Untitled - March 16, 2025
00:00:00 Unknown: Hi, I'm Denise, a mom, a wife, a business owner, a friend, a sister, a recovering perfectionist, and host of the Working Moms Redefined podcast, Thank you for being here. Let's join together in community as we break free from the mom guilt that so many of us feel and thrive in our fulfilling careers and raising good kids. Welcome back to another episode of the Working Moms Redefined Podcast. I'm Denise and it is a pleasure to have with me today a woman that is very special and near and dear to my heart. This is Kristen Thompson and And you guys, when I say that she has literally changed the way in which I show up as a mom, it is an understatement. I learned about Kristen. She works, like she said, at Quincy Medical Group. And when I first learned of her, she was my last ditch effort. And I mean that in a kind way. And I know that she knows that as well because I came into her and I said, I am hopeless. Right. And this podcast has all of it has been all about, you know, making sure that you realize that it is important to show up for you in your life. And as a physical therapist like Kristen is not only does she help you do that with the way in which she helps treat you. She does it with her words, too. And when you go to PT, you're like, okay, I'm gonna go get a benefit for my body. But you also get a benefit in your mind as well. And believe it or not, women... After you have babies, you don't have to pee yourself. Mind-boggling, isn't it? Now, Kristen will tell you that sometimes we can go the opposite way. That was definitely not my case, and... When you're walking in heels or you're jumping on the trampoline or you're walking around the house and you're like, um, I should not be the reason why my kids know what accidents mean in potty training. Hey, you might need Kristen or pelvic floor therapy in some regard. And so Kristen has a unique approach that truly utilizes Like hand on, hands on massage and focus areas and the power of body, mind and connection. And she helps you along the way in so many ways with a great, Resume to boot. She went to University of Missouri. She was able to get her bachelor's and master's there in physical therapy and then Alabama for her doctor of physical therapy. She has a wonderful husband named Caleb. They live in Missouri. They have two cute little kiddos and I love their names. Callan is the little boy and Caldwell is their girl. Now, This is something today that we are going to talk about that might actually change the way in which you view life after today with your children, right? We're going to teach you and learn together why urinary leakage is After children does not have to be the norm, right? How stress can actually play a part in that. And the biggest thing that I love is tips and tricks to alleviate some of those systems symptoms until you get to a point where you're like, okay, I can't. So again, I'm so excited to share with you the woman that has been instrumental in getting me to be the mom that I want to be. And I introduce you to my pelvic floor therapist, Kristen Thompson. Hi, Kristen. Bye. Thank you. You're very, very sweet. Well, it's very much deserved. And let's start from the very basics because... Your passion can be seen so very much. Where does that come from for pelvic floor therapy specifically and help them with that? For, um, to, for the pelvic floor therapy, um, when I first moved back from Alabama, I was working for Quincy Medical Group and, um, I had a 29-year-old new first-time mom. who came in for regular physical therapy because her husband told her that she was gross that she was leaking after delivering their baby. And at that time I did not have the tools to be able to help her and thought there no one should have to live like that and we need to have a resource in this area. Um, or specifically at Quincy Medical Group, there are other pelvic floor therapists in the area, but I needed to provide that service here, um, to help our patients. And ultimately, it then gave you a gift for you yourself and to help other moms. Where does the joy come for you in that? It's not normal. You want, you have to mom, you have to wife, you have to partner, you have to work, you have to stay at home, which is equal to a full-time job. Answering to mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, twenty-seven million times a day. Um, whatever, I mean, that is, whatever my patient's life is, that is the goal that we get them back to that like they were before they Had any symptoms, whether it be postpartum, during pregnancy, before they ever get pregnant, um, or um. You know, if they're sixteen and a gymnast and are having issues while they're doing the floor routine, like whatever the case may be, you might be eighty and you had issues. A number of natural births um, where maybe there was a little bit less intervention uh, when you were in childbearing years and there's still dysfunction there. It may be following the C-sections. C-sections are Massive, huge abdominal surgeries. It is not something that you just bounce right back from. And so, you know, we don't treat a total knee. Uh, we don't tell them to just bounce back after being cut open and Having things done and so it's inappropriate for us to ask a c-section mom to bounce back to life and pretend like she didn't have a massive abdominal surgery. So very good. And I guess men are men are in there too, right? Like any post prostatectomy patients, um, any men that are struggling with any type of erectile dysfunction or urinary issues or bowel issues um, that directly affects their ability to dad, their ability to husband, their ability to work, provide Whatever their occupation is, my goal is just to get everybody back to what their normal is and what they