““Okay y’all! Going to get personal but in hopes of clearing the air and easing your mind about seeing a pelvic floor specialist.

When Dr. Amy McMillion joined our collective [Tree of Life Birth Collective] I was jumping for joy! I have had many clients in the past talk with me about pelvic floor issues, some mild some a bit more severe. I personally hadn’t experienced difficulties and sent them talking to there care providers. Well what I noticed was it wasn’t being resolved, being pushed under the rug by either care provider, client or both and I kept thinking to myself why?! Why live in pain or discomfort when there can be a solution.

Like I said I didn’t have many issues with my pelvic floor BUT I did suffer trauma to my perineum with my first child along with some other trauma as far as mentally with his birth experience. So I pulled Dr. Amy to the side and told her I wanted to schedule a pelvic floor exam as well and check my diastasis, because three large kids later there was bound to be some separation and may explain my back problems. BUT my biggest reason was to be in the shoes of my clients and other mommas so I can better explain to them what the process looked like, how it felt to me and what I got out of it. I wanted to be able to answer these questions in a knowing way to better easy there minds and for them the step closer to restoring there pelvic health.

Let me tell you! It truly was not bad at all! Now from someone that has some PTSD with pelvic exams from my first pregnancy and my pregnancy losses, I walked in VERY nervous and I may of almost turned around a few times while driving to the office (shhh I didn’t tell Amy that) I mean who likes pelvic exams in general?! Slap on some mental trauma and you got a whole lot of fear. I took some deep breaths, we talked some before to lighten the mood, she listened as I explained my fears and was so comforting. Now I don’t know about you but when you get a Pap smear or a pelvic exam from a provider I never had that intimate bonding (okay that sounds weird as she’s going to put her fingers in my vagina but I hope you get the real picture) before we even started anything! She started with my diastasis. Feeling my muscles, doing massage, pressure etc to evaluate. She talked through everything she was doing, why she was doing it and what her insight was. Then came the pelvic exam. Deep breath Sarah is what I kept saying. She started on my 4th degree tear. Let me tell you I never realized it was a sensitive spot until that day. She performed light pressure to the scar and small circular pressure to loosen it. Once that was complete we moved on to the perineum floor. With light touch she went around in circles feeling my muscles. She handed me a diagram of the pelvis and all the muscles so I could follow what she was doing and see a visual of areas that were more sensitive then others. I had no idea that I had muscles that were contracted and not relaxed. When she touched those areas they were more sensitive then other areas. She was able to apply light pressure to those points, some took longer before they relaxed then others. I have no idea how long the vaginal exam took, but it seemed to of gone by quickly! And like I said before, Amy made the space very relaxed and talked about everything she was doing, showing me on the diagram what areas she was working on, why she was working on one area more then another etc. We even talked about our children, life, as well as cracking some jokes to lighten the mood.

That was the end of the exam. I kept saying why on earth was I scared to get this done?! Why has the fear of pelvic floor health such taboo?! We need to start talking to others, telling our friends and mom groups to spread the word that pelvic floor issues can be resolved and stop living in fear of the exam! I walked in thinking phewww, I don’t have issues with mine and walked away amazed that I truly did! I just chalked up that the sensitive/slightly painfully spot while having intercourse was normal. I thought doing a few kegel exercises here and there were all you needed to do, that’s what I was told from OBs in the past. That wetting yourself at times is normal, especially after having kids. Not one time did I have a Dr. tell me about pelvic floor therapists and if I wasn’t a birth worker I’m not sure I ever would of known that they even existed.

So stop living in pain, fear, incompetence etc! Get your butt into see a pelvic floor therapist and start living the life you once did.”

Sarah Stanley

Dona trained doula

Stillbirthday trained Doula

Sibling doula

Professional birth photographer
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