Benefits of prenatal physical therapy from a pelvic floor specialist

Sarah Kostyukovsky, PT, DPT OCS Pronouns: She/her/hers

Most people don’t think about physical therapy during their pregnancy. They are busy getting to their OB/midwife appointments and getting registered for all the newborn essentials. Most people don’t think about physical therapy until they are in pain, which is common during pregnancy. We can treat you for your pregnancy related pains, but we can also offer preventative treatment and exercises.

How can anyone benefit from prenatal physical therapy:

1. We can get a baseline of your pelvic floor muscles regarding strength, endurance, tightness, coordination, etc. This baseline info is helpful for labor and delivery as well as postpartum.

2. We can help you anticipate future changes in your body: posture, tightness, weakness. By anticipating and preparing for these future changes, we can help prevent and self-manage future pain/dysfunction.

3. We are a sounding board. We can answer questions about what you are feeling (normal, abnormal, typical, atypical) and what you should or should not expect going forward.

4. We can help you prepare for labor and delivery as well as the fourth trimester. From labor and delivery positions to advice on recovery from vaginal delivery or C-section, knowledge is power.