What Conditions Make Exercise During Pregnancy a Risk Factor?
There are certain conditions and pregnancy complications that require special attention, and you should ALWAYS consult with your obstetrician before engaging in any physical activity. In such cases, they will likely recommend a more sedentary lifestyle throughout your pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has provided a list of these conditions, which include:

• Cerclage
• Placenta Previa after 26 weeks
• Preterm labor during the current pregnancy or ruptured membranes
• Preeclampsia
• Severe Anemia
• Certain types of heart & lung disease

What are the Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy
Exercising regularly throughout your pregnancy provides a wealth of benefits, from pain relief to reducing the risk of certain pregnancy complications. Understanding these benefits is crucial to appreciating the importance of staying active for both you and your baby.
 
Pain Relief: Regular exercise during pregnancy is particularly effective at alleviating back pain. Exercise strengthens the muscles in the back, reducing weakness and soreness, while increasing blood flow to the area, making it feel less stiff.
 
Constipation Relief: Many of our pregnant patients confide in us about their frustrating, irregular bowel movements. Exercise is a simple and effective way to get your digestive tract moving regularly. It decreases the time it takes for food to travel through the large intestine, reducing the amount of water your body absorbs from stool, which helps to prevent hard, dry stool that's harder to pass.
 
Gestational Diabetes: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2% and 10% of pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes. This type of diabetes is caused by hormones secreted by the placenta to support the pregnancy, making the body's cells temporarily resistant to insulin and resulting in high blood glucose levels. Exercise helps combat this by reducing blood glucose levels through increased glucose consumption by muscle cells. Exercise can also make muscle cells more sensitive to insulin, meaning they continue to consume glucose after the workout is over.
 
Preeclampsia: Indicators of preeclampsia include high blood pressure, high protein levels in urine, and other signs of organ damage, often beginning around or after 20 weeks of pregnancy in people whose blood pressure was previously in the normal range. According to a recent study, exercise interventions during pregnancy reduced the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia by 39% and 41%, respectively, according to the Mayo Clinic.

What’s Recommended
Now that we understand why exercise is crucial during pregnancy, it's important to determine the most beneficial types and amounts of exercise. According to ACOG, pregnant women should aim for at least 150 minutes of "moderate-intensity aerobic activity" per week. To elaborate, moderate intensity refers to an activity that makes you break a sweat and raises your heart rate, allowing you to hold a conversation but not sing. Aerobic activity involves rhythmic movement of the large muscles in your body, such as walking, running, cycling, and dancing.
 
If you weren't physically active before pregnancy, it's advisable to begin with low-intensity exercises and gradually increase your activity level. Conversely, if you were very active before becoming pregnant, you can continue with your usual routine, subject to your obstetrician's approval.
 
While most of the physical activities you did before pregnancy are safe to continue, there are exceptions to the rule. Contact sports that may cause abdominal injury and sports that pose a risk of falling, such as horseback riding and skiing, should be avoided. Also, avoid hot yoga or hot Pilates, as they may lead to dehydration and overheating.

Pregnancy
 
The earlier you start pelvic floor PT during pregnancy, the better. By starting early, we can ensure that your body is well-prepared for what's to come and can help mitigate any symptoms that may arise. We can also provide you with education and strategies to help you navigate this time successfully. 
 
Physical Exercise: Pelvic floor PT can guide you on how to exercise safely and effectively during pregnancy, so you can have an active pregnancy as you desire. We'll teach you proper breathing techniques, posturing techniques, and exercises that have been proven effective time and time again. 
 
Pain: It's common to experience lower back, hip, pelvic, or pubic pain during pregnancy. Pelvic floor PT can help relieve this pain by using a combination of treatment techniques, teaching you how to "turn on and off" the appropriate muscles, and providing knowledge on how to manage pain if it flares up in the future.

Coordination: To prepare for labor, it's essential to have a thorough understanding of how to contract, relax, and bear down the pelvic floor muscles effectively. Consulting with a Pelvic PT can help improve the motor control of these muscles and increase awareness of their function
 
Labor Prep: Pelvic floor PT can also optimize the labor process. We'll teach you techniques to aid in your labor experience, including insight on effective birthing positions, relaxation strategies, and perineum stretching that your support system can perform.

Postpartum
 
Postpartum can be a confusing time, and it's normal to feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. At Restoration Health Collective, we provide essential guidance and support during this time when you may need it most.

Pelvic floor PT can help you not only get rid of any lingering symptoms but also get you feeling better than you ever have before. Our goal is to not just return you to your prior level of function, but to help you feel even better than you did before.
 
For all the moms, moms-to-be, or support systems for mothers, it's important to remember that you don't have to suffer from these symptoms forever. Working with a skilled, pelvic floor physical therapist who provides individualized care can relieve you of your symptoms, get you back to feeling your best, and significantly improve your overall quality of life.

