Postpartum Physical Therapy
Postpartum PT in Bucks County, PA
At Vivid Women’s Health, we provide physical therapy for postpartum recovery to women in the Newtown, PA and Doylestown, PA areas.
Whether you are struggling with postpartum recovery, connecting with your core, or symptoms such as leakage, prolapse, hemorrhoids, or pain with sex, we’ve got you.
What is Postpartum PT?
Postpartum PT is a specialized form of physical therapy that helps guide women back to activity in the postpartum period. We typically start seeing patients when they are “cleared” for activity by their birth provider, but in certain situations can see patients sooner.
Oftentimes, patients are blown off and symptoms are blamed on the fact that they “just had a baby”. Quality pelvic PT is an extremely important part of postpartum recovery.
We’re here to help you reconnect with your abs, guide you safely back into activity, and address common postpartum concerns and symptoms.
Common Symptoms Addressed At Postpartum PT:
Postpartum pelvic floor physical therapy is extremely effective at helping patients with:
Urinary leakage
Pain with sex
Prolapse
Diastasis Recti
C-section recovery
Hemorrhoids and fissures
Core retraining
A word from a patient:
“After my second birth I felt so weak and disconnected from my body. I was in so much pain during even the most basic tasks like sitting and walking. I decided to give pelvic PT a try and it has been one of the best decisions I ever made. I am now back to lifting heavy weights and training for my first race in well over 4 years. My son keeps saying “Mommy you are so strong now.” There really aren’t enough words to express how grateful I am to be able to live an active lifestyle with my children”
.- Casey C
How Does Pelvic PT Help Postpartum?
Pelvic floor PT is a highly effective, evidence based treatment to help patients recover from pregnancy. Regardless of whether you had a C-section or vaginal birth, pregnancy stresses the core, hips, and pelvic floor muscles.
Unfortunately many women are given the “all clear” to resume normal activities at 6 weeks postpartum, but are often given no clear path on how to resume normal activities. That’s where we come in!
We not only help patients manage any symptoms that they might be experiencing, but we help them confidently return back to activity, whatever that means to them. From running and jumping, to just being able to pick up your baby without pain, we are here to help you feel like yourself again.
A word from a patient:
“I had horrible sciatic pain on my left side due to a birth injury. Within a few visits the pain was almost gone, and I was given tools to continue to heal and support my pelvic floor. They helped me through a c-section after two vaginal deliveries, and now I feel stronger after my third child! You will be met with a welcoming smile and individualized care at this practice! I recommend them to all my friends!”
- Kimberlee WOur Approach to Postpartum Pelvic Floor Therapy
Vivid was founded after our owner’s own experience with postpartum recovery. The lack of guidance given to her is what prompted her to begin the journey into pelvic health physical therapy.
Since women’s pelvic floor physical therapy is all that we do. We are unlike any other physical therapy practice.
We understand that each mom’s experience is unique. Whether you are a new mom, or a seasoned mom, we understand that mom’s don’t always have time to do a full sheet of physical therapy exercises, or attend multiple sessions per week. We structure our sessions to be thorough, and provide you with meaningful movements and exercises that are easy to implement, yet impactful in your recovery.
Some things that make use unique include:
True one-on-one sessions. At Vivid, you are with your therapist in a private treatment room. We don’t work with aides or techs- you will have your therapist’s undivided attention for your entire session.
Knowledgeable PTs that solely treat women. Instead of taking 1-2 courses in women’s health, our therapists have taken dozens. Our team has dedicated their careers entirely to women’s health PT
Our treatment goes beyond the pelvic floor. We consider the effects of women’s postures, hormones, life stressors, and breast feeding status to get to the root cause of your pain, and postpartum symptoms.
We are focused on progressing you back to being active. Research shows that being active is a key to managing symptoms throughout a woman’s life. Our focus is to get you, and keep you active, without worrying about your pelvic floor.
A comfortable environment. Our office is unlike any other. We provide a private, comfortable setting so that you can relax, and leave your sessions feeling restored and empowered.
