It doesn’t matter how you breathe just remember to breathe slowly to help promote relaxation. A bonus is that you can use any of these styles during pregnancy and postpartum to help your nervous system. Like it? SHARE it! Have questions? DM me! #pelvichealth #pelvicfloorphysicaltherapy #pregnancy #laboranddelivery

Having birth preferences is so important to help you have a more positive birth experience. And yes I said preferences not plan. Preferences gives you more flexibility because let’s face it things don’t always go as planned. Now it doesn’t need to be a 20 page novel, but general ideas that you would prefer. Do you want the lights dim or on fully? Are you ok with all of your family being in the room? Do you want certain sounds or smells? Do you wish to deliver your baby in a position besides being on your back? Do you want the first year medical student in your room? The list goes on and on. And while birth can really go in all different directions, it does give a guide to your providers on some of the things you envisioned. Which will hopefully lead to a more positive experience. What were some of your birth preferences? I’ll go first. I honestly didn’t care which medical providers were in the room and let me tell you, it was a full house. But I did want the lights to be dim, to deliver Layla in a position that was calling to me, and have immediate skin to skin if everything was ok. Like it? SHARE it! Have questions? DM me! #pregnancy #laboranddelivery #comedy #pelvicfloorphysicaltherapy

Contractions can be incredibly intense and it is so important to maintain a sense of calm during this time. By staying relaxed it makes it easier for labor to progress. One strategy to help distract yourself from the intensity of a contraction is to squeeze a comb! So how does that help? The first thing it does is distract your brain. You are now getting different signals to your brain so it can focus on that instead. The second thing it does is trigger an acupressure point in the palm which can help ease anxiety and stimulate endorphins. And lastly the Gate Control Theory of Pain. The thought behind this is the brain can’t focus on more than one sensation at a time. So squeeze that comb all you need! Like it? SHARE it! Have questions? DM me! #pregnancy #laboranddelivery #pelvichealth #pelvicfloorphysicaltherapy

This advice can really work at any time but if you are pregnant now is the time to make it a behavior change. So many of us go through our lives holding our breath with lifts and movements. And while there is a time and a place for a breath hold, lifting anything that isn’t your 1 rep max doesn’t require it. Whenever you move you generate pressure in your abdomen. One of your cores jobs is to manage that pressure. If you are holding your breath you are generating even more pressure, which forces your core to work harder. When you exhale on the lift, not only are you moving some of the pressure out. But you are also getting a little support from your core to help stabilize your trunk. You can practice an inhale down and an exhale up or just exhale through the whole movement. That way you can decide what feels best for you. The more you start to incorporate it into your day to day, the easier it’ll be when baby does come and you need to be gentler on your pelvic floor. Like it? SHARE it! Have questions? DM me! #pelvichealth #pelvicfloorphysicaltherapy #momlife #pregnancy #postpartumbody

I want you to check your knees right now (well if you’re standing) are they locked or are they soft? When your knees are locked it can be challenging to access your pelvic floor. It might even feel tighter. Give it a try and see! When you unlock them, allowing them to have a little softness you’ll notice it is easier to contract your pelvic floor. Now give that a try! Your pelvic floor can be impacted by all sorts of things and that includes your knees. I see the locked knee posture in many of my postpartum clients. It’s a strategy to rely more on passive support structures like ligaments instead of a balance of passive and active (muscles). So the next time you’re standing and you feel a sneeze, unlock those knees! Like it? SHARE it! Have questions? DM me! #postpartumbody #pelvichealth #pelvicfloorphysicaltherapy

It’s that time of the year again! Let’s get back into these reels with a laugh. Thank you all for sticking with me during this crazy last month ❤️ Like it? SHARE it! Have questions? DM me! #comedyreels #pelvichealth #nflsunday #pelvicfloorphyscialtherapy

Words have so much weight. The intention is usually positive but you don’t know what that person has been through. So if you want to be supportive to someone just tell them I’m here for you and don’t bring up pregnancy and future kiddos. Like it? SHARE it! Have questions? DM me! #supportwomen #wordshavepower #infertilityawareness #pregnancyloss

Who here likes an easy quick fix? Haha I know wouldn’t that be nice? While it can take awhile to make lasting changes to your posture, the first step is bringing awareness. Just start checking in with yourself. Where is your pelvis? Is it pushed forward or does it feel like it’s in a good spot? By pushing your butt back that can allow you to access your pelvic floor more easily. This can make it easier for your pelvic floor to respond to things like sneezing or jumping on a trampoline. Like it? SHARE it! Have questions? DM me! #posturecorrection #quicktip #pelvichealth #pelvicfloorphysicaltherapy