Whether you're thinking of becoming pregnant, pregnant, or postpartum, pelvic floor PT can make the difference between just managing symptoms and thriving. If you're interested in booking an appointment or have questions about pelvic floor PT, call our office. We'd love to help guide you on the path to relief.

Urge Suppression Techniques
Urinary frequency and urgency can significantly affect your quality of life, especially if you're always on-the-go. You should never have to put your life on "pause" because of your bladder. These techniques can help you suppress your urge and maintain control:

Slow Down: Instead of making a mad dash for the nearest bathroom, stop and pause to calm your nervous system. By slowing down, you can reduce your anxiety and better control your urge.

Deep Breaths: Taking slow, deep breaths can help you relax and reduce your anxiety. When taking deep breaths, double the exhale time, inhaling for a two-count and exhaling for a four-count.

Sit Down: If you're experiencing an urge to go, stop whatever activity you're doing and sit down, being very still to maintain control. This technique can help prevent accidents and provide you with enough time to make it to the bathroom.

Distract Yourself: If you're nervously waiting in line for the bathroom, distract yourself by texting a friend or playing a quick game. Taking your mind off your need to go can help reduce your anxiety and prevent accidents.

Lift Your Toes: Curling your toes up and lifting them off the ground sends a signal to your pelvic floor to "close." This technique can help you maintain control and prevent leakage.

Gentle Squeezing: Gently squeezing your pelvic floor muscles for about three seconds and then relaxing them can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, providing better control over your bladder.

In conclusion, urinary incontinence and dysfunction can be an uncomfortable and frustrating experience. However, with these tips and tricks, you can find temporary relief until you address the root cause of your symptoms. Book an appointment with a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist today and take the first step toward true relief without medications, risky surgery, or just learning to live with it. ​

​The truth is, bladder dysfunction is not something to be taken lightly. It can significantly impact your quality of life, causing embarrassment and discomfort, and even leading to social isolation. In this blog post, we'll be shedding some light on this common condition, and helping you to spot the signs of bladder dysfunction in yourself.

Types of Bladder Dysfunction

There are several types of bladder dysfunction, each with their own unique symptoms and causes. Here are some of the most common:

Stress Incontinence: This occurs when urine leaks out during activities such as laughing, coughing, sneezing, bending, or lifting. This is what’s happening when your mom, aunt, or grandma say, “Every time I sneeze, I pee a little!”. It's caused by a mechanical issue where the pressure in your bladder is stronger than the pressure in your pelvic floor.  . Stress incontinence can also be due to a timing issue, if your pelvic floor squeezes after the pressure in your bladder increases, you’ll still leak no matter how fit your pelvic floor is. Pelvic floor physical therapy can be effective in treating this issue by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles whether that means lengthening the muscle or working to make it shorter. This will help you to stay dry no matter how funny your friend is and regardless of how intense your workout will be that day. 

​Urge Incontinence: This is the classic, key in the door scenario, you’re almost to the bathroom but you just don’t quite make it. You’ll often experience a sudden, intense urge to urinate and are unable to hold it long enough to reach the restroom. This is usually caused by an overactive bladder or irritation in the pelvic floor muscles.
 
Mixed Incontinence: This is a combination of stress and urge incontinence, where you experience symptoms of both conditions simultaneously.

Urgency: This is when your brain is unable to differentiate between the different levels of urgency being relayed from the bladder until it’s too late. Think back to our previous blog post when we discussed the three levels, we want you to be able to hear the bladder’s whispers, not just the shouts.
 
Frequency: If you find yourself going to the bathroom more than every 3-5 hours, this may be a sign of bladder dysfunction. Your bladder should be able to hold urine for several hours before you feel the urge to go again. If you catch yourself running to the bathroom every 45 minutes but you “drink a lot of water,” that’s still a problem driven by your pelvic floor. It’s not that your bladder is small, it’s because it’s not flexible enough.
 
Emptying Troubles: If you encounter challenges initiating or ending your urine flow or experience a weak and inconsistent stream with interruptions or dribbling, it may indicate issues with your pelvic floor muscles. As we previously discussed in a blog post, your bladder and pelvic floor muscles engage in a "red light/green light" game. If they are not working in harmony, this can result in delayed start of stream, difficulty emptying, and other related issues.
 
Discomfort or Burning: If you experience burning or discomfort during urination, it could be due to an infection or issues with the pelvic floor muscles. Frequent UTIs with negative urine cultures may also indicate a problem with the muscles. We work with physicians to help get to the root of the issue, whether that due to the muscle or an infection.

