Your Pelvic Floor with Dr. Natalie Marshall
“Vulvas are beautiful. They are all like snowflakes: they’re all beautiful in their own way but they are different.”
— Dr. Natalie Marshall
There are a host of pre- and postpartum issues that women do not need to keep up with. Peeing when you sneeze or laugh, having a bulging belly two years after your baby was born, and suffering from indigestion every week is not fun and games for anyone, and yet these problems are so seldom talked about. The good news is that the body wants to be in perfect homeostasis and balance, you just need to create the conditions for that to happen. Today we are thrilled to have a doctor in the house! We are joined by Dr. Natalie Marshall, the owner of Vitalize Physical Therapy in Westfield, Indiana, who talks to us about the important role that a healthy, well-functioning pelvic floor plays in not just our bodies but our lives. Most of the time when patients come in with complaints about going to the bathroom or having sex it is related to a dysfunctional or tight pelvic floor. Dr. Marshall talks about our unhealthy habits of restricting our diaphragms, not breathing into our bellies, doing Kegel exercises straight after childbirth, and putting too much strain on ourselves when we should be taking it easy. Listeners can also look forward to learning more about the condition called diastasis recti and how they can go about releasing tension and trauma from their bodies.
Key Points From This Episode:
The most common reasons why people decide to consult with a physical therapist.
Learn what the pelvic floor is and why it plays such an important role in the body.
Why sucking in your tummy and wearing waist trainers are bad for you.
Helping women to get their bodies to work as they are meant to.
The importance of teaching young girls that vulvas are beautiful but all different.
Hear about all the problems that result from pelvic floor dysfunction and tightness.
Why Kegels should be approached with the same care as any exercise.
The lack of information about and support in dealing with postpartum issues.
Why pregnancy and postpartum should not be periods of hard, high-impact training.
Good reasons for seeing a physical therapist during pregnancy and before surgery.
Everything you need to know about diastasis recti and its complications.
Why the pelvic floor needs rehab after childbirth and how you can do it yourself.
Learn how our intuition can be harnessed to release tension and trauma in the body.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
If you want to learn more about what Dr. Natalie is all about, check out her Member Highlight post for February. I love highlighting incredible women each month and she was lucky enough to be our first!
Want to learn real exercises from Dr. Natalie? Sign up for the SLC membership and get 3 exclusive video tutorials with her.
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