Pelvic Floor Health After Menopause - #157

Do you leak when you laugh, cough, sneeze or jump? Feel pressure or heaviness in your pelvis? Is sex painful? Pelvic floor problems are incredibly common after menopause, but they are not normal, and you don’t have to live with them.

This week, Jill sits down with Dr. Sara Reardon, DPT, known as The Vagina Whisperer. She’s a board-certified pelvic floor physical therapist with nearly 20 years of experience, a TED speaker, founder of the online pelvic floor fitness platform The V-Hive, and author of the new book FLOORED: A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • What your pelvic floor is, how it works with your breath and core, and why a pelvic floor that’s too tight is as much of a problem as one that’s too weak

  • How falling estrogen affects your pelvic floor, bladder, and vaginal tissue, and the link between genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and pelvic floor dysfunction

  • The signs you may need a pelvic floor physical therapist, from leaking, urgency and recurrent UTIs to constipation, painful sex, and even hip and low back pain

  • Pelvic organ prolapse: what it feels like, what makes it worse, and options from pelvic floor PT to pessaries and surgery

  • What really happens at a pelvic floor PT appointment, and how to find a qualified specialist, including through telehealth

  • Myth-busting: why Kegels aren’t always the answer, why you shouldn’t stop your urine stream, why holding your pee isn’t bladder training, and the truth about yoni eggs

  • How to sit on the toilet correctly, plus the daily habits, strength training, and walking that support your pelvic floor for life

Connect with Sara:

  • Website: www.thevagwhisperer.com

  • The V-Hive: thevhive.com

Stay connected with JFW:

Book your 60-minute Menopause Care Consultation:

https://www.jillfooswellness.com/menopause-care-consult-page

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Schedule your free 15-minute consultation here:

https://calendly.com/jillfooswellness/15-minute-zoom-consultations

If you’re a Chicago-area midlife woman, check out the Chicago Menopause Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to navigating menopause locally with experts:

https://chicagomenopausecollective.org

This episode is for educational purposes only and isn’t medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your symptoms.

Jill Foos