s partner. Jenny felt that Sarah had some pelvic floor tension more so than weakness, and together they worked through some exercises for Sarah to practice at home to help coordinate the pelvic floor muscles so they would squeeze and release better.
Jenny saw Sarah three more times over the next two months, and Sarah felt really good progressing back into her exercise program because she was confident on how to safely progress back to what she was doing before. Sarah also learned what signs to look for that may indicate the need for a follow up appointment with Jenny.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHECK IN WITH YOUR BODY AFTER GIVING BIRTH?
Jenny would love to answer your questions and get you back to the movements you love without fear. Contact us and we can arrange for a Free Consultation with Jenny.
FAQ:
- We are able to help individuals of all ages and at all activity levels (recreational to competitive).
- We offer direct billing to most major insurance companies for the convenience of our clients.
- We have appointments as early as 7am and as late as 7:30pm to accommodate busy lifestyles.
