Cesarean sections rank among the top surgical procedures given in the US. Currently, one third of American babies are born in this manner. Because it’s such a common procedure, it can be easy to forget that a cesarean is major abdominal surgery. New parents are sent home with the daunting task of caring for a newborn and healing from surgery often with little support.
In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with two doctors of Physical Therapy and board certified Specialists in Women’s Health Sara Reardon and Jessica Reale. Sara and Jessica offer tips and advice for healing after a cesarean including how and why to do scar mobilization. They also explain how the pelvic floor is affected postpartum even if someone had a cesarean.
In this episode you will learn:
- What brought Jessica and Sara to specialize in pelvic health and how they came to work together.
- Considerations to keep in mind when recovering from a cesarean birth.
- Given a cesarean is major abdominal surgery, how much movement is suggested in the first few days and weeks.
- Aches and pains that fall within the realm of “normal” and that can be expected.
- Warning signs that fall outside of normal and require consulting a care provider.
- The benefits of scar mobilization and a brief explanation of how to do it.
- How a cesarean affects the pelvic floor.
- How a cesarean affects the healing of the abs and special considerations someone needs after a surgical birth.
- Given the weakness of the core post surgery- ways a new parent can move functionally for daily tasks like- picking up baby or breastfeeding.
- Belly bands- when to use them, when to move past them.
- Jessica’s personal experience with healing from a cesarean birth.
- A tip/piece of advice both Sara and Jessica have for new and expectant parents.
- Where to find Sara and Jessica’s work.
About Sara & Jessica:
Sara Reardon is on a mission to revolutionize the way we approach women’s health with a radical honesty and willingness to openly discuss often-taboo topics. She is a doctor of physical therapy graduating from Washington University in St Louis and board-certified women’s health physical therapist. Sara specializes in the treatment of pelvic floor disorders, including changes that affect sexual health and wellness and is the founder of The Vagina Whisperer, an online resource for pelvic health education for women worldwide. She was awarded the 2019 Alumni Achievement Award recipient from Washington University in St Louis and was recently named one of New Orleans’ Top 40 under 40 young professionals. She is a mom to two boys, wife, New Orleans Saints fan and wanna-be yogi.
Dr. Jessica Reale is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and a Board-Certified Specialist in Women’s Health (WCS), and has been working with people with pelvic health difficulties for over 10 years. She is the founder of Southern Pelvic Health in Atlanta, Georgia, a specialty clinic focused on helping all people optimize their pelvic health. Dr. Reale received her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Kinesiology from Gordon College in Wenham, MA and her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) at Duke University in Durham, NC. She is a faculty member of the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute and has taught continuing education courses to hundreds of physical therapists and other health care professionals nationwide. She is passionate about pelvic health and empowering people to overcome their pelvic floor difficulties. This led her to partner with Dr. Sara Reardon to create Pelvic Floor University, building a library of accessible online classes on all pelvic health, prenatal and postpartum topics. When not treating patients, Dr. Reale enjoys an active life with her husband Andrew, and her daughters, Emma (4) and Mary (1).
If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies
Support Our Sponsors:
Over 85 million people around the world use Calm to take care of their minds and get better sleep. For listeners of Yoga| Birth |Babies, Calm is offering a special limited time promotion of 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at CALM.COM/YBB
Sick of planning new meals each night? Let Green Chef do the meal planning, grocery shopping, and most of the prep for you week after week Use my code ybb80 to get $90 off your first month plus free shipping on your first box! Go to greenchef.com/YBB90 to redeem and for more details. greenchef.com/YBB90
Connect with Sara & Jessica:
Website: www.thevagwhisperer.com
IG Handle: @the.vagina.whisperer
To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:
Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter
Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center
