blog category nick morrison FHnnjk1Yj7Y unsplash

The Femina Physical Therapy Blog

Featuring original articles by our staff about current events and trends

With emphasis on vaginismus, pregnancy and postpartum best practices, treatments for incontinence, and other topics related to the health of your pelvic floor.

Featured From the Blog:

Details: Written by: Staff; Published: 03 January 2022; Last Updated: 15 March 2022; 3345 Views

Safely Returning to Activity and Sport Postpartum

Postpartum Recovery Part 1

Most women get the clearance after their 6 week check-up for sex and exercise, YAY! But, really? How? What does that mean? There are no guidelines on how to return to activity in a safe, leak-free and pain-free manner.

Between 6 and 31% of postpartum women experience urinary incontinence. In addition, 66% of those who experience urinary incontinence during pregnancy and/or their first 3 months of postpartum continued to experience incontinence even at 12 years after birth! As you can see, it may be common, but it is certainly not normal!

Details: Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT; Published: 08 February 2022; Last Updated: 23 February 2022; 8017 Views

Vaginal Birth Ruin Your Sex Life? | Image Courtesy of Mulyadi via Unsplash — Postpartum Sex | Image Courtesy of Mulyadi via Unsplash

Are You Wondering "Can A Vaginal Birth Ruin Your Sex Life?"

Medically, the answer is a resounding ‘no’… but postpartum sex is still an understandable concern for most pregnant women, especially in a digital age where whispered rumors have given way to detailed stories of difficult birth experiences splashed across social media pages.

In the greater debate over vaginal birth vs. C-section, the real issue on the minds of many expectant mothers is often whether one mode of delivery is somehow better than the other. It’s a complex question; but a group of researchers in Ontario, Canada recently attempted to answer the ‘sex after baby’ part of it. What they found out surprised even them; and shed some important light on the bigger question as well.

Researchers Studying the Impact of Vaginal Childbirth versus Cesarean on Postpartum Sex Find...

What are Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Urinary Incontinence?

What is the biggest risk factor for both conditions? And how can you tell if you have them?

Not sure? You’re not alone. In fact, one research study found women actually know more about erectile dysfunction than they do about pelvic organ prolapse! While pharmaceutical company advertising bias may be to blame for part of that equation, one of the largest surveys of pregnant women and new moms ever conducted on the subject (by a team of medical experts in New England) reveals women’s healthcare providers consistently miss their biggest window of opportunity to educate patients about these conditions and offer treatment strategies that work.

Symptoms & Causes of Clogged Milk Ducts and Mastitis

Breastfeeding can be a joyous time for some, but unfortunately it can be painful for others. Clogged milk ducts can be extremely uncomfortable and painful. It often arises due to not being able to drain fully, causing a back-up of milk along the mammillary ducts. It can occur when feeding sessions are interrupted or skipped, as well as when mom is under stress. One may experience symptoms such as a painful lump in the breast tissue, pain during breastfeeding that subsides after, and/or decreased milk supply from the blockage. Sometimes if unresolved, it can lead to mastitis, or infection of the breast tissue. Monitor for symptoms such as fever, swelling of breast tissue, redness of breast tissue, and escalation of pain/breast tenderness. If you start to experience these aforementioned symptoms, give your doctor a call as soon as possible.

Third Stage of Childbirth: Delivery of the Placenta

You made it!

Now, at this point you have delivered your baby and your body’s hormones have shifted tremendously! You may feel overwhelming emotions of joy and exhaustion at the same time. Oxytocin, the bonding hormone, rises sharply to compensate for the drastic drop in estrogen and progesterone. You may find yourself shivering, and this is normal immediately post-giving birth and can last up to one hour.

Delivery of the Placenta

Postpartum Pelvic Health Recovery Should Start Day 1.

Here are some tips to help you get your postpartum pelvic health (and general health) back on track:

This article focuses on 5 key techniques you can use to improve postpartum pelvic health. It covers diaphragmatic breathing to activate core muscles and kickstart lymphatic drainage, pelvic floor muscle coordination, posture, and the benefits of a pelvic floor evaluation by a physical therapist to begin improving postpartum pelvic health on day 1. It also provides detailed instructions and references scientific studies to provide further research.

Levator Ani Avulsion: Understand your pelvic anatomy to better understand your injury

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles positioned like a hammock along our saddle region.

The group of muscles attach from our pubic bone on the inside and then to our lateral pelvic walls with a bundle of collagen fibers called the levator arch, and attach to the ischial spines (the inside of the sit bones) and tailbone on the back side. During vaginal childbirth, the pubococcygeus muscle, a group of pelvic floor muscles, stretches 3.26 times more than its normal length to make room for the coming baby in the vaginal canal! As you can imagine, this may result in some perineal tearing and/or levator ani avulsion.