want their activity level to be. I remember when you first told me that, I remember thinking, I don't even know what normal is, right? Because it had been for so long at this point when I saw you. It had been six years and I think, oh my gosh, like normal seems so far away. And so before we get into specifics, right, I didn't even necessarily know what The pelvic floor is and why it's so important to our health. Can you elaborate on that? It, I mean, it is a muscle that a lot of people do not necessarily want to talk about or acknowledge that it exists, but it does. Um. And it's different. I mean, it's a muscle like every other muscle, but it's also located in an area that isn't easy to stretch, that isn't easy to isolate or strengthen in an appropriate way. And, you know, when, when you go home from the hospital, you get the pamphlet that says do your key goals, um, which is Fantastic, because you, you have to make that muscle contract again, no different than your bicep has to contract for you to get food to your mouth. Um, but it also has to relax to allow bodily functions to happen and it's a huge part of your lymphatic system. It's a huge Part of the ADL that is sex. Um, and so it's, it's a huge, it, it affects every aspect of your life in one way or the other. It is just not a commonly talked about. Muscle and but it directly affects a lot of your ADLs. And oftentimes as women specifically, we put ourselves on the back burner. So we're like, well, worry about that later when it gets to a point where it's like, I can't ignore this anymore. And Right. While that's hard and difficult, things happen to help us and to really make us get to that point, one of which being pregnancy and childbirth. So how does that specifically impact the pelvic floor? Well, you are carrying a little bit more weight towards the end of the pregnancy. Um, and, and you have different ligament laxity in all three trimesters that affect your ability to hold your entire pelvis together. Um, so your ligaments are there to hold the bones together. Your tendons are there to connect the muscles to the bones and you do need everything to work together so that you can function at your highest capacity. Um, so put, put extra weight, extra fluid, right? Like every system in your body is taxed when you are pregnant. Um, and so you add all of that together. The muscles are stretching in a way that they are not used to. There's more pressure on your back. There's more pressure through your pubic bone. Your internal organs get displaced by the baby and so there are there's more pressure on everything internally. Does it go back to normal? I think about like, oh, okay, it's been 10-15 years since I've had kids. I still pee myself, so maybe it's not because of that. And I think I was probably one of those that said, oh, it'll just, it'll go back to normal. And then it never did. Does it? Right. Um, you know, some people, it can go back to normal. I would say that is not the majority of people. Um, You know, your brain controls everything and so we all have motor plans in our brain that tell different body parts what to do and how to behave and act. And so what happens commonly, your brain maps as normal. So for Nine months plus, depending on how quickly you have your kids back together, depending on the taxing activities of your body after having sex. The first or the second and how many, how many come after, you know, um, I don't know that your brain always gets that motor plan. You don't just bounce back to that typical motor plan. Where everything works like it should, uh, prior to getting, getting pregnant. So the majority of the work is just retraining those motor plans. Um, and then I use the analogy, you know, they're back in the filing cabinet. We just got to pull them back out to the front so that Uh, wipe the cobwebs off of them so that you can use them again because you had them previously. So it's just a matter of figuring out how to make those connections again so that then the right way is what is done commonly in your brain maps that as normal. We're gonna get vulnerable here and I think about I at one point had gone to three other physical therapists specifically for pelvic floor before Kristen. And it came to a point, like I said, before kids, I didn't even wear underwear half the time. After kids, if I didn't have a stick in those panty liners and or I would have like Those ultra pads because if I knew I was jumping, if I knew that there was going to be alcohol, I would have to prepare for that or I was going to literally Pee through and in my pants. And that's how I knew that I was at my breaking point is when I find that happened. I had gone through the ultra pad and a girlfriend, I will never forget her. She came up and she's like, I think you peed your pants. And I looked at her and I said, I did, but there's nothing I can do. Right? It was that point where I was like, no, this is not normal. Right? And it's not normal. How, like, how do you convince someone who might be thinking, oh, I'll worry about it later. This is just normal for now. What would you say to them? And I think you have to prioritize yourself when you can. You know, I think there is a lot more focus on self-care. There's a lot more talk about Taking care of yourself. I think we do do a better job as a whole, um, of, of acknowledging more of the issues that a lot of women face postpartum. Um, and so. You know, no pressure when you're ready to take care of it. Come see me. Um, you know, but you got to do it when it's right for you. You got to be able to be in the place that you are committed to doing the exercises that you have the time to pay attention to what you're doing, pay attention to what you're eating and drinking, um, And try to get all of the systems to work