​Nighttime Urination: We often hear people say “Oh my gosh I have to pee 3-4 times before I can actually fall asleep cause it feels like there’s still urine left in my bladder,” or “I wake up every night to pee but I always drink a lot of water before bed.” Waking up multiple times to urinate or feeling like there is still urine in your bladder after urinating are both signs of bladder dysfunction.
 
Treatment for Bladder Dysfunction: 
​Pelvic floor physical therapy is often an effective treatment for bladder dysfunction. Through strengthening exercises and relaxation techniques, your pelvic floor muscles can be trained to function properly and alleviate symptoms. In addition, lifestyle changes such as reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, and maintaining a healthy diet can also improve bladder function.
 
Don't let bladder dysfunction control your life. Seek help from a pelvic floor physical therapist today to address the issue and improve your quality of life.

​But did you know that there are different levels of urgency when you need to go?  The first type of urge is when you sort-of have to pee, but you can hold it for a while, like when you're on a road trip and decide to wait for a nicer gas station.

The next level is a more intense urgency, where your brain tells you to start looking for an exit.

And finally, if you continue to hold it, you'll experience the most intense urgency, where your brain is telling you to pull over now! It's important to be aware of these different levels of urgency.
 
When you finally make it to the bathroom and your bladder is full, it should start its stream instantly as soon as you're ready. You shouldn't have to wait, strain, push, or wiggle around to get the urine to flow. We like to think of it as a rubber band you’re trying to flick at someone, the further you pull back the further it’ll go. The more urine you put into the bladder, the better it'll empty.

 
Ideally, you should be emptying your bladder every 3-5 hours. If you've had a bladder irritant like coffee, tea, coke, or alcohol, you'll probably need to go more frequently.
 
At night when you’re winding down for bed, you should be able to go and pee once and then go to sleep and sleep through the night without having to get up. If you have to pee several times right before bed, or you’re getting up over and over again, we’re probably experiencing a bit of dysfunction.

​The bladder and the pelvic floor are like a game of red light, green light. When you feel the urge to go and sit on the toilet, your pelvic floor opens, and your bladder closes and squeezes. Then when you're done and stand up, it switches and does the opposite. When we have problems with the bladder and/or pelvic floor, it can negatively affect this reflex loop and lead to issues like starting or stopping the flow of urine.
 
So, there you have it - a breakdown of how the bladder works and its connection to the pelvic floor. Remember to listen to your body and pay attention to those different levels of urgency!

LAXATIVES & STOOL SOFTENERS
 
First, let’s talk about what we’re all probably the most familiar with, laxatives. The laxative industry is MASSIVE in the United States with an estimated $725 million spent annually. Yes, you read that right, $725 MILLION. This number is even more shocking when you realize that most people who take laxatives don’t actually need them and that their constipation woes would go away with an increase in fluid intake, adding fiber to their diet, moving their bodies more, and seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist. 
 
There are several different classifications of laxatives which include:

• Bulk-Forming: This type of laxative is generally seen as the “first line of defense” before other laxatives are used and they’re often considered the “safest” of the bunch. They work by drawing water into the stool to make it “larger, softer, and easier to pass” without pain. It’s recommended to drink plenty of fluids and stay very well-hydrated when taking this type of laxative. (examples include: Fybogel and Metamucil)
• Lubricant: Lubricant laxatives work by coating the intestinal wall and stool with a waterproof film, which helps prevent the stool from drying out and facilitates its passage. One common side effect of this type of laxative is passive bowel incontinence or accidental loss of bowels. (examples include: Fleet Mineral Oil)
• Osmotic: This classification of laxative works by increasing the amount of fluid in the intestines by drawing water from the colon wall to the inside of the colon., leading to softened stool, making it easier to pass. Overuse of this type of laxative can lead to dehydration and the loss of electrolytes. . (examples include: Miralax and Sorbitol)
• Stimulant: This type of laxative works by speeding up the movement of the bowels by stimulating the nerves that direct the muscles that line the digestive tract. Possible side effects of stimulant laxatives include abdominal pain and cramping as well as fecal incontinence. (examples include: Ducolax and Ex-Lax)
• Stool Softeners: These work by increasing the amount of water the stool absorbs in the gut, leading it to be softer and thus easier to pass without straining. Stool softeners should never be used long-term because your body can build up a tolerance to them. (examples include: Pedia-Lax and Colace)

 
We always recommend consulting your doctor and pelvic floor physical therapist before taking any laxatives. 
​

IN CONCLUSION 

Although laxatives and enemas can provide temporary relief for constipation and bowel dysfunction, it's essential to address the root cause of the problem for long-term improvement. Using these products without addressing the underlying issues may only provide temporary relief, and the symptoms are likely to recur. That's why we recommend seeking professional help to address the root cause of your symptoms.

