Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and highly recommend your seeking advice from your own doctor(s) to determine what’s best for you!
Fact: The female body navigates quite the journey during and after pregnancy.
…And while I don’t need to harp on that journey too much, the range and laundry list of short-term and long-term effects on our body and wellbeing are much wider and longer than I realized! Pain in places you didn’t anticipate, healing you didn’t realize you’d be trying to make time for, and strength that suddenly took a back-door exit, ha.
Don’t take this the wrong way, as I don’t mean to conjure negative energy or generalize the postpartum period as less than stellar — It’s incredible and beautifully life-altering!
I’ve recognized that while every mother’s situation is different, we all share the need for a resource. I discovered pelvic floor therapy to be widely unknown but incredibly helpful to friends who had sought it out. However, with a smooth C-section delivery and fourth trimester with Hudson, I didn’t think pelvic floor therapy applied to me, honestly. My scarring and tissue seemed to be healing fine; I wasn’t experiencing too much pain, and I was mentally in a good place.
Lower back pain at the 20-week mark while pregnant with Ava prompted me to message MOJO Pelvic Health at 2 am out of desperation. I saw co-owner Amy Moses for an evaluation the next day and experienced the craziest reality — that because I had had a C-section, my pelvic floor did not recognize I had delivered a baby! Pretty wild, right? With some adjustments to literally and mentally let go of pregnancy pressure (which can encompass both an external and internal exam!), we rebalanced, and I walked away with relief and breathing guidance.
This round after giving birth to Ava, my 8-week postpartum appointment was one of the first things I scheduled after delivery. It was such a clarifying mental and physical check-in. I learned methods to optimize C-section scar tissue healing, realigned my hips and pelvic floor (which I can confirm made intercourse not as painful), and practiced some exercises to slowly retrain and regain my core strength. I even learned how to use small cupping exercises to help with shaping my abdominal muscles and smoothing scar tissue.
So, here’s the point: Add pelvic floor therapy to your checklist to explore. In my opinion, it should be on the same level as a doctor’s appointment. In other countries, it’s part of the process. Here, it’s an unknown add-on. I don’t think you’ll regret making the time for it.
