My Birth Story :: Kathryn
Before having children, I had no idea what pelvic floor physical therapy was — or even that I had a pelvic floor. But now, six kids later, I can tell you that I am incredibly fortunate to have been introduced to pelvic floor PT. I truly believe that my pregnancies and births were made better by my prenatal and postnatal pelvic floor sessions.
To better understand this, let me set the stage. A little context. My first was born in 2015 after a failed induction turned semi-emergent C-Section. My postpartum recovery was difficult and included my incision reopening and getting a staph infection in the wound. I ended up back at work after 7 weeks postpartum with an open hole in my lower abdomen, having seen my OB (whom I loved) only twice, and feeling very alone.
Fast forward to my second, born in 2018. I had a scheduled C-Section that was redemptive and beautiful thanks to the hard work of several L&D nurses that helped me plan with a clear drape, immediate skin to skin, and an LC on hand to latch my baby while I was still being sewn up. That experience in itself was so positive, but truly what helped make my recovery complete was that I happened to learn about pelvic floor physical therapy, which at the time was new to town. After one visit, I wanted to shout from the rooftops to every woman I knew about the experience. As oddly invasive as it is (similar to an OB’s internal exam), over the course of my sessions, which included Pilates PT, I felt whole and healed.
And so, when I found myself pregnant with our third in 2019, one of my first calls was to my pelvic floor PT. I found out what kind of services were offered for prenatal care and what benefits they had. With my second pregnancy, I had developed a lot of lower back and hip pain that became debilitating . I wondered if I could avoid that with my third. I also knew I would be having a third c-section, which of course is a lot on one person’s body. Thankfully part of my postpartum work in 2018 included scar tissue remediation, but I wondered if the prenatal work would help prepare my body for a third surgery.
After several sessions addressing my pelvic floor and how it impacted my posture and muscles, as well as some preparations for my c-section, I felt so much more prepared and strong. My third pregnancy was honestly my easiest, even though I was older and chasing around two kids (solo, full time thanks to COVID shut downs and a husband who was working in a hospital).
When it came time to deliver, I vividly remember my OB telling me that my uterus and scar tissue looked so good that I could “go for a fourth,” to which I laughed and said, “No thanks.” Jokes on me, as my triplets would be born almost three years later. I carried them for 35 weeks and they were discharged from the hospital with me, spending minimal time in the NICU for blood sugar issues.
I am incredibly grateful to have found pelvic floor physical therapy. My babies, my body, and my mental health all were better because of my prenatal and postnatal care.
A mom of six, Kathryn Jasper is an original Memphis Moms writer who expatriated to North Carolina for her husband’s job and now joins as a guest writer occasionally. Kathryn is a native Memphian and enthusiastic cheerleader for everything 901, even 880 miles away. Kathryn now lives in New Bern, NC which is in coastal North Carolina. Being so far away from home is hard, but the beaches and small town vibes make it better. Prior to being a full time wrangler of her own basketball team, Kathryn was an educator and camp director.
MOJO Pelvic Health is a local, women-owned and operated team made up of Memphis’ Premier Pelvic Health Physical and Occupational Therapists. The co-founders are both pelvic health physical therapists who have been working to elevate and improve care during pregnancy and postpartum for over a decade in Memphis and have developed a mentoring and training program to educate, empower, and enable more therapists to specialize in this field. They have expanded to multiple locations and partner with some of our top OB GYN groups to make this care more accessible.
Learn more about this incredible team of women at mojoph.com or through their social media @mojopelvichealth.
If you are pregnant, you can learn more about their online Birth Prep Program at the following link. This is open to anyone and everyone, regardless of location mojo-flo.com/birth-prep
