How To Care For Your Body & Pelvic Floor After Childbirth

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One topic that I don’t think is talked about enough with expecting and new mothers (or people in general) is pelvic floor health. In my opinion, pelvic floor health should be considered as a form of self-care and a part of us taking care of our overall health. I can’t even tell you the number of people I have met who weren’t totally sure what their pelvic floor is, what it does, how it affects them, and that everyone has one. And when a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to her baby, these are the times when she might experience some problems with her pelvic floor and wishes she had known more about her changing body and had support.

Whether you had a vaginal birth or cesarean birth, your body has done some hard, amazing work. Our guest today, Liz Miracle, knows all about this since she has supported hundreds of women as a pelvic floor physical therapist. Today, she is sharing her tips on how to best take care of our bodies after childbirth, including our pelvic floors.

Who is Liz Miracle?

Liz Miracle, PT, MPT, WCS is the Head of Clinical Quality and Education at Origin, the leading provider of physical therapy for maternity, menopause, and sexual health, with deep expertise in the pelvic floor and full body. Liz is a Texas native and graduate of Texas Woman’s University School of Physical Therapy. She began practicing pelvic floor physical therapy in 2006 and has since received her Clinical Specialization in Women’s Health from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. After running her own practice for a decade, she was excited to join Origin Physical Therapy, where she works to implement the highest standards of evidence-based care and help train the next generation of pelvic floor therapists. When not exploring innovative ways to help her patients, she is at home hiking the hills in the North Bay of San Francisco with her husband and daughter.

What Did We Discuss?

In this episode, we chat with Liz about the pelvic floor and how to best take care of your body after childbirth. Here are several of the questions that we covered in our conversation:

• What are the most common pelvic health symptoms women experience?
• What are some common misconceptions when it comes to pelvic health? 
• What should women know about postpartum recovery and pelvic floor health?
• What are some signs that indicate a woman might benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy after childbirth?
• Can you talk about the gap in maternity care when it comes to women caring for their own pregnant and postpartum bodies? How can we bridge the gap? 
• What are the most important things that all postpartum women should know about taking care of their body after childbirth?
• In addition to physical therapy, what other aspects of postpartum care are important for overall recovery and well-being?
• What advice would you give to new mothers who may be feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about their postpartum recovery journey?

My Thoughts

Liz came with some powerful informaiton and astonishing data. I was shocked! I thought I knew a lot about the pelvic floor and how physical therapy can help, but I left this conversation with new details that I think more women need to know. Tune in to discover how to better take care of yourself postpartum!

Liz Miracle’s Resources

Thank you for listening to this episode! Be sure to follow us on our podcast Instagram page @thebabychickchat. Let us know what you think and if there are any other topics you’d like us to cover. Cheers to taking care of yourself postpartum!