How Pelvic Floor Therapy Supports Ashley’s Pregnancy and Postpartum Recovery

Ashley Strope Freer and her husband Matthew welcomed their son Cooper into the world on April 17, 2024.

When Ashley was around 14 weeks pregnant, she began experiencing the common symptoms many pregnant women face. She was struggling with bladder leakage when she sneezed, and she wanted to do all she could to experience a healthy pregnancy and prepare for childbirth. Knowing the powerful benefits of Pelvic Floor therapy, Ashley made an appointment with Boone Health’s Therapy Services and started seeing Beth Frazier, Pelvic Floor Physical therapist for one-on-one weekly sessions.

Throughout their sessions, Beth worked with Ashley to strengthen and train the pelvic floor muscles. Beth taught Ashley various techniques, which not only helped her control her bladder during pregnancy but also prevented some of the constipation issues that are common in pregnancy.

“We worked on the mobility and coordination of her pelvic floor,” Beth said. “ The pelvic floor needs to not only be strong, but also be mobile and able to absorb forces to prevent urinary leakage.”

Pelvic Floor Therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy aimed at treating pelvic floor dysfunctions which can affect bladder and bowel control as well as pelvic control, sexual health and overall mobility. This therapy involves exercises and techniques designed to improve the function and coordination of pelvic floor muscles in order to alleviate symptoms.

A common problem during pregnancy is constipation issues. Even though she didn’t seek pelvic floor therapy for these issues, Ashley firmly believed it helped her avoid constipation issues so many pregnant women face.

Ashley learned proper breathing techniques and how to control and coordinate different muscles – whether it was her abdominal area or pelvic muscles – ensuring that her pelvic floor remained flexible and responsive.

“In childbirth,” Beth explains, “pelvic floor flexibility is important as the baby passes through. We work on all of this to improve symptoms during pregnancy and prepare the body for delivery.”

Even though Ashley did all of this planning for a vaginal delivery, Cooper was born via an unplanned C-section.

Ashley continued to see Beth and found that her pelvic floor therapy training benefited her post-pregnancy. She learned how to properly engage her core and gradually strengthen her body to help with recovery. The techniques she learned allowed her to move without feeling like she was straining her core, especially when performing simple tasks like getting out of bed, going up and down stairs, or even standing in the shower.

Beth worked with Ashley to manage scar tissue from the C-section.

“We know most women who undergo C-sections develop internal scar tissue that can cause various bowel and bladder issues much further down the road,” Beth said. “We worked on scar tissue mobilization to mitigate this risk.”

Ashley learned techniques to massage the area, helping to reduce scar tissue buildup.

C-sections involve cutting through multiple layers of the body, including muscle, so Ashley needed to relearn how to use those muscles as they healed. Beth also focused on restoring Ashley’s core strength to get her body back in shape. is was a crucial part of her postpartum recovery, helping her feel more mobile and less painful when moving around.

“Part of Ashley’s postpartum care was focusing on proper breathing techniques, movement mechanics and restoring proper core activation and function. These are the elements that help the core and pelvic floor heal so she can return to all of her daily activities without symptoms,” Beth said.

Ashley’s experience with pelvic floor therapy made her postpartum journey much easier compared to other women she knew. She was grateful for the tools and techniques Beth had given her before and after her delivery.

Beth’s work with Ashley highlights the importance of pelvic floor therapy, which is designed to address mobility, coordination, and strength. A strong, flexible pelvic floor helps prevent issues like urinary leakage during pregnancy, and is especially vital during childbirth as the pelvic floor needs to be able to expand for the baby’s passage. After delivery, pelvic floor therapy focuses on restoring core strength, managing scar tissue, and ensuring the body can return to normal function without pain or symptoms.

For Ashley, the breathing techniques, movement mechanics, and coordination of her pelvic floor muscles helped her recover more quickly from her C-section, making everyday activities more manageable. Having the proper tools in her toolkit made a world of difference in her postpartum recovery.

By Erin Wegner