back together. And that, that is a time commitment. So you have to be in the right headspace too and have Good support, you know, whatever, whoever that looks like taking care of the baby. You can bring the baby to the appointment. Don't care. Um, I'll hold the baby and talk you through whatever we need to do. Um, and then everybody likes baby snuggles, right? Um, and so, so it's, it's, It's all of that working together. So when it's the right time, when you're ready, and when you can make that commitment to yourself. And while giving yourself grace in the moment of, you know, if you're listening and you have a two-year-old and a baby in your arms, you're like, okay, I need this, but now is not that time. That's okay. That's where I was. Right. I later came when the kids were four and six and you could still help me even after that time had passed. So don't think that You are unteachable that you cannot change because that's what meeting with you does. And then you think about, okay, there's gotta be a better way to say peeing myself and Is it like the technical term, right? Is it leakage? Is it incontinence? What should I really be saying? Um, both words are appropriate. Urinary incontinence is, is what, uh, the insurance company would approve it. Knowledge is the ICB-10 code. I love it. I love it. What, how does, you know, with this, how does pelvic floor therapy work? Help lessen the severity or even in my case, when I was peeing through ultra pads, get rid of it. I mean, I can't tell you what a gift that was, but how does the pelvic floor therapy truly help that? I think the way, um, I think the way that we kind of, we address the low back in it. We address the hips in it. We address your stress level. We address your nutrition. We address your sleeping. We address your hydration. Um, it, it is a muscle that is involved in so many bodily functions. Like I said, you can't just isolate it, um, to be this independent thing. It is absolutely part of your entire pelvic system. Um, And, and everything from the rest of your body comes out of your pelvis. And so we have to, I think we're missing the boat as a PT if we don't acknowledge it as a system and treat it as a whole, um, as opposed to just... Someone telling you to do your Kegels. Which we'll talk about in this next episode. And Kegels aren't always the answer, right? Like, your pelvic floor can be too tight and create an equal, sometimes more, amounts of dysfunction if it is too tight. Um, and so, so that Kegels aren't always the answer. Um, and, and quite frankly, both sides of your pelvis are supposed to work Together but independently because when you are walking, you're standing on one leg and the other leg is swinging. So you need the hip and the pelvic muscles, meaning all of your glutes, your abs, your hamstrings, your adductors, your obliques, You need everything to work together but differently side to side. And so I think it can't just be this one thing that we isolate and go after. I want to make it very clear, listeners, I did not get a six pack after working with Kristen because of how well she worked my abs. However, she did position my hips in the right place. I remember thinking, oh my goodness, no wonder because you explained to me how important and then it was really hard. I struggled and I don't like. Not being able to do something. This was really hard for me to get that mind connection down to where it needed to be to then also like rotate my hips. But one example, Kristen, I will never forget. And this wasn't for. Me in regards to what made it worse, but you explained how specifically with nutrition, right? You talk about that and the power in it. You had a patient who loved tea. She, um. Came for urinary incontinence and her primary issue was every time she drank tea she would think a little. Um, if not, go through the pad. And so... You know, the most common sense answer would be, okay, stop drinking iced tea, drink water instead. Um, but that tea was her thing. And I try, I mean, every patient that I should have treated and everybody to come, I will say, I won't take anything away from you. Um, you know, I'm not, if coffee's your thing, if Pepsi's your thing, if tea's your thing, like we'll, we'll work around whatever your thing is. But, but in that, then let's pay attention, make some modifications and see what we can do to make you as successful and get you the best outcome that we can. And so in that one day, um, I mean, I was at my wit's end. I had tried everything, given her every exercise. I don't know. You got to quit drinking the tea, but that wasn't the answer. I emailed my program director with that patient's permission to make sure I hadn't missed something that I wasn't. You know, I checked all the biomechanical things off that I had given her everything. I was just double checking that I had done everything I needed to do and um, And then that next day she walked in and said, hey, I made the tea today and I didn't pee. And I was like, well, that's fantastic. Um, what do you mean you made the tea? So my fault for not asking better questions. I need to ask better clarifying questions. Um. Um, and she's like, no, I don't make the tea. I'm like, okay, well, and she listed a local restaurant that she likes to frequent and she likes their iced tea the best. Um, And I said, well, great. Can you go there and ask them what they, how they make their tea or like what, you know, what they put in it. And, uh, she came back and they used apple cider vinegar in their tea. And so. That, that was the trigger. That was the bladder irritant for her that created the dysfunction. And so... You know, her pelvic floor did function. Her hips were able to do what they were supposed to do in stance and swing while laying, while sitting. Um, you know, we