Can physical therapy help you on your pregnancy and birth preparation journey? Absolutely! Working with a women’s health physical therapist can help you understand your body better. The more you know your body, the easier it is to work with it during challenging circumstances, like labor and delivery. 

Here are the top 5 ways physical therapy can help prepare your body for the BEST birth experience possible:

1. Improve pelvic mobility. This helps make room for a growing baby and assists with descending into the birth canal when the time comes.
2. Strengthen core & pelvic floor muscles for a healthy pregnancy & enhanced recovery.
3. Reduce common pelvic floor issues, including pesky bladder leakage.
4. Reduce common prenatal orthopedic pain. Goodbye low back and pelvic pain!
5. Coordinate your pelvic floor muscles to help you deliver. Did you know that you need to RELAX (not kegal) your muscles during delivery?

BONUS: Learning more about your body during pregnancy, labor and delivery actually helps reduce birth fear! Pelvic PT helps to empower you with strategies and confidence in your birth!

Throughout your physical therapy sessions at Fit PT, we teach you different positions for the stages of labor, how to use gravity to assist your progress, and different ways to navigate labor with your partner or team. We listen to your goals for birth and honor those with options you can do in the third trimester and during active birth to help you achieve your desired birth.

Not quite sure you’re ready to dive into PT but still want to help prepare your body for birth? Here are three of our favorite stretches to get you started:

• Pelvic tilts on hands and knees (cat/cow)
• Child’s pose
• Deep squats (supported by a ball or yoga block)

Here at Fit PT, we believe no one should have to wait until after the baby arrives to receive pelvic PT. If you are struggling with pelvic, hip, and back pain, hemorrhoids, or bladder issues during pregnancy, please reach out to us!! 

Our goal is to help empower mamas with education and tools, so they have options and confidence going into their birth. Pelvic PT care is beneficial for both vaginal and C-section births. We will work with you on strategies to reduce discomfort and help your body as it prepares to give birth.

To schedule your free discovery call or a physical therapy evaluation, call us at 715-513-6313 or email us at hello@yourfitpt.com.