The labor and delivery experience is unique to everyone. Depending on whom you ask, giving birth might feel beautiful, empowering, intense, scary… or all the above. And it isn’t just the few hours (or days) of labor that bring up all that emotion. It’s the after part, too. Not the baby part. The body part.  As a board-certified pelvic floor therapist, I’ve heard a lot of concerns about what’s going to happen down there as a result of childbirth. Today, I want to answer one of those questions in-depth: Is a C-section better for pelvic floor health?  Pelvic Floor Dysfunction After Birt ..read more

Your body may have changed a lot during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Especially in a world that glorifies “bouncing back” after birth, you might be feeling the pressure to go back to your pre-baby body.  That means a “mom pooch” caused by diastasis recti or a C section shelf can create major insecurity. But even if you’re not concerned about how your body looks, it’s still a good idea to pay attention to the “C-Section pooch”. That’s because there’s a chance these physical changes might be affecting your bladder, bowel, and sexual health.  What’s a C section shelf?  A ..read more

Chronic pain is a pain. Especially in your back. Can’t sit for too long. Can’t stand for too long. Bending, shifting, lifting; it all hurts. Adenomyosis, a reproductive health condition, can cause some chronic lower back pain. What is Adenomyosis? Adenomyosis is when tissue like the lining of the uterus grows into the muscle wall of the uterus. This can cause your uterus to thicken and enlarge, sometimes up to triple its normal size. This can cause symptoms like: Painful menstrual cramps Abnormal and/or heavy menstrual cycle Pelvic pain, including with penetrative sex Infertility Bloating or ..read more

Some beverages have quite a lot of vitamin P(ee). Alcohol certainly seems to be one of them. Is it all the water you’re drinking to prevent the next morning’s hangover? Or does alcohol actually make you pee more? If you’ve ever experienced “breaking the seal” during a multi-drink adventure, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You head to the bathroom for a quick #1, and then it’s game-over: Every few minutes you have to excuse yourself again. Let’s discuss alcohol, pelvic floor dysfunction, and what you can do about it! Q: Does alcohol make you pee more?  A: Yes, you can expect extra ..read more

You’re reaching The Big O when suddenly…  … it feels like you’ve wet the bed.  But did you? Did you actually just… pee? During sex?! If you did, no shame. In fact, this experience is common enough there’s actually a word for it!  Let’s explore peeing during sex, what that means about your pelvic floor, and a whole bunch of ways to address it. First: Was I peeing during sex? Or was it something else? If you release fluid during sex, it could be pee. But you might’ve actually ejaculated or “squirted” instead (or both!). Female ejaculation involves leaking a small amount of milky ..read more

If you’re a coffee drinker, you may have a love-hate relationship with the stuff. On the one hand, it can offer a delicious, caffeine-induced productivity boost. On the other hand, it can cause frequent trips to the bathroom. Let’s discuss how caffeine and pelvic floor dysfunction are linked, and what you can do to manage it. Why Does Coffee Make Me Pee?  There are a couple reasons you might be increasing bathroom trips after your morning Joe. The first explanation is that caffeine is a diuretic. Diuretics are chemicals that increase the production of urine. They signal your pituitary gla ..read more

Constipation is a real pain in the…well…you know.  And while plenty of people assume that constipation is caused exclusively by food, there’s a lot more happening down there than you might expect. In fact, you can often blame the pelvic floor for all that struggling and straining. Constipation happens when we have problems pooping. Signs and symptoms of constipation can be variable but generally include: Less than three bowel movements in a week Feeling like you haven’t fully emptied Increased straining when pooping Bloating, nausea, and general abdominal discomfort Constipation an ..read more

Originally published on The Ribbon Box Exercises for Fertility – Choose what works for you Moderate exercise has been known to provide numerous health benefits, including improvement to fertility through reducing cortisol levels and improving ovulation and circulation of blood to the reproductive organs.  But, when going through clinical fertility treatments such as IUI or IVF, women are often advised to do regular, low intensity exercise, and are even told that too much exercise during this time can have a negative impact on their fertility. The Ribbon Box is a supportive and inspiration ..read more

Infertility is a tough topic, and if you’re struggling to conceive, please try to remember this is not your fault.   Fault implies wrongdoing, and you’ve done nothing wrong. Even though most talk about infertility is centered around the person with the uterus, infertility is attributed to men and women nearly equally!  If you feel like you’ve tried everything along your fertility journey, it might be time to focus on a new topic: How fertility exercise can benefit your conception journey. Fertility Exercise: What to Know Fertility is complicated, and the causes of infertility are var ..read more

So much happens to our bodies during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. And in the aftermath of bringing an entire human or humans into the world, you might be wondering if a “mommy makeover” is right for you.  First, please hear this: There’s so much pressure to “bounce back” after having a baby. But there’s no size, weight, shape, or number that can measure what you’ve experienced in your journey to and through motherhood.  Second, I honor that for some people, healing their mind-body relationship postpartum may include interventions like plastic surgery. And if that’s you, I’m ..read more