Where are you Pelvic Floor? (post-partum pelvic floor issues) - with Ruth, physiotherapist

In our 173rd episode of Beyond the Bump, we chat with Ruth. Ruth is a physio from Exhale Physiotherapy and she chats to us all about postpartum pelvic floor - what’s normal, what to look out for, what are issues and what can be done about them! We hope you enjoy!!! Is it called the pelvic floor because it feels like our insides are on the floor postpartum? What is the pelvic floor? What if your pelvic floor is tight before giving birth, is that going to make you tear faster during birth?  Does anyone go from a ‘normal’ pelvic floor to a ‘too tight’ one postpartum? We all know that our pelvic floor feels very foreign postpartum, but how do we know what it’s meant to feel like after giving birth versus being concerned because what we’re experiencing is outside what should be expected postpartum? What are some things in birth that can put us at greater risk of having pelvic floor trauma? The word episiotomy is thrown around a lot — why are they done and how do we recover from them? Is our pelvic floor completely intact post c-section? Should we all see a  pelvic floor physio postpartum? And approx. how much would it cost? Should everyone be doing their kegel exercises? And how do we know we’re doing them correctly? Prolapse — what is it and what are we looking for? There’s conflicting information regarding menstrual cups and what the suction can do to our cervix? Should we be avoiding them postpartum? If we have a mild prolapse but it’s not severe enough to have surgery, are there any tools we can use to make us feel more comfortable day to day? Why is surgery controversial when it comes to prolapse? Bladder leakage — what are realistic expectations?  Stress incontinence — what can we do?   Top tips for getting back into exercise postpartum Tips for enjoying sex again postpartum Abdominal separation — is this something we should be worried about? And so MUCH MORE!   Resources mentioned: Bowl shaped menstrual cups:  Nixit @letsnixit Hello Period @helloperiodco www.exhalephysio.com.au @exhale_physiotherapy  Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski Ph.D   Beyond the Bump is a podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Sophie Pearce! A podcast targeted at mums, just like you! A place to have real conversations with honest and authentic people.   Follow us on Instagram at @beyondthebump.podcast to stay up to date with behind the scenes and future episodes.