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postpartum rehab

The Podcast you Need to Hear

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Are you listening to the Active Mom Postpartum Podcast?

I get so many questions from other professionals about working with different types of clients.

And questions from moms asking who they can follow to get more information about a certain topic. 

Well, do I have a podcast for you! 

If you haven’t already checked out the Active Mom Postpartum podcast, there’s no time like the present! We are almost at our one year anniversary and we already have almost 10,000 downloads!

We talk to moms, physiotherapists, gynecologists, running coaches, researchers, hormone experts, breastfeeding consultants…everyone!

I created this podcast so we can keep learning from each other. I keep it conversational because I also like to be entertained while I learn (multitasking, eh?)

It;s available on Apple, Spotify, and other major podcast directories. We drop a new episode every Friday so make sure you subscribe! We are closing out season one by re-releasing our top 5 episodes of the season!

If you have already been listening to the podcast, PLEASE leave us a rating and review! It takes a few minutes out of your day and helps us show up in the algorithm so other moms and providers can find us!

Did you know the podcast is also on Youtube? So, if you prefer to catch your podcast along with the video, we have you covered!

Information: beyond the postpartum basics

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What information do you need? Is it time to go beyond basic information?

So many soon-to-be moms learning, postpartum moms looking for information and solutions & then there’s those we need to empower to demand more cause the basics weren’t enough.

Which one are you?

Are you getting what you want?

I’ve been doing education on Instagram for over 5 years now. Five years is FOREVER in the social media landscape!

But I feel like the climate is shifting…

There are three types of women searching for information:

1 women who preemptively educate themselves. They’re  thinking about getting pregnant, and want to be knowledgeable going into the process.

2 women looking for information because they’re having issues. They’re looking for  basic solutions because they’re just getting started.. 

3  women that have done “the right thing”. They’ve worked with a pelvic PT, with a coach or trainer. But they’re still having problems. Maybe they get a little better but they are still having problems. 

And then they ask…

Is that it? Is there more? 

What they may not realize is that there could be another level of options. It may be they have to see a more experienced provider who has more nuanced solutions. 

Just because you’ve completed one program doesn’t mean there isn’t more room for you to improve your symptoms. 

We need to empower women to ask for more and how to find those next level resources. 

You didn’t fail Physical therapy. You’re just not done yet!

Let me know what you think. If you’re a mom, let me know which category you’re in and what type of information you’re searching for. 

If you’re a provider, let me know where your wheelhouse is. There’s nothing wrong with saying your forté is with basic information.

holiday survival tips pelvic floor physical therapy

Staying Regular During the Holiday Season

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Right?… RIGHT????

Don’t get me wrong, I love the travel and time with family, but I don’t love the lack of routine. 

We work SO HARD all year to get in a routine and build habits that help us do all of the things, but the holidays come around and those habits can be the first things to go. 

Here’s my advice to keep your habits intact without driving yourself (and your family) bananas wit trying to micromanage every second of every day:

Pick ONE habit in each “category” of your life and focus on making that habit stick. (You did hear my interview on the podcast with James Clear last week, right?) 

When life is crazy, have that Survival List of non-negotiables that have to get done for you to keep some semblance of routine. 

“But how does this relate to my pelvic floor, Carrie?”

Well, I’m glad you asked. Here’s a perfect example. 

I know that when my bathroom routine becomes less regular (I know you know what I mean), my prolapse symptoms get worse. So, I’m focusing on consuming plenty of water and fiber, as well as getting in at least two workouts this week to make sure I keep things moving. 

What’s on your Survival List? HIT REPLY and let me know. I’m happy to be your accountability person!

talking to family pelvic floor history

The Holiday Conversation you NEED to have!

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We’re coming into the holiday season where those awkward talks around the family dinner table are inevitable.

You know the ones I mean…

Politics

Religion

Money

What if I told you there is a way to shift the topic of conversation to something MUCH MORE uncomfortable and potentially embarrassing? 

(I didn’t really sell that one, did I?)

