Let’s Talk About Your Pelvic Floor
An interview with local pelvic floor therapist, Leena Bird.
Pelvic floor physical therapy is a widely misunderstood and underutilized service that can make a major difference in quality of life for most women. We highly recommend that our clients look into pelvic PT even before birth as a proactive approach to their health and healing.
We sat down for an interview with one of our favorite local pelvic floor PTs around. Not only is Leena great at her work, but she is an all-around lovely and fun person to spend time with. We also admire anyone whose life’s work is to help women solve their peezing problem. If you don’t know what peezing means, please keep reading!
Tell us a bit about you and your family.
I’ll start with my family because they are my everything! I am blessed to have been married to my husband, John, for nearly 13 years. We live in Naperville and are the proud parents to our three loving, creative and energetic boys, Carter (11), Colin (9) and Ketan (6). I am also the proud aunt of six nephews and nieces, including my own sister’s first child who had the honor of meeting Tara on her “birth” day in May!
I would describe myself as woman who craves and believes in the power of connection with the people and world around us. Almost 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer, and my journey included multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and physical/emotional/spiritual healing. I learned that this strong bond and connection with my family and friends was critical to my recovery. I strive to continue this and feed my soul each day with a walk outdoors and/or a “real” conversation with another human.
When you’re not working, what are some things you do for fun?
I love spending time outdoors with my boys and husband…lately it’s playing backyard wiffle ball at all hours of the day. We all love hiking and recently took a trip to the Smoky Mountains, so I am hoping to travel to many more national parks together. I enjoy walks, bike rides, pilates, and yoga. I love hanging out with friends, especially those in my “mom village”, and trying new restaurants or having themed dinner parties. I’m slowly getting back to reading for fun…currently reading Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. And my newest Netflix obsession is Schitt’s Creek…hey, it’s never too late to start, right?!
How did you get into the field of physical therapy? Tell us about your training and your current business.
I had always had a love for the human body/science and admiration for teachers, so physical therapy seemed like the perfect blend of medicine, education and human connection. I graduated from Marquette University almost 20 years ago and worked in a variety of clinical settings until I found my love and passion in the field of women’s/pelvic health. This was a time in my life when my girlfriends were having babies and I was pregnant with my first son. I began experiencing pain and wasn’t clear on the best way to address it while remaining active. I was also nervous about my first birth experience after hearing stories about “all the things” that can happen after childbirth.
It became very clear to me that women deserved more care and support during the perinatal period, so I began my journey to learn how to better serve the women I was seeing in the clinic. Much of my completed post graduate work in obstetric care and pelvic health has been with the APTA’s Academy of Pelvic Health and the Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute. But, I consider myself to be a life long learner, so I am continuously taking additional coursework to ensure that I am providing the most comprehensive treatment based on the most current research in our field.
Leena Bird Physical Therapy was born as a means to bring personalized guidance and support to mamas and mamas-to-be so they can reconnect with their bodies and live energized lives filled with movement, confidence and JOY as they raise their families. I provide comprehensive physical therapy for women during pregnancy and after childbirth in a way that works with and around their busy schedules…and in the privacy and comfort of their own homes! (Which means no need for babysitters or more driving before/after work to yet another appointment). I wanted to make it easy for a change for moms to get the care they need and DESERVE.
What are some of the main reasons women seek pelvic floor therapy?
During pregnancy, women may be uncertain about the best method to care for themselves and prepare for the arrival of their ones. This alone can be so overwhelming…and then to add pain into the mix! Nobody, especially a pregnant woman, has time to be deal with back pain, hip pain, sciatica, or pelvic floor pain. This should not be considered something she has to “deal with” until the baby arrives.
Other women are also looking for a “better” pregnancy and labor/delivery experience than their previous experiences, so a pelvic floor physical therapist can be a great addition to the team of support for this mother.
After baby arrives, a mother may be struggling with guilt and lack the time to care for herself. So many of these women feel overwhelmed and frustrated about feeling disconnected from their post-baby bodies and believe that, after having babies, it’s normal to pee yourself, have back pain when lifting your child(ren), or not want to have/not enjoy sex. Although these may be common conditions, they do NOT have to be your truth to live with and endure.
What are some difficult things women endure that could be helped with PT?
Here’s my list of the most common challenges that women can face before, during or after childbirth:
Low Back, Neck, Sacroiliac Joint, and Other Joint Pain – typically when walking, lifting/changing baby, getting on/off the floor, or nursing
Diastasis Rectus Abdominus (DRA) Recovery - also known as “Mommy tummy” or an “abdominal separation”
Abdominal Pain - typically following a cesarean birth and many time due to scar adhesions)
Urinary Incontinence - Peeing when you sneeze (“peezing”), cough, laugh, lift, run or jump; or always running to the nearest bathroom because you’re peeing all the time
Pelvic Organ Prolapse - Feeling as though your insides are slipping out from your vagina or rectum; feeling fatigue and heaviness in your pelvis at the end of the day, sex may be uncomfortable
Sexual Dysfunction - Typically fear or avoidance of returning to sexual activity due to discomfort/pain with initial or deep vaginal penetration; perineal and cesarean scar tissue can be the cause; pain can also be present without penetration
Constipation – Straining to have a bowel movement or not emptying completely; this could also be the reason you are leaking or having pelvic pain
Some common misconceptions about pelvic floor PT?
