Everything You Need to Know About Your Pelvic Floor with Sara Reardon
Sara Reardon is on a mission to revolutionize the way we care for women and their vaginas.
She often discusses taboo topics related to pregnancy, postpartum and recovery, pelvic health and motherhood to shine a light on important issues of wellness.
Sara is a board certified women’s health clinical specialist, doctor of physical therapy, mama of two boys, and a wannabe yogi.
She is the owner of NOLA Pelvic Health, a pelvic floor physical therapy in her hometown of New Orleans and Founder of The Vagina Whisperer, an online resource for pelvic health education that provides telehealth sessions to support, empower and educate women worldwide..
The Unspoken Topic
- The journey of your pelvic floor starting from birth and through postpartum is not talked about enough. Nobody speaks about how much bleeding, pain, weakness and dryness occurs throughout it all.
What We Cover
- We go through the journey of the pelvic floor.
- How you can keep your vagina moist when your estrogen levels are low.
- How to properly transition back into exercising.
Take a Listen >>
Key Takeaways
- The pelvic floor journey starts after you give birth. You bleed for weeks and may have pain going pee and poop, especially if you had an episiotomy.
- Rest as much as possible in the 4th trimester (which is the 3 months after giving birth). Take your time to heal because all of the muscles and tissues in your pelvic area are lowered, weak and vulnerable.
- Further down the postpartum journey, your vagina may be dry from breastfeeding, so sex may be painful.
- Once you have your first period, it will look like a crime scene.
- It is not normal to pee yourself. Any amount is too much. After 3 months postpartum, if you are still peeing yourself, go see a specialist because the problem may worsen and you may need surgery to fix it .
- Once you stop breastfeeding, your vagina will get its moisture back.
- Your periods postpartum may feel heavier and you may experience more pressure in the vagina area.
Actionable Solutions
How to Prevent Pee Leakage
- When you lift heavy objects, don’t strain.
- Don’t strain when you poop.
- Don’t strain when you give birth.
How to Moisturize Your Vagina
- Use a dab vitamin E oil capsule to rub the vaginal area.
- During sex, use a water-soluble lube.
- If your vagina hurts to have sex, see a therapist so they can teach you how to massage the area.
How to Alleviate Heavy Period Pain
- Lie on your back with your legs up on the wall.
- Use a bag of frozen peas on your pelvic area to reduce swelling.
How to Get Back Into Exercising
- The first 2 weeks postpartum, take it easy. No working out. Let your body recover.
- At 2 weeks you can begin lightly walking. If you have pain or have increased in bleeding, hold off.
- At 2-4 weeks postpartum and after your doctor has cleared you, go ahead and start doing kegels.
- 4-6 weeks postpartum is when you should get an assessment with your doctor or physical therapist. You’ll want to start building the foundation of your pelvic floor from there.
- Refrain from high intensity workouts until at least 3 months postpartum.
Hardest Decision To Make as a Mom
- Not going back to work after her 2nd son broke his leg and knew she needed to be home with the kids rather than juggling childcare. It was the longest year of her life!
A-Ha Moment About Parenting
- Realizing that her body was going to be able to give birth. We don’t give ourselves enough credit.
Most Excited About
- She loves her work but she is super excited about going on vacation!
Sara’s Gift
Sara certainly has a way of normalizing the entire journey of our pelvic floors. She was a wealth of knowledge during this episode, and so this gift is truly a gift that can change lives.
To grab Sara’s gift, add your email below and we’ll send it on over. You’ll be opting into both of our email lists so you can receive even more goodies!
Mama Has a Minute
- Favorite form of self-care: Yoga.
- Best parenting advice ever received: Hang in there.
- Share your favorite parenting hack: Gamify tasks for kids.
- Recommend one product your children cannot live without: White noise machine.
- Share your favorite book and why: Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth because its the essence of what birth and motherhood can be and we don’t see it enough in our medical culture. For a kids book, she recommends What Do You Do With a Chance because it helps kids that need more time to adapt to experiences the courage to keep trying.
- What motherhood means to you: Motherhood is a part of her and everything to her. At the end of the day, it’s the number one thing.
Freebies From Us
- Join our Facebook Community
- If you’re living in Tantrumville with your toddler, you definitely need the Top 5 Tips to Hitting The Pause Button on Temper Tantrum
- Download our FREE Worried Mama’s Guide to Baby Milestones
- FREE Masterclass on getting rid of mom guilt when it coems to your finances.
- Learn to become an even more mindful mama without having to go to a yoga class or spend 30 minutes meditating with this free guide.
Action Steps For *You*
- Have a question or topic you’d like to cover? Let us know!
- Subscribe to our podcast to never miss an episode on iTunes or Stitcher.
- Love what you hear? Leave us a comment + review on iTunes! (WE LOVE YOU!!!)
