41 min
No, It's Not Normal To Pee When You Sneeze (and Other Things You Should Know About Your Pelvic Floor) w/ Stacey Hendricks Your Doula BFF
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- Parenting
Turns out, dribbling when you sneeze (or run or jump), uncomfortable sex, and even pelvic organ prolapse are not normal and just par for the course after baby. If your algorithm is anything like mine, you’ve seen countless TikToks about the “mom squeeze,” your mom, your aunts and your grandmothers told you about bladder leaks, and even though I’m on a personal mission to co-opt Depends for postpartum bleeding… we know why they exist in the first place. It’s no wonder we’ve all been led to believe that bladder (even fecal) incontinence is normal after having one or more babies.
Best friend, common does not mean normal.
In this interview, I’m talking with Stacey Hendricks, PT, DPT, WCS. ← All those letters mean 1) she’s earned a doctorate degree — yes, y’all, she’s a Doctor*, and 2) she knows what she’s talking about when it comes to women’s health, particularly with regards to pregnancy, postpartum, and female pelvic health.
Today, she’s enlightening us on:
Who would benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy.
Why do so many of us pee when we sneeze?
What is Diastasis Recti?
What exercises are best post-baby (crunches or kegels)?
What does pelvic floor physical therapy look like in practice?
This episode is for you have female anatomy (seriously… the pelvic floor weakens over time, with or without pelvic floor injury or extreme athletic activity), particularly if you’re trying to conceive, already pregnant, or postpartum… especially if you’re suffering from:
hip, joint, or pelvic pain (pelvic girdle pain or symphysis pubic dysfunction)
diastasis recti (separation of abdominal muscles) or abdominal weakness
bladder leakage or prolapse
difficulty emptying the bladder
fecal incontinence
painful penetration
If this is you, or describes someone you know…send this episode their way!
Here’s a glance at this episode…
[4:50] Common symptoms that necessitate pelvic floor PT
[11:30] Why pelvic floor PT?
[13:15] Vaginal birth or cesarean… does it make a difference?
[16:20] All about diastasis recti
[19:44] Most important thing to do post-baby
[28:52] When should you start PT?
[32:29] What to expect at your first consultation… from start to finish.
Click Here To Listen!
Rate, Review, and Follow on Apple Podcasts “Emily is super helpful; I’m so glad she’s my doula BFF!” please consider rating and reviewing my podcast. Doing so helps me show up in the feeds of other folks who might feel the exact same way! Simply click here, scroll the bottom, 5 stars, and “write a review.” I want to know your favorite part of each episode and what else you’d like hear from me!
And, if you haven’t done so yet, be sure to follow me, as well. You’ll have each episode loaded and ready every Monday morning, and you’ll have access to any bonus recordings you might otherwise miss! Follow here.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Stacey's Instagram
Stacey's Website - Elevate PT
*Yes, besties, she’s a DOCTOR… but not a physician. Just to be clear. 3 LYLAS.
Turns out, dribbling when you sneeze (or run or jump), uncomfortable sex, and even pelvic organ prolapse are not normal and just par for the course after baby. If your algorithm is anything like mine, you’ve seen countless TikToks about the “mom squeeze,” your mom, your aunts and your grandmothers told you about bladder leaks, and even though I’m on a personal mission to co-opt Depends for postpartum bleeding… we know why they exist in the first place. It’s no wonder we’ve all been led to believe that bladder (even fecal) incontinence is normal after having one or more babies.
Best friend, common does not mean normal.
In this interview, I’m talking with Stacey Hendricks, PT, DPT, WCS. ← All those letters mean 1) she’s earned a doctorate degree — yes, y’all, she’s a Doctor*, and 2) she knows what she’s talking about when it comes to women’s health, particularly with regards to pregnancy, postpartum, and female pelvic health.
Today, she’s enlightening us on:
Who would benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy.
Why do so many of us pee when we sneeze?
What is Diastasis Recti?
What exercises are best post-baby (crunches or kegels)?
What does pelvic floor physical therapy look like in practice?
This episode is for you have female anatomy (seriously… the pelvic floor weakens over time, with or without pelvic floor injury or extreme athletic activity), particularly if you’re trying to conceive, already pregnant, or postpartum… especially if you’re suffering from:
hip, joint, or pelvic pain (pelvic girdle pain or symphysis pubic dysfunction)
diastasis recti (separation of abdominal muscles) or abdominal weakness
bladder leakage or prolapse
difficulty emptying the bladder
fecal incontinence
painful penetration
If this is you, or describes someone you know…send this episode their way!
Here’s a glance at this episode…
[4:50] Common symptoms that necessitate pelvic floor PT
[11:30] Why pelvic floor PT?
[13:15] Vaginal birth or cesarean… does it make a difference?
[16:20] All about diastasis recti
[19:44] Most important thing to do post-baby
[28:52] When should you start PT?
[32:29] What to expect at your first consultation… from start to finish.
Click Here To Listen!
Rate, Review, and Follow on Apple Podcasts “Emily is super helpful; I’m so glad she’s my doula BFF!” please consider rating and reviewing my podcast. Doing so helps me show up in the feeds of other folks who might feel the exact same way! Simply click here, scroll the bottom, 5 stars, and “write a review.” I want to know your favorite part of each episode and what else you’d like hear from me!
And, if you haven’t done so yet, be sure to follow me, as well. You’ll have each episode loaded and ready every Monday morning, and you’ll have access to any bonus recordings you might otherwise miss! Follow here.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Stacey's Instagram
Stacey's Website - Elevate PT
*Yes, besties, she’s a DOCTOR… but not a physician. Just to be clear. 3 LYLAS.
41 min