had done all of the things. And so, but, but some people have bladder irritants. Some people have bowel irritants. Um, some people are not allergic to certain foods, but they have an intolerance. Um, and so you got to know what those are, um, so that you can have the best outcome that you, that you want to get. It's so crazy. Like I said, I will never forget that. And I know that some people, maybe most, however you want to identify it, Don't always see the power in talking about these types of things, right? I know I am a... Extrovert. I don't mind talking about it. Let's talk about it so we can get clarification and a solution and in turn find Kristen. But what would you say to those who are like, yes, I have this or maybe I have this, but I don't want to talk about this. This is kind of embarrassing. What would you say to them? Um, if you can step outside your comfort zone and just mention it to your practitioner, right? Like either whether it's your PCP, whether it's your OB, GYN, a GI doc, urology. You know, a lot of new mamas will talk to the kids pediatrician a little bit more because you're in there so frequently with those with every three months with those appointments. And so at that, you know, I think, I think all practitioners knowing that there's a resource that you can send them to and it is not, um, It is not in my nature to discuss this all of the time and so, so readily, but the number of people that we can have a positive impact in their life, um. I'm okay to get outside my own comfort zone, right? Because like no one, no one should have to live like that and it shouldn't be an embarrassing thing and it shouldn't I don't want any mama, grandma, um, aunt, older sister, who, like, whoever. If you want to get on the trampoline and jump with your kids, I want to give you every tool possible that you can do that. So again, whatever it is, jumping on the trampoline, being able to mom, being able to wife, um, Being a good partner, being a supportive partner to someone else, like whatever that goal is, um, that, that is, that is, I would like to help you get there. It's just like, call me in coach, put me in. Yeah, that's. Yeah. You said, is there any other symptom besides urinary incontinence that actually might signify or signal that, hey, you might need some pelvic floor therapy or is it truly that? Mm-hmm. Um, no, that is one of many. Um, any type, so there's stress incontinence, there's urge incontinence. So like, you know, you go to put the key in the door and you potty because you're like that close to the bathroom or you get to the potty. And you get your pants down and you start potting before you actually sit down. Um, it can be any type of bowel dysfunction, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, anywhere in between, um, Anything post-cancer treatment of any kind, um, all of that can, the chemo and the radiation can affect how that system works, um, Any painful sex for any reason, um, is, you know, again, that, that is a huge ADL for people and it is, it is. Significantly important in multiple relationships and levels of relationships. And so that Pain during that is, is a problem. And so we need to try to fix that the best that we can because pain is also telling you something isn't right. And so we don't want to create bigger issues or more long lasting issues because we didn't address it from the beginning. Um. Like I said, post-prostatectomy, any abdominal surgery, you know, even having your gallbladder out can affect how all of that works. Having your appendix out, um, having your tubes tied, having c-sections, um, Uh, low back pain can sometimes be the pelvic floor is the culprit for the low back pain. Um, because it's all connected through the connective tissue, through your abs, through your pelvic floor, through your glutes. Um, and so, um, Being able to, to help with any of those things. You mentioned earlier and I definitely experienced it, right? When you leave a doctor's office, specifically an OBGYN after you have a baby and they're like, okay, do your Kegels. It's like, I know that I should do that. But first of all, I don't know necessarily how to do a Kegel correctly. So I'm squeezing things and I'm like, okay, that must be a Kegel. That's good enough, right? And you think about how many times people have said, make sure you do your Kegels. If I could have a blueberry... Wink, wink. For every time that I've heard somebody say that. And the reason I say blueberry is because Kristen introduced me to this concept of pelvic floor being more therapy, being more than Just Kegels. And she said, you got to pick up the blueberry. And the first time she said that, I said, I'm going to need more than that. What does picking up the blueberry mean? I have just found that that might be the best or easiest analogy to help people help people figure out in their brain how to isolate the pelvic floor. So I use a blueberry as the analogy as opposed to a cherry or a grape. Because the skin on the cherry or a grape is thicker and tougher. And I don't want a squeeze. I want a lift. And so that's why I use the blueberry because... I don't want you to mash the blueberry. Um, but it gives you the visualization of an internal lift or a pick up. As opposed to a squeeze. And then most of the time we can stop the compensatory strategies in your inner thighs, your glutes, your abs, um, or anything else you're trying to cheat with to achieve the right contraction. But just as important as the contraction is the full relaxation because you have to let it back down all of the way. Um, and I use an elevator analogy so that it doesn't come crashing down like the Tower of Terror. Um, that you have to control it on the way down, um, so that you get maximum control in the concentric phase of the