Floored by Dr. Sara Reardon

Since 2007, Dr. Sara Reardon has cared for people’s pelvic floors as a doctor of physical therapy, board-certified pelvic floor physical therapist and women’s health clinical specialist. She’s the founder of The Vagina Whisperer, an online, on-demand pelvic floor workout platform for pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, painful sex and pelvic floor strengthening.

Dr. Reardon, during her time as a pelvic physical therapist at a hospital, had a conversation with the hospital director in which she suggested that information on common pregnancy-related pelvic floor disorders and tips on prevention be included in childbirth preparation classes. Her belief is that early education and intervention change women’s experiences, quality of life and pelvic floor outcomes. His response was, “We don’t think that is necessary. Pregnant women don’t really struggle with these problems. Plus, we don’t want to scare them.” She resigned the next day.

“His mindset marginalized how much pelvic floor problems affect a woman’s quality of life and put her at risk of future problems,” she writes. “We don’t need protection from research and information that allows us to take better care of ourselves. We need education and prevention tips to make informed choices and care for our bodies long-term. Research supports that even a single hour of pelvic floor education can vastly improve a woman’s pelvic floor symptoms.”

What is a pelvic floor and why is it called that? If you’ve had Pilates and yoga classes, you likely know. “It literally acts as the floor supporting your pelvic organs. Along with your abdominal and back muscles, it provides core stability for your entire body. Like any floor or structure in a house, if you don’t maintain and care for this foundation, things can start to crumble.”

Dr. Reardon impresses on readers that, while some women may at some point need to see a pelvic floor specialist, there are many exercises, tools and new habits to help you care for your pelvic floor. Here are a few.

Check Your Posture
Good posture keeps your muscles and joints in optimal alignment and helps to avoid overtensing or stretching muscles, ligaments and joints. With standing posture, the pelvis should be in neutral alignment, with weight balanced on both legs, head over shoulders and hips, knees and ankles falling into straight lines.

Exercise
Walking is free! It places low strain on your joints and has a low impact on your pelvic floor. It’s good for bone density and promotes circulation throughout your body. Some excellent exercises for strengthening the pelvic floor are bridges, ball squeezes, modified bird dogs, squats and lunges.

Stretch
These can help relax the pelvic floor and are just as important as contracting it in a Kegel. Some are familiar yoga relaxation poses: modified happy baby pose, child’s pose, figure four stretch both sitting and lying down, cat-cow pose, modified downward-facing dog and deep squat stretch. Breathe deeply during each pose.

The chapter titled Taming the Tinkler describes the proper way to pee (read the book!), dealing with urinary incontinence, when to tense or relax muscles, and other difficulties related to the urinary system. The Scoop on Poop details how the pelvic floor and digestive system work together, dealing with constipation, and provides some therapy strategies to help, including abdominal massage and daily stretching.

In the chapter titled The Power of Your Period, Dr. Reardon says, “We need to bring our periods out of the dark to discern what’s normal, what’s not and how to get help when problems arise. Period problems are inextricably linked to pelvic floor problems. Hormonal fluctuations during our cycle influence lubrication, the consistency and frequency of bowel movements, and pelvic floor strength. I aim to educate you about your cycle during your menstruating years as it impacts your pelvic floor, but I also hope to help you embrace and take proud ownership of your cycle.”

Subsequent chapters address the pelvic floor and sex, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, menopause protocols and pelvic pain, with humor, patients’ stories and no-nonsense, sometimes blunt questions and answers. Dr. Reardon is clear: you don’t have to live with pain and don’t allow your concerns to be dismissed. She asserts, “Incorporating the skills and ideas in this book is a lifelong journey, and it starts with making simple changes and taking one step at a time forward. I want this book to empower you to have conversations with your medical providers. Although these can feel hard and awkward, you must take control of your pelvic health and be proactive in its care. If your medical provider shuts you down, find another one. If the next one brushes off your concerns as normal, keep asking questions or keep looking. Keep going until you find the answers you need.”