I’m willing to bet that my proposed topic has not been the hot conversation at your family gatherings, but let me tell you why pelvic floor history should be. 

Talk to your mom and grandmother if they have prolapse and leakage. Ask them if they ever had surgery. 

Their history can help you understand the symptoms you’re experiencing!

There will come a time when you won’t be able to ask them, and you never know when that’s going to happen. 

This is my PSA every year!

pregnancy advice on social media

The Worst Pregnancy Advice on Social Media

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Hold the pregnancy advice.

You’re newly pregnant…

You’ve done all the research…

You think you know all there is to know…

(Yes, this was me 11 years ago. Don’t forget I laminated my birthplace.)

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, you don’t know what you think you know.

As someone who has “been there, done that”, as a mom and a professional, here’s what I can say with confidence. 

1- There’s no right answer. Just because you aren’t experiencing a symptom now doesn’t mean you won’t later. You have to take things how and when they come. It will even be different from one pregnancy to the next. 

2- STOP WITH THE KEGELS. There are so many more things that are more important than kegels. What about your hip openers and pelvic floor relaxation? Your tight hip muscles could be the thing causing your hip pain, not your pelvic floor.

Your uterus contracts during labor, not your pelvic floor. 

3- It’s okay to lay on your back. If your baby is positioned in a way that it’s compressing your aorta or vena cava, laying on your back won’t be comfortable and you won’t want to do it. And that goes for any activity. If you were doing an activity before, it’s probably okay to do it during pregnancy. You will naturally modify something that isn’t comfortable. 

I caution you as a provider or influencer, just because you’re experiencing pregnancy doesn’t mean your advice is the end all be all. We don’t know the outcome yet. You don’t have to process it while you’re going through it. Save the pregnancy advice for the wisdom of hindsight. 

What are you seeing for pregnancy advice on social media? Have you seen anything useful or is it all terrible?

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Is pelvic floor muscle overactivity finally proven in the research?

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I was really excited when I first saw this!

An article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology talking about overactivity AND a musculoskeletal issue.

It was a systematic review, which means they find all the research relevant to the topic and distill it to find a conclusion. 

And here’s where things get  interesting…

We have to look back so we can look forward.

This article is a prime example of this. Because it’s showing us the terminology previously used is no longer the terminology we use. It’s hard to compare because it’s not apples and apples.

Even since the beginning of my career 23 years ago, overactivity wasn’t a thing. We talked about “tightness” and “pain”.

I can give you a lot of theories as to what’s causing the overactivity, but I can’t give you proof. Because the research isn’t there. 

And let’s not forget, there are SO MANY VARIABLE! 

There are so many different reasons a brain could be causing your muscles to be tight. And if we are going to change your brain’s actions, we need to give it a really good reason. 

But don’t think this article isn’t helpful! It gives us an idea of what we have up to this point and the questions we need to ask going forward. 

Clinicians and researchers are just in different places. And that’s why it’s important to find a provider that’s evidence informed. I can’t say that 100% of what I do is tied to research, but it is tied to my experience in what works. 

How I practice now compared to how I practiced even a year ago is related to the research that is showing us what questions to ask and investigate.

High tone and overactivity absolutely exist. But we don’t always know why. And that’s okay. 

Tell me what you think. If you’re a mom, I want to hear the explanations you’ve been given. 

If you’re a provider, I want to hear what you tell moms about overactivity. 

returning to work postpartum habit stacking

Return to Work after Baby

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The hardest time postpartum is NOT immediately after the baby is born. 

In the beginning, we already have an expectation that things will be hard and there will be circumstances that require creative navigation. 

The hardest time for moms postpartum, in my opinion, is actually when they return to work.

You can plan your return to work within an inch of your life, and there will STILL be things that derail your plans. 

It’s all about the expectations.

I always encourage moms to dial back expectations when a challenging time or a big change is coming up. Set your expectations to the bare minimum. 

Something is always better than nothing!

Hit the minimums and give yourself a timeframe when you think you’ll be able to level up. MAKE IT GRADUAL. 