Our Vivid Process
At Vivid we are elevating the healthcare experience. We proudly provide expert care, delivered with intention. Here is our 4 step process to helping to get you to stop leaking and get out of pain so you can run, lift, and have enjoyable sex.
Assess
Figure out the root cause of your symptoms
Connect
Eliminate symptoms and connect with your core and pelvic floor
Progress
Progress activity to run, jump, and lift all without symptoms
Restore
Maintain changes for optimal pelvic health
Ready to jump right in and get scheduled for postpartum PT today?
Click the link below and we will take you to our online scheduling platform.
Frequently Asked Questions About Postpartum PT
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You can start postpartum PT at any point.
Clearance to begin internal treatment typically occurs around 6 weeks postpartum.
However, if are experiencing pain, pressure, or heaviness, we are happy to help sooner. We will work closely with each patient’s birth provider on structuring appropriate and safe postpartum PT plans.
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Absolutely not!
A C-section is major abdominal surgery. Just as any other surgery requires rehab in order to recover, so does a C-section.
Patients who underwent a C-section delivery need a pelvic PT assessment, even if they don’t have symptoms.
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Postpartum physical therapy can help if you’re experiencing:
Pelvic heaviness or pressure
Lower back, hip, or pelvic pain
Leaking with coughing, sneezing, or exercise
Pain with intercourse
Core weakness or abdominal separation (diastasis recti)
Difficulty returning to exercise or daily activities
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We encourage every single woman who underwent childbirth to come in for at least an assessment.
Pregnancy involves postural and movement changes, as well as stretching of muscles and ligaments.
The changes your body goes through during pregnancy aren’t just for nine months — they set the foundation for how your body functions for years to come.
The goal with postpartum PT is to optimize mechanics so you can function well throughout the rest of your life.
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Absolutely not! This is a common myth spread by the medical community.
It’s kind of like saying “we will only fix the foundation of our house after we’ve had a few earthquakes”.
Pregnancies build on each other. We want to prevent years of pain, compensations, and breakdown.
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Absolutely!
Let’s get real for a second. Most of the time that 6 week postpartum check doesn’t involve any talking about your physical goals, or if it doesn, the advice is “take it slow”. We always joke, well what does that mean??
Many times patients leave their 6 week postpartum check feeling like “what was the point in this”. Unfortunately many patients don’t even get a pelvic floor assessment or proper prolapse assessment at their check, yet are told they are “normal”.
The 6 week postpartum check rarely screens for the concerns most patients are facing. This leaves patients thinking “well I’m healed and I have this symptom, guess it’s my life now”.
Pelvic PT offers a structured plan to help you recover fully and get back to your meaningful activity goals, all symptom free.
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Probably not.
Research is heading in the direction of full body pelvic floor strengthening. This involves doing pelvic floor work along with hip, core, arm, and leg strengthening.
Most patients need to work on coordination, breathing mechanics, and core activation.
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Absolutely!
Returning to an exercise routine is a goal we have for every patient that leaves our practice.
Don’t worry if you aren’t an avid exerciser! We want to incorporate movement into your life in whatever way is meaningful to you.
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General PT’s don’t have the same training as pelvic PTs regarding postpartum recovery.
Pelvic PTs have a deeper understanding of the effects of pregnancy on a woman’s body. This includes how breastfeeding, mom-tasks, postpartum tendencies, and hormones all play a role on symptoms and recovery
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Absolutely! We are here for you and baby!
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Quality of care, longer visits, personalization and advanced treatment without insurance driven limitations is what makes our care unique.
We are an out-of-network practice, which allows us to provide the highest quality care. We can provide documentation for possible reimbursement if you are interested.
We do accept HSA, FSA, and care credit as well.
For more information on rates please call us now, or visit here
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Some of those programs are great. However, none of those programs will assess your pelvic floor and make sure that the program is safe for your pelvic floor.
We highly recommend seeing a pelvic floor PT first, before doing a postpartum exercise program.
Learn more about Postpartum PT and Vivid Women’s Health’s approach.
Looking for more info? Help yourself to the postpartum articles on our blog!
