For the expectant mama, from a pelvic PT By Dr. Hailey Jackson

ByChloe Kopal

PublishedNovember 3, 2023

For the expectant mama, from a pelvic PT:

Most of the postmenopausal women I treat all say something along the lines of “I wish I would’ve known about this when I was having babies”, and most of the postpartum women I treat (who I didn’t see during pregnancy), all say something along the lines of “I wish I would’ve known about this during pregnancy.”

So today I am sharing my favorite things that I think women should know regarding their pelvic floor for birth and the immediate postpartum period.

Prior to birth you’re going to want to focus on breath work for pushing purposes, and perineal massage to prevent 3rd and 4th degree tears, among other things. Birth is an endurance event, and can be (and should be) trained for as such.

Your first postpartum poop and pee are going to be rough, but with a squatty potty and stool softeners to support you while pooping and peppermint essential oils sprinkled in the toilet while peeing, it should feel a little easier. Bonus: don’t forget to roll to your side while getting out of bed rather than sitting straight up.

As you progress through the postpartum period, you’ll want to focus on chest openers from feeding/holding postures, as well as breathing exercises and gentle movement to begin re-engaging your core muscles. Exhaling with exertion will help your core muscles heal too – ex: exhaling when you stand, pick something (or baby) up, or put something away overhead.

Last but certainly not least, give yourself grace, rest, and see a pelvic PT. In other countries, all patients are automatically sent to pelvic PT for ~12 weeks.

At Texas Pelvic Health, we are having a FREE postpartum prep workshop Wednesday Nov 8 at 11 am where we will take a deeper dive into things you can be doing now to prepare for the immediate postpartum period. Additionally, we will make padsickles together for you to take home and freeze.