Underestimate so you can overdeliver instead of “fail”.

We’re playing the long game here. It’s so important to build in the habits that will get us through the day and seasons of chaos.

Returning to work is a time when moms just don’t get enough credit for all the hats they are wearing. 

I’d love to hear what’s worked for you! What are the habits that you’ve stacked to make your routine work? Did you feel supported in your return to work?

If you’re a provider, what are the tips you give to your moms? Are you setting them up for success?

You make me glad I didn't have kids CHOOSING WORDS CAREFULLY AS PROVIDERS

“You make me glad I didn’t have kids” | CHOOSING WORDS CAREFULLY AS PROVIDERS

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Let me tell you about a mom I saw this week:

A first time postpartum mom had seen another provider. She was experiencing pelvic floor heaviness and needed to return to a physical job. Her diagnosis, which sounded correct, was overactive pelvic floor with prolapse symptoms. 

She told me as she was ending the session with the other provider, the provider said something that absolutely shocked me…

“It’s clients like you that make me glad I decided not to have kids.”

Um, WHAT???

NO ONE WANTS TO F*%@ING HEAR THAT!!! 

It’s really disappointing because we are fighting so hard to get the right diagnosis and the access to care. And we have to deal with things like this!

You absolutely do not need a provider heaping these words on top of your growing mountain concerns. 

Even in my pre-child naiveté, I’m sure I said some uninformed things, but I NEVER said something like that!

As providers, we’re supposed to listen to our patients and validate their experiences, NOT center it around ourselves. 

We’re doing better with getting providers to get past the basics (a kegel isn’t the answer to everything), but surely we can still do better with the words we choose!

And ya know, it may not be the worst idea to find a provider who has experienced what you’ve experienced, in some way. 

Tell me what you think. If you’re a mom , I want to hear about your experiences. And if you’re a provider, what are your tips to meet moms where they are?

postpartum programming prolapse lies

Evidence-Based or Marketing Scam?

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At least once a week I get a DM asking me for my opinion about an exercise program or some other quick bite of Reel-style information. 

And frequently, there’s a catchy (and sometimes fantastical) claim:

“Prevent pelvic organ prolapse with this program!”

There are two ways to understand a claim like this: from a medical perspective and from a marketing perspective. 

I understand that people are selling things (no shame in that game, I sell stuff, too.)

But when the claim is all pelvic organ prolapse is preventable, my bullshit meter starts to go off. 

POP is multifaceted and complicated. So, selling something with the promise that it will prevent POP, is disingenuous at best.

There’s a way to have that conversation without making impossible promises. 

A program can offer education and prevention based on what we know, without promising the moon. 

But to claim to have the answer for everything and say something is totally preventable, well that’s just a lie. 

Programs like these are setting people up for disappointment and a false idea of what is possible.

We need to be critical of these big names. They are big names because they have big marketing budgets. Not because they’ve figured out the Secret Sauce of postpartum prevention.  

We can’t be okay with this overstepping of what the evidence supports. 

Fear Mongering is a marketing tactic. 

I’m not saying these programs are bad, but they are overpromising and under delivering. 

Tell me your thoughts. I’d love to know what you’re seeing out there.

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Expanded Coverage for Postpartum Care

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1 minute to make your voice heard

Use this quick link to ask your US representatives to support coverage of postpartum care.

https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/APTA/Campaigns/97870/Respond?vvsn=BygfgA5sACO5XAMdNza7EBA

H.R.8181 – Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2022

This is a bill that’s coming before the House of Representatives in the United States. You have the ability to use this quick link and MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!  THe quick link allows you to use the auto text or add your own words to personalize the message.

The fact that ANYTHING related to postpartum is coming for a vote, is a huge win and we NEED to support it!

Some of my pelvic health colleagues have been integral in getting this to happen. THey’ve done their part, now it’s time to do ours. 

If we can get postpartum care covered federally by medicaid, it will spill over into insurance care! 

Let’s remove as many barriers to entry as we can and expand coverage for the much needed support moms need postpartum!

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