Being pregnant and becoming a parent is exciting, emotional, vulnerable, stressful, scary, and overwhelming! You’re probably experiencing all kinds of new sensations– some of which are amazing, while others are unsettling and leave you with a list of questions that’s a mile long! And, as if it isn’t hard enough to find reliable, honest information, being pregnant or looking after a baby makes it even harder! Well-intentioned articles are popping into your inbox, unsolicited advice is flying at you, and Google is no match for Great Auntie Ella’s big opinions.
Growing with You- combines the knowledge and experience of occupational and physical therapists to help guide you through your pregnancy journey and beyond. Join us for education, exercises, and light-hearted humour for a restorative course of learning and laughing that leaves you feeling like you’ve got this because you do!
This course has been created by a certified pelvic health physio and two occupational therapists. It’s a safe space to learn about your pregnancy, pelvic floor, and prenatal experience. It will help you prepare for birth and recovery, relax in a room full of women who get it, and hold space to ask all the “Is this normal?!” questions you could ever need to be answered.
The Growing with You Course – will cover topics including:
- All about the changes happening to your body.
- What’s normal and not concerning peeing (leaking), prolapse, and pain? Spoiler: none of it is normal, but all is figure-out-able!
- Why pelvic health is so important in pregnancy.
- What pelvic health physiotherapy is, and why it helps before and after a baby.
- How to get a head start on preparing for and maximizing your recovery.
It will also cover important topics like
- Understanding your infant’s sleep
- Feeding Baby, breast &/or bottle, common challenges
- Strategies when baby fusses
- How to manage expectations and emotions
- Tips on the many transitions in your life, eg return to work and other activities
- Ways to prevent common injuries eg carpel tunnel
How do we do this?
- Nine hours of education, exercises, and education with pelvic health and occupational therapists
- Educational worksheets, PDFs, and videos
- The chance to ask all of your pregnancy, postpartum, and pelvic floor questions
- A receipt you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement
- A series of classes that encourages a community of other moms-to-be
Meet Cheryl Leia
Fellow Mom & Resident Pelvic Health Expert
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I’m not in pain. Would I still benefit from this workshop?
Yes! Pain is only one indicator of a problem, and some issues can be prevented or caught sooner by looking at symptoms other than pain. For example, bowel issues can be a window into a pelvic floor issue, but they don’t always involve pain. You do not need to wait until you’re in pain to get support for your pelvic floor issues!
Q: Can I exercise during pregnancy?
There are great new guidelines for pregnancy and exercise.
Q: Are things going to be OK down there?
Yes. They will be! Things will be different for a while, but we’re hardwired to protect and heal this area (which is fantastic!), so you can trust your body and know that what you feel right after birth won’t last forever.
Q: What are safe exercises for me to do after giving birth?
For the first six weeks, it’s essential to rest and understand that the tissues in your body need to heal. But healing can depend on movement, so moving and creating some demand on the tissues is good. Depending on your personal history, a range of movements and exercises can be appropriate after giving birth. Ask your pelvic floor physiotherapist for specific examples that you can do.
Q: When will I be able to run/play sports again?
Sorry, I wish I could tell you right now, but there is no clear answer! If you were strong and active before delivery, your body generally has a better chance of returning to activity sooner. But again, each birth has different circumstances, so we must be careful with blanket statements.
If returning to sport is a priority for you, I’d recommend talking to your pelvic health physiotherapist so that they can help you work towards that goal safely and confidently.
Learn from experts. Laugh with other moms. Leave knowing how to rock this “pregnancy” thing!
Register for the course under Cheryl Leia, physiotherapist
www.canopyhealthbc.ca