There are so many, but here are a few…
“Pelvic PT is just kegels, right? My provider told me my muscles are weak so I can just do kegels and get stronger on my own.”
Many times, a woman may have pelvic floor muscles that are working too hard or are not coordinated with the rest of her core muscles. Doing kegels can worsen your symptoms and give you symptoms that you didn’t have before, like leakage or pain. If kegels, or pelvic floor contractions, are part of the program that is best for you, it is so important to know how to do them correctly and not in a way that can, again, worsen your symptoms.
“I’ll just wait until I know I’m done having kids to get help.”
Many women believe their symptoms may either get better on their own; or if they are going to get worse or come back, they might as well wait until there are no pregnancies in their future. When left untreated, symptoms typically get worse with subsequent pregnancies/deliveries, so early intervention is the key to prevention. Pelvic PT is key to remaining pain-free and active, and confidently stepping into your labor/delivery and postpartum journey.
“I’m not leaking and I don’t have any pain, so I don’t need therapy”
Some believe that pelvic floor PT is only needed if you are having challenges with peeing, pooping, or sex. Definitely see a pelvic PT if you are struggling with these, but we can also help with providing a plan for safely returning to doing what you love….whether that is simply walking and caring for your baby/family or returning to running any other high impact activities you enjoy. Truly, every woman deserves to have, at minimum, a consult with a pelvic PT before and after baby to put herself back in the driver’s seat for her overall health and wellness.
“It sounds uncomfortable…I think I’ll pass”.
Some women believe that pelvic floor therapy will only be internal/intravaginal treatment. Although this can be a part of your treatment plan, it is only one piece of the puzzle. Pelvic floor PT looks at your entire body, from head to toe, and starts with setting the foundation by connecting with your deep core muscles…which includes the muscles of the pelvic floor. We will recommend the best plan based on your goals, and if we find that it would be beneficial to move forward with a pelvic exam, we will make sure you are comfortable and will be in constant communication about what we are assessing and what we find.
“I had a c-section…my pelvic floor is fine”
Regardless of how you birthed your baby, your pelvic floor muscles are impacted. They still had to support your growing baby throughout your pregnancy. Many times c-section scar tissue left untreated can impact the pelvic floor muscles and lead to pain with sex. Most importantly, pelvic PT addresses the entire core. Every woman deserves to have her abdominal wall and pelvic floor assessed after childbirth.
What are some specific ways pelvic floor PT can help women have a better pregnancy, birth, and healing time?
During pregnancy, these are a few ways that pelvic floor PT can help:
Reduce and eliminate pain so you can remain active,
Align the spine and pelvis for an optimal position to birth your baby,
Educate you on how to connect with and continue to use your deep core muscles throughout your pregnancy,
Offer simple and effective exercises and movement patterns to stay connected with your core and support your changing body,
Provide guidance for labor and delivery, including instruction for labor positions where YOUR pelvic floor can best relax, tips for manual techniques/comfort measures from your partner, and how to breathe/push during labor.
After childbirth, pelvic PT can help in the same way as stated above, but can also include helping you through:
Reconnection with your core muscles thru breath work, functional movements, and exercises,
Pain reduction/management after delivery, even as early as 2-4 weeks postpartum,
Instruction in safe body mechanics for lifting, carrying, wearing and feeding your baby,
Instruction in scar mobilization techniques for a cesarean or perineal scar,
Simple exercise recommendations based on YOUR specific needs and goals for the 4th trimester and beyond
Education for optimal bladder and bowel habits that can have an immediate impact on your symptoms
What is something you’d really like women to know about their bodies and what they are capable of?
Your journey through life is unique, as is your pregnancy, childbirth experience and postpartum journey. Own this. Equip yourself with knowledge about your body, especially the changes that can and do occur with pregnancy and childbirth, so you feel confident and peaceful knowing that you can be supported at any point in your motherhood journey.
Remember that the conditions that women experience that are labeled “common” do not have to be your truth to live with and endure.
And there is no limit to what you can achieve…heck, your body is capable of bringing a tiny human into the world! But…I know firsthand that you can’t do it alone, so find the PT for your team to provide the guidance and support you deserve.
For more information about pelvic PT and to schedule a complimentary discovery call with Leena, please visit www.leenabirdpt.com.
The following are also directories to help you find a local pelvic PT:
https://ptl.womenshealthapta.org/
