Login
Register

Home

About Us

Diagnoses

Treatments

Classes

Resources

Media

Testimonials

Blog

Account

Blog
Register
Pregnant belly birth prep services

Pregnancy, labor, and delivery greatly affect the pelvic floor muscles, and our birth prep services using pelvic floor therapy can bring you confidence, strength, and flexibility.

What are the pelvic floor muscles?

The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles inside the pelvis that form a hammock connecting the pubic bone to the tailbone. Both men and women have pelvic floor muscles. These muscles play an important part in stabilizing the pelvis and spine, supporting your organs (bowel, bladder and uterus) and toileting.

The Pelvic Floor and Pregnancy

During pregnancy the pelvic floor muscles are working overtime trying to stabilize and support the growing body of the mother and child. Read our previous blog post about preparing the pelvic floor for childbirth. During a vaginal childbirth, these muscles will utilize their strength and flexibility to help the baby be birthed. Whether or not the baby is born via C-Section or vaginally, the pelvic floor is involved, and this is where our birth prep services come into play.

Pelvic Floor Therapy and Birth Prep Services

Seeking out pelvic floor therapy during your pregnancy will help you gain stability, strength, flexibility, and motor control of the pelvic floor so that you can go into your labor and delivery with more confidence and possibly reduce your risk for perineal tears.

Birth prep services from a trained pelvic floor physical therapist can help you in the following ways during your pregnancy:

1st Trimester

  • Core stability
  • Pelvic stability
  • Pelvic floor strength and flexibility
  • Reducing pain and risk of injury from joint laxity
  • Motor control of the pelvic floor: contracting, relaxing, and elongating the pelvic floor
  • Body mechanics to reduce risk of injury
  • Continuing a sports/fitness program as your body grows

2nd Trimester

  • Postural re-education to reduce pain
  • Managing low back pain, SI joint pain, pubic symphysis pain, round ligament pain
  • Managing diastasis recti abdominis AKA ‘Mommy tummy’
  • Core stability
  • Pelvic stability
  • Pelvic floor strength and flexibility
  • Continuing a sports/fitness program as your body grows
  • Motor control of the pelvic floor: contracting, relaxing, and elongating the pelvic floor
  • Body mechanics to reduce risk of injury

3rd Trimester

  • Managing low back pain, SI joint pain, pubic symphysis pain, round ligament pain
  • Birth prep: what to expect
  • Finding an optimal labor position
  • Pelvic floor relaxation
  • Perineal massage
  • Motor control of the pelvic floor: contracting, relaxing, and elongating the pelvic floor

“4th Trimester”- Postnatal

Wherever you are in your pregnancy, we can help you!

To schedule an appointment for birth prep services with one of our therapists, call us at (818) 873-1403 or use our online appointment form here.

What Our Patients Have to Say

Prev
Next

Testimonial by S.S., age 54

Heather is the best! I saw her today for terrible hip/groin pain. I was so impressed with the safety measures in place and felt completely safe . Thanks for the healing hands.

S.S., age 54

Testimonial by Mary L.

I started seeing Heather to treat my Interstitial Cystitis in November 2016. At this time, I was extremely miserable, in constant pain, and felt as though no one was listening or understood what was going on with my body. I have just finished my last appointment and I can honestly say that my life has completely changed for the better because of Heather and her team of PTs! I live almost completely pain free, and when I do have flare ups, I am able to treat them at home on my own. I am so grateful that this office was recommended to me a honestly cannot recommend them enough!

Read more: Testimonial by Mary L.

Testimonial by A.M.

Months after giving birth, it was difficult for me to go from a sitting or lying position up to a full standing position without feeling that I had to remain hunched over until a bit of time had passed to get fully upright. However, after taking Heather’s course, I learned exercises to get my body back to normal. She also showed me correct ways to lift and carry my son as well as put him in/take him out of the carseat and stroller. This class was really beneficial and Heather is a wonderful teacher who made me feel very comfortable.

-- A.M.

Testimonial by M.N., age 28

A personal journey and testimonial from one of my patients:

I was diagnosed with vaginismus 4 years ago. I never heard of such medical condition until after I got married. At first my husband and I didn't know what to do, we didn't know what the issues were or how to overcome it. Being born and raised in Armenia and being Christian I wasn't that open about talking to sex with others and so it wasn't easy to seek help. But eventually I went to an Ob-Gyn and luckily she knew about the medical condition (not many doctors know). She referred me to a physical therapist and I couldn't believe it and thought it's something I can handle myself. I ordered a kit from vaginismus.com and started practicing with dilators. There was some small progress but wasn't much helpful.

Read more: Testimonial by M.N., age 28

Testimonial by P.M.

I was hopeful but frankly skeptical when the doctor treating me for Interstitial Cystitis recommended that I go to Heather for physical therapy. Medication and diet helped control my IC symptoms, but I had never heard of physical therapy being used to treat IC. The education and treatment I received from Heather was a revelation. She explained that the pain I experienced with IC had helped create a cycle of muscle guarding which affected the entire pelvic area. I had no idea of the amount of tension being held there. No wonder my husband and I had not been able to have sexual intercourse for years!

Read more: Testimonial by P.M.

Testimonial by Fritzette H.

I went to Heather after the birth of my third child. It was lucky, really, that I was referred to her, because my doctor had referred me to a surgeon for a possible hysterectomy or pelvic wall rebuild. Thankfully, I went to Heather before undergoing either surgery, she was able to fix the problem. She has studied extensively in women's health--even written a book about it--and was able to diagnose my problem, suggest a course of treatment (6 weeks), and then follow through with said treatment. By the end, as she said, I was as good as gold. Boy, was it worth it! Though uncomfortable to talk about, much less write about, it is worth getting the word out there. If you have painful intercourse, especially after birth or other trauma, the treatment may be as simple as Physical Therapy (with Heather, of course). I highly recommend her.

-- Fritzette H., 3/24/16 via Yelp!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get access to our free downloads and a 15% discount on Heather's book "Sex Without Pain"!
captcha 
I agree with the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy policy