What Happens at Your Two Week Postpartum Check-Up

Postpartum Recovery with a Women’s Health Physical Therapist

I get a lot of questions about pelvic floor PT postpartum and what this looks like so here’s a breakdown of the timeline and some things we look at postpartum with ways you can help yourself directly following delivery before you’re able to get in to see us!

1. Come in to see us anytime 2 weeks following delivery! We can’t wait to hear your birth story!!

2. We’ll do your postpartum pelvic floor assessment when necessary as determined by your provider.  This will give us a baseline for where your pelvic floor is postpartum and helps us determine if we need to strengthen, if there is tension etc. and how we can best help minimize issues such as leaking, pain with intercourse, or abdominal pressure or heaviness.

3. We’ll be looking at DRA or diastasis recti, the separation that commonly occurs between your abdominals during pregnancy and becomes noticeable postpartum.  We can then formulate a plan based on what we find to best suit your core recovery depending on which activities you’re wanting to get back into and how quickly..

4. Relaxation breathing is something you can start right away to help with pelvic floor pain after delivery and something we’ll help you work on when you come in to see us. You should be practicing something that we refer to as “exhale with effort” for all lifting tasks and transitions such as getting up off of the floor. This will help ensure guarding of the pelvic floor and low back.   It’s also best to practice rolling to your side when getting up off of the floor or in and out of the bed in addition to this breathwork.

5. We can help with any other musculoskeletal aches and pains you may be experiencing  so we can get you feeling your best following a difficult delivery and new posturing with holding and feeding the baby.

6. We’ll provide information on c-section scar management and recovery.

7. We’ll help provide resources such as mental health providers, chiropractors and postpartum doulas that we love and trust.

But most importantly, come in to see us whenever YOU’RE ready knowing all of the info listed above. In the meantime, rest and enjoy all of those baby snuggles!!! 

We’re so happy to help and want to see every woman live their most energetic, active lives! Give us a call at 515-255-3932 to set-up your appointment today!

Breathe. is unique! Private, personalized care that celebrates client victories, big and small. We believe all women deserve to live energetic, vibrant and active lives and it’s our mission to be a partner in achieving that, by specializing in dry needling, DRA, pants peeing, pregnancy/postpartum pain and recovery, pelvic floor dysfunction, headaches, back pain and other orthopedic concerns. 

Appointments available in Des Moines, West Des Moines and Iowa City / Cedar Rapids area. www.breatheptw.com