32. Honest Chat Around Postpartum Care and the Need for Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy After Baby with Jessica London, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist

Host Lina Forrestal and Jessica London, Doctor of Physical Therapist, sit down for an honest discussion around postpartum care (or lack there of) and the need for advocacy surrounding physical therapy for your pelvic floor after birth.  

Jessica shares her birth story and how after birth, she felt lost in the system. Luckily, her midwives were able to follow up with her but otherwise her doctors never called her for her 8-week check up after her C-section. 

Jessica was surprised at the lack of education around pelvic floor physical therapy. She's passionate about postpartum care and helps moms prepare and recover from birth. 

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Honest discussion around postpartum care and hospital discharge plans
• Postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression
• How patient education reduces anxiety and pain levels
• The women's health dilemma in the United States
• Why the US's postpartum maternity care is lacking
• Why it's important to take care of your pelvic floor
• What is a kegel and what’s the appropriate way to do them? How many times per day or week should we focus on doing kegels?
• What's in Jessica's free guide for rebuilding your pelvic floor (download it here)

Schedule your free 20 minute consult with Jessica here.

Follow Jessica on Instagram here: @yourpostpartumpt

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Sara Reardon, PT, DPT, WCS, BCB-PMD, of NOLA Pelvic Health and affectionately known as The Vagina Whisperer, says: “I hear women say, ‘I don’t know what’s normal.’ They are not given a baseline. You’re frantically looking for information. Once you’re home, you’re over that initial high, and you realize you’re totally on your own, and there’s no help. It’s up to you now. They don’t give you resources, they just say, ‘It takes time,’ or ‘It’ll go away,’ or you call your doctor or nurse, and they say, ‘Let us know if it doesn’t get better,’ and there’s no follow-up. It’s all on you. It’s all on the mother.”  (via Healthline)
  
  
• In the Netherlands and Belgium, new mothers will have a kraamverzorgster, a maternity nurse who comes to the home to provide a minimum of 24 hours of care within the first 8 days after discharge. In Spain, you’ll receive a cartilla de embarazo (mother’s passport) and check in with a community midwife monthly. (via Healthline)

Connect with Lina:

• Personal Instagram: @linaforrestal
• Blog: www.linaforrestal.com
• Podcast Instagram: @newmamaspodcast
• Clubhouse Username: @newmamaspodcast

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