Pregnancy Pain Pot Pourri!

By
Shannon M. Clark, MD
|
January 11, 2021
Pregnancy Pain Pot Pourri!

Pelvic floor dysfunction

Have you heard of pelvic floor dysfunction? If not, you’re not alone. Pelvic floor dysfunction is quite common, yet not so widely discussed. In this conversation I’m sharing today, Dr. Nicole Cozean, a pelvic floor physical therapist, and I talk bladder spasms, painful bowel movements, tailbone pain, hip pain, round ligament pain, and lightning crotch!

Have you had any of these symptoms?

If have ever experienced or are experiencing any of these things, you might have some pelvic floor dysfunction. I experienced this when I was very early in pregnancy with my twins. I had it in the form of “lightning crotch” where it actually was my bladder spasming. Yikes! The pelvic floor muscles and ligaments support everything from the front of the pubic bone to the tailbone. There are a lot of components involved in supporting the pelvis, so if one component is “off”, it can lead to pelvic, hip and back pain. This is very common in pregnancy.

As pregnancy progresses, the weight on the ligaments on the pelvic floor can cause inflammation and stress, which can lead to pelvic pain, bowel or bladder symptoms, or even painful intercourse! These symptoms can continue throughout and after pregnancy. Working with a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floor health can give you relief from pelvic pain, urinary and bowel symptoms, and other forms of pelvic floor dysfunction.

The Foundations of Pelvic Health

Check out the Foundations of Pelvic Health– a course created by Dr. Cozean designed to give you tools to assess and improve movement in 7 different areas of the body!

The course includes:


✅  7 Different Movement Techniques that all support pelvic health
✅  Full explanation of each movement and how it relates to your pelvic symptoms
✅ An overview of the pelvic floor and the interrelationship with the rest of the body
✅ Information on how to safely exercise with pelvic health issues
✅ A 25-min, full-length Pelvic Health Flow that puts all these different motions together

Go to https://www.pelvicsanity.com/foundations, choose the “movement” course and use code “BabiesAfter35” to get $10 off the $29 course!

Dr. Cozean’s practice, PelvicSanity, is located in Orange County, California, so this course is a great option for those out-of-town! She and her physical therapy team help people find relief from pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, urinary and bowel conditions, orthopedic pelvic pain, and pre- and postnatal issues.

Don’t forget to watch our discussion to learn more!

Shannon M. Clark, MD

Shannon M. Clark, MD

Shannon M. Clark, MD, MMS is a double board certified ObGyn and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, and founder of Babies After 35. In her roles as a clinician, educator and researcher at UTMB-Galveston, she focuses on the care of people with maternal and/or fetal complications of pregnancy. Dr. Clark has taken a special interest in pregnancy after the age of 35, which according to age alone, is considered a high-risk pregnancy.

Follow Shannon on TikTok @tiktokbabydoc, Facebook @babiesafter35, and Instagram @babiesafter35.

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