what to expect from your Pelvic Floor physical therapy visit, Postpartum
Dr. Erica Folker
Finding a pelvic floor physical therapist in Green Bay, or postpartum specialist, to help you recover optimally after your baby is one of the best decisions you can make regarding yourself and returning to life after pregnancy. After delivery, everyone’s attention shifts towards the baby, with frequent pediatrician visits, weigh-ins, and checks with little to no focus on mom. There is a 4–6-week check-up with your OB or midwife. But it is mainly to ensure your uterus is returning to size, incision/suture lines look good, and establishing contraceptive use. But what about everything else? You have spent the last 9 months growing and carrying a baby in your body. What things do we need to think about as we recover from this miraculous, insane task, and get your body back to activity? There are a few.
In other countries, seeing a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist after delivery is standard of care and available to every woman! Here in America, we aren’t there yet, but requesting to see one is okay and I encourage every momma to do so, especially those showing any signs of pelvic floor dysfunction (leakage, pain with sex, pressure/heaviness in your vagina, ab separation, prolapse)! The more you know about your body, your specific status, and how to heal will only set you up to feel your best and return to live optimally.
Okay, so what can I expect from a postpartum physical therapy appointment at MVMT Performance & Rehabilitation?
Ready?….
60 minutes dedicated to you.
At MVMT Performance & Rehabilitation, our Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy initial evaluation is 60 minutes long. Your plan to heal and progress is intimately related to where you have been. Having time to talk specifically about your pregnancy, labor, and delivery is a necessity. We will dive deep into prior pregnancies, any issues you have had or are currently experiencing. Each plan of care is different and is dependent on the specific stressors and experiences you have had. Making sure we have the time to talk about all the things is important. Please feel free to bring your baby! A lot of moms do this, and we always love that! Or, come solo and allow yourself a full hour that is focused on you and you only. Whatever makes you the most comfortable is what we want!
Pelvic Floor Education.
I like to spend some of our time together educating you on exactly what your pelvic floor is, how it was affected over the last 9 months, and how important it is to us as humans. The trend has been women deliver babies with no focus or education on this area of our bodies and then are left with things like urinary incontinence, pain with sex, pain or heaviness in our pelvis. Delivering a baby (vaginally or cesarean) is a major acute injury. Being knowledgeable on how your body was affected can make all the difference in the world on how you heal.
A full external musculoskeletal screen.
Yes, after baby comes, a big part of our focus is going to be on your abdomen and vagina. Makes sense. But we want to make sure we gain a full picture of where you are at regarding overall strength. Some of the common problems new moms have after baby are things like low back or hip pain, neck and shoulder pain, wrist pain, headaches, and even plantar fasciitis! During our eval, we will assess your body based on your symptoms. We will look at and address how you hold your body now that you are no longer having to support your belly. We will discuss your method of feeding and give you tips to decrease injury and pain. We want to make sure all joints and body parts are assessed!
We complete a thorough movement assessment of all major movements like squat, jumping, lunge, and running. This will give us a baseline on where you are after having your baby, and allows us to see and talk through any issues you experience with specific movements.
Next, we break the movements down, look at how each joint moves independently. Lastly, we put it all together and see how your joints and muscles work together. Your body is a system and the worst thing we could do is not look at how it works as a whole!
Abdominal and core assessment
Your Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist will spend some time checking the integrity of your abdomen now that baby has vacated the premises. This will include a diastasis recti check, strength test of your core muscles as well as a c-section scar assessment, if needed.
create an individualized plan
Based on all the above screens, your history, and most importantly your goals, we will be able to establish a plan of care for you. This looks different to each momma, but with the common goal of addressing your needs and educate you on how to heal the best you can.
Making time to address “you” is one of the best ways you can serve your family and new baby. Waiting around to see if things will feel better (especially if you are >3 months postpartum) can end with longer dysfunction and heartache. Get things taken care of soon!
Feeling confident in your body and the healing process over the 12 months after birth will allow you the experience freedom in the decisions you make regarding your body, exercise, and activities.
Don't just take our word for it!
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Looking For More Help?
Still have questions? Give us a call at 920-309-6588 to see if our Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Specialists in Green Bay can help you!
*This is helpful information, but it is general information. This is NOT medical advice. If you already have any injury, pain, tightness, etc., please seek help from a licensed and qualified healthcare provider like us, performance physical therapy in Green Bay. A complete solution for what you’re dealing with needs to be customized to all the different factors driving your pain, and those factors will be at least slightly different for each person. These strategies may help, but they’re not likely to be a complete solution for each individual reading this now or in the future.