When To See Your Pelvic Floor PT Postpartum

The postpartum period is an intense time of change for moms, and moms are very frequently in need of ongoing medical support.

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy plays a critical role in helping moms recover from birth and rehabilitate their core system postpartum.

Early postpartum rehabilitation can decrease the likelihood of ongoing issues such as diastasis recti, pee leaks, prolapse and pelvic pain.

It's incredibly important to have good healthcare and a support team postpartum.

So let's address the confusion around when is a good time to see your pelvic floor physical therapist postpartum.

When To Start PT Postpartum

The go-to answer to this question is 6-weeks. I always schedule 6-weeks after the due date during pregnancy, but educate my moms that they can come in sooner depending on their individual needs.

6-weeks is generally when tissue healing has occurred for c-section incisions and perineal tears, and scar tissue work can begin.

For moms that have had uncomplicated births and are not having any issues such as pain or pee leaks, 6-weeks is fine for starting PT.

However, moms that are experiencing neck, shoulder, wrist, pelvic, or hip pain, issues with constipation, painful bowel movements, prolapse, pee leaks, or clogged ducts, coming in earlier is ideal.

Why 6-Weeks is the latest for starting PT postpartum

Moms should not wait more than 6-weeks postpartum to start PT if possible.

Accessing moms early postpartum allows me to train them how to properly activate their core muscles. It also helps to ride the tidal wave of natural tissue healing, and get women strong before they realize their "mommy pouch" isn't going away on its own.

I understand that even at 6-weeks moms are completely overwhelmed and exhausted with their little ones, and may not feel ready to leave the house and get pelvic floor physical therapy.

I want to encourage you to do it anyway. 6-weeks postpartum is the latest I want to be seeing my moms postpartum for the first time. The window of hormone-focused healing is about to close, and it's important I am able to address proper core activation mechanics with moms before then.

Conclusion

Physical therapy postpartum is an essential part of the healing process. Even if you feel great, you had no tearing or c-section, and notice no issues, I still recommend at least one follow-up visit with a pelvic floor PT.

I can identify and address issues that might not seem like a big deal right now, but can become a huge issue down the road, after another baby, and certainly after menopause.

Postpartum pelvic floor physical therapy plays a massive role in preventing women's health issues such as prolapse, incontinence, hernias, back pain, and hip pain that can really disrupt a woman's quality of life, and require major surgery to repair if allowed to progress too far.

I cannot stress enough the importance of seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist postpartum no matter what, starting no later than 6-weeks.

If you're reading this past 6-weeks postpartum and still haven't seen a pelvic floor PT, make sure you book your session today!

It's never too late to start your healing journey.