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is a highly effective treatment option for bowel dysfunction, including constipation, fecal incontinence, or a combination of the two. Our residency-trained, board-certified pelvic floor physical therapist can provide personalized care to help you overcome these issues and improve your quality of life. To learn more and book a complimentary phone consultation, simply click HERE or call our office at (225) 831-5140. Don't let bowel dysfunction control your life - take the first step towards relief today.​

​
Sources: 
​https://www.verywellhealth.com/osmotic-laxatives-for-constipation-1944785
https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/bulk-forming-laxatives#benefits
https://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/all-about-laxatives.aspx
https://www.rxlist.com/how_do_lubricant_laxatives_work/drug-class.htm
https://www.verywellhealth.com/osmotic-laxatives-for-constipation-1944785
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/laxative-oral-route/description/drg-20070683#:~:text=Stimulants%E2%80%94Stimulant%20laxatives%2C%20also%20known,of%20laxative%20for%20self%2Dtreatment.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/before-you-use-stool-softeners-1944786

The Two Types of Constipation: General & Outlet

General Constipation is characterized by the reduced mobility of the large intestine, causing waste to move extremely slowly through the digestive system. There are several factors that can lead to this type of constipation, including a bad diet, poor exercise routine, inadequate water intake, as well as many types of medications.

Outlet Constipation occurs because of inadequate or abnormal coordination of the pelvic floor muscles. In this case, the stool makes it to the rectum, but has a difficult time exiting, causing it to hang out there for too long. This can be caused by several things, but the most prevalent is an overactive pelvic floor, or those muscles being too tight and tense. When these muscles are accustomed to being in a short, contracted state, it can make it extremely difficult for them to sufficiently relax enough for stool to pass without pain. Common side effects of this classification of constipation include excessive straining, avoiding bowel movements due to fear of pain, and thin, hard stools.

When dealing with frustrating, painful constipation, the first step is to determine which type you're dealing with. Is what you’re experiencing general constipation or outlet constipation? We recommend being open and honest with your physician about your symptoms, your diet and lifestyle, and any medications you take frequently so they can best help you.

If you feel like you’ve “tried everything,” been to doctors, changed your diet, exercise routine, lifestyle in general, and you’re still struggling with painful, frustrating constipation, pelvic floor PT is a must. By working with an experienced pelvic floor physical therapy specialist, you will receive hands on treatment as well as learn valuable tips, tricks, and techniques for you to utilize in the comfort of your own home if the symptoms ever arise again.  

Image Credit : ​https://khealth.com/learn/bowel-movement/bristol-stool-chart/

What Is Anorgasmia?
​
Anorgasmia is described by the Mayo Clinic as "delayed, infrequent, or absent orgasms - or ​significantly less-intense orgasms — after sexual arousal and adequate sexual stimulation". It's important to remember that orgasms vary drastically from one person to another, no two are alike, so make sure you take that into account. Compare against yourself, not against other people. 

It's also necessary to note that there can be a myriad of factors that can contribute to your ability to perform sexually aside including alcohol or drug use, certain medications like SSRIs, and various psychological factors like your perception of yourself, body image issues, and low self esteem. 

Anorgasmia can be categorized into several different categories: primary, secondary, and situational and they all manifest themselves in different ways. 

Primary Anorgasmia is a condition in which a person has never had an orgasm in any way, whether that be via penetrative intercourse, oral, manual stimulation or masturbation and regardless whether it's solo or with a partner. 

Secondary Anorgasmia is defined as a condition in which a person has achieved orgasms in the past but no longer can, or is unhappy with the amount of time it now takes them to reach an orgasm, or is frustrated with the sensation of orgasms now compared to in the past (ie. Used to feel fireworks, now feels like a dull sparkle). 
​
Situational Anorgasmia is when a person can only reach an orgasm in certain situations with specific types of stimulation or specific partners. 

I think My Pelvic Floor is Affecting My Sexual Function, What Now?

If any of these symptoms or sensations speak to you, don't panic, you're not alone and you can overcome this. We understand that sexual health and being content and happy with your sex life plays a huge role in many people's mental health & the strength of their relationships.

One excellent way to improve sexual function, regain your confidence, and take back your sex life is through Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy. Pelvic Floor PT has been shown time and time again to improve sexual function in both men and women, whether that be lack of orgasm, pain with intercourse, or a combination of the two. 

At Restoration Health Collective our team of pelvic floor specialists will create a personalized treatment plan specifically for your needs and goals. You'll receive one-on-one care with a physical therapist who is dedicated to helping you reach your goals and take back your confidence once again. 

Have More Questions About How Pelvic Floor PT Can Help You Regain Your Sexual Function?
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Download our FREE Sexual Health e-Book by clicking HERE