As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I will say that most of those TikTok exercises can increase the pressure on the pelvic floor musculature which can make dysfunction worse, if there happens to be any. Pelvic floor work may involve the core, but if there is not a good understanding of how the pelvic floor functions in real life and during exercises, damage can be done. I have treated many women who think they are doing all of the right things and the first thing I have to do is tell them to stop. :(
I had a really cool gyno who recommended that I see a pelvic floor PT. (I had waited till I was older to be intimate with a partner and I was nervous about it, so she sent me to PT for anxiety). It was soooo interesting. I learned so much about my body and how it worked. I’m so grateful to my pfPT. It’s amazing work. Grateful for what you all do. Thank you. ❤
I think so much of this boils down to: 1. Most of us not knowing that these kinds of clinical professionals exist, and... 2. Our broken overpriced medical system has inadvertently trained us all to look to the Internet for solutions instead of seeking out a professional.
I think all women should see a pelvic floor physical therapist after they have a child. So much happens and we need to all know how our bodies work. I didnt even know it was a thing until my uro-gyn suggested it to me.
Thank you so much for continuing to counteract all the hustle diet culture bs that continues to swirl around the internet. Why do people think you need to be camera-ready immediately after pregnancy? We're just normal ass people lol. I'm so glad your channel exists
Pelvic floor issues aren't just for new moms. My youngest is 20, and I am post-menopausal at 54. I had an ovary and both fallopian tubes removed about 18 months ago, which increases the likelihood of prolapse. I had really started pushing harder in my workouts in the last several months, lifting very heavy weights and lots of impact, and ended up with near debilitating pelvic pain. I got checked out (no prolapse, but definitely a weak pelvic floor), had to stop working out for several weeks, and am now awaiting a consultation with a pelvic floor therapist and doing more moderate exercise. The number of "programs" that people are selling to help women with these issues is ridiculous, especially with how expensive they are. Thank you for your common sense approach.
It can happen for younger women who haven't had babies, too! I'm experiencing dysfunction after improper form with a lifting belt and now I'm wishing that I'd learned about the pelvic floor in health class.
And also the pressure to just keep moving is insane! I had an open myomectomy 10 months ago and in my gyno's words: I had a C-section. Many women with the same story were counting the days to work out again but I learned the hard way that you have to give your body time to recover. Honestly, my core is still not the same, but it's getting back in shape because I took my time, and it also get me a bigger sense of respect for you strong mommas out there because you're just strong!
I'm 28 and never given birth but I do pelvic floor workouts anyway(no Kegels). I started doing them in order to get flatter stomach. didn't get it. But what I got is waaay less painful menstruation. Like before it were 8/10 pain, now it's 2-3 out of 10.
Yay for your recent certification!!!! And as a woman currently on her postnatal journey I can say that those exercises in the second video are wayyyyyy to hard post baby...the knee lifts you showed may seem simple but I celebrate being able to do them now without coning or pain. It's sad that there are people who target women at their most vulnerable. Always love your videos
Omg lol I thought you were about to discuss training your pelvic floor - if that is a lie... here I was thinking my doctor is an idiot. I'm not pregnant and haven't been. I'm so glad that training is still good. My doctor called these movements/training "kegels" I think.. Edit: I was going to msg you on IG. but I'm just gonna expose myself in hopes that it's helpful to someone else. > I had a stroke in 2018, and one of the effects was urinary/stress incontinence. I take something for it, but my doctor also told me to do this training that you mentioned in the very beginning/intro of this video. It's helped a lot.
I'm finally on the schedule to see a pelvic floor pt almost two years after having my second child. I was going during pregnancy (almost an hour drive), but life got so overwhelming after I had the baby I didn't keep up with it. Just found out we have one in our hometown and I'm thrilled because my symptoms have just gotten worse over time.
I focused on pelvic floor exercises I found on YT from people who specifically had degrees or certifications. I’m a CPT but not versed enough in pelvic floor and checked my ego at the door to make sure I was doing them properly through my entire fourth pregnancy. Some of those exercises were all I could do after I had cervical funneling at 22 weeks. I’m high risk anyway. But all of that to say, it’s okay to find your sources on the internet, but PLEASE take the time to research the person you’re following. I have a one finger separation which I think is fairly decent after doing PF exercises for nine months and post birth. I also wore a belly band to help support my weak abs and back post birth which helped with the breathing portion of the exercises. I’m still continuing those exercises now that I’ve been cleared for normal exercise for five weeks. No reason to stop now!!
I hate the term mom pooch because after giving birth to my second child, my daughter, my uterus is tilted forward on the right side, makes for difficult painful paps, so I have a bump that will never move unless I probably have another child or have my uterus removed. There's no amount of exercise or anything that's going to put my uterus back in towards my back.
I've never been pregnant but I've thrown my back out several times and when I finally sucked it up and went to physical therapy these are the exercises my trainer gave me to do. At first I was like "but these feel like nothing, shouldn't I be doing hard core ab exercises?" but after a few weeks of consistently doing them I was truly amazed at how much stronger my core was. I can do a boat pose now, I can move heavy things, I can go running without pain... It still amazes me how such basic movements really change your body.
Thank you so much for this video! I really like the way you explain the concepts too. You simplify everything, and that's what we need. Content quality!
Seeing these creators do crunches/sit-ups/planks in post partum exercise plans make my blood boil. Do they seriously know or care that these movements can make diastasis recti worse?
As someone who had a hyperactive pelvic floor with chronic pain... all those kids posting these pelvic exercises terrify me. See a PT and/or pelvic floor physio because pelvic pain is no joke and if you do it wrong you could end up going from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Does your certification cover high-risk pregnancies? Hoping to get pregnant soon and know I’ll be high-risk so I’d love to find a way to continue to work out in pregnancy (as long as it’s OB approved).
So “high risk” is a case by case basis because that means something different for everyone. I would recommend high risk clients work one-on-one if possible!
I have a question, is there a benefit (and if so which) in doing the exercises you demonstrated (and the good ones in the tiktoks you analyzed 😆) as a woman who has never had a pregnancy?
All of this is the reason why I unsubscribed from Abby Pollock and completely believe her videos are damaging and communicate dangerous messages to new moms.
Just a little reminder to everyone that pregnancy does not just affect women, there are plenty of men and non-binary people who go through pregnancy :) The non-inclusive language surrounding this, especially with all the anti-trans bills and laws in the making, is a little disheartening to say the least
It’s wild you post this video now cause is I just recently looked up pelvic floor exercises in order to keep that area strong cause it has gotten some weakness and affect my bladder. This video must be for me lol 😂 Most of the pelvic floor exercises I saw were VERY minimal and talk about to work out the actual muscles in that area versus the surrounding muscles (like thighs or glutes). I was surprised! Some of the exercises you literally look like you are doing nothing besides breathing lol I also learned that putting unneeded pressure on your pelvic floor is not good either. Thanks for the video!
I’m SO glad you’re talking about this! Society’s (abhorrent) use of the term “loose” and making women feel less than after having a baby (you know what I’m talking about, but I’ll keep it PG 13) plays such a huge part in this for me. Viewing us as “used up” after giving birth is so gross. Then people preying on that fear.. arg. I wish I could have watched this video years ago. Thanks for keeping it real! Now I’m done with MY angry tangent 😂
Better body than pre-baby is hilarious. My core is still weak and its been 9 years. My abs are separated. I'm thin but the separation makes my belly stick out. I think the ab workouts I tried were too strenuous and it may have made the issue worse.