contraction and the eccentric phase of the contraction. So many things running through my mind right now. Does that help? Yeah. So the first thing that I will tell you is that if you're thinking, I don't even know where to pick up the blueberry, that was me. I remember having you, like I said, Just touch me. Show me where I'm supposed to be picking the blueberry. That's the power of a physical therapist, right? Like being able to show you in the moment. Okay. Right. And to be clear, all of that palpation can happen on the outside of your clothes. It does not mean that we are recreating a GYN exam. Uh, most, most everything we need to get to can happen. From the exterior. Valid point. Thank you for saying that. If somebody was scared about coming in, that definitely pushed them over the edge. So, when I think about a Kegel, one thing that you told me is, like, your whole body should not be moving. Okay, right? So, like... I am squeezing everything right now. And if you are on our YouTube channel, you can see me going up. And so that was definitely a marker for me. And When you talk about this, Kristen, we're gonna, I'm gonna put you on the spot here because I know I was. When you were talking about the blueberry picking up or lifting, as you say, in the elevator, in my mind, I was totally doing it while you were talking. And when you said don't let the elevator bottom out, that's why I laughed because I was like, during it, I just pushed that blueberry right out of there. Right. Right. Stuff sticks with you and it's so powerful and it is different than Kegel's. We don't tell you to pick up the blueberry until your pelvis can get through a neutral standpoint so that we have the right length tension relationship. In the system. Because if it's not there, then the blueberry, honestly, picking that up doesn't matter. One. It doesn't matter or we can create more dysfunction. Oh, that's a good point. Because if you're not, if, you know, it's, it's like doing a bicep curl out to the side instead of in its natural motion because your, your, your length tension relationship is off. You go beyond what I had experienced in previous pelvic floor therapists. And not only will I forever be appreciative of that. I did not, however... Half or get to, depending on how you look at it, um, the internal aspect, right, of a pelvic floor. You sometimes, with your patients, um, Need and want to be able to provide them a full really grasp of what is going on and it's important to consider aspects of How things are shaped or even the power of an internal massage and to relax those muscles. Like you said, maybe they're too tight. So can you elaborate on why that is beneficial? Yes, I, that is not my first go-to. One, I just think it's a little bit better to build some rapport and some trust. Um, and, and, You know, it's not everyone needs it. Everything that you need to palpate can be palpated from the outside. Um, sometimes it does require going Internally, um, if you think about frogging your leg like on the edge of the cabinet or the edge of a countertop and like how that muscle gets a knot in it, then when you go to contract that muscle or try to stretch that muscle where you frogged it, um, You know, will hurt tremendously. And so sometimes, like, it's no different than we want somebody to rub or work somewhere else out in a muscle. Sometimes you have to address those soft tissue restrictions. Um. Most often an internal exam is warranted if you have had a large or an episiotomy of any type tearing of any type during delivery. Um, a forceps delivery, anything that can irritate that tissue, that would, I would typically lean towards an internal exam sooner. Um, but I have everyone do exercises to help Get them to where their pelvis can go through neutral in a functional way before we go into that because you could work the tissue but if you're not fixing the biomechanical Uh, restrictions at the beginning, then you're going to have to keep treating the same tissue and that's not, that's not efficient for me. You know, scar tissue is scar tissue. So whether it's a C-section, an episiotomy, or if you tore, or anything post-prostatectomy, or any type of abdominal surgery, The scar tissue is a huge, huge restrictor. Um, it affects your lymph system, sometimes can affect your circulation, affects, um, how all of the nerves work, can affect your... A sensation of every kind. And so we want to be able to reduce that scar tissue restriction. And my goal is that I can teach you to do it yourself and that then you're not... Dependent on anybody else to do it, but you can continue to treat yourself as needed, um, you know, based on what symptoms you're having or what you're feeling. That's good. Go into the power of the mind and breath within this therapy because The first time that you told me that this was very, very important, I remember thinking, nah, it'll be fine. I don't need to worry about that. Boy, was I wrong. Who needs to breathe? I'm not supposed to hold my breath for five seconds? What? Right, right. So, so, um, I guess my latest little, like, um, didn't Beyonce perform at like some college football game or something? So my latest little thing is who runs the world? Your respiratory diaphragm runs the world? Not Beyonce, not girls. Um, But, but it is, it's all housed in your respiratory diaphragm. Um, and so that drives what your pelvic floor is doing. And so if we can't get your respiratory diaphragm to work. As the roof of your core, um, then where we won't be as efficient or as effective in getting your pelvic floor to do what it is supposed to do because it is a pressure control. It's not, um, It's controlling the pressure and so then we also want your rib cage in a better position and a more functional position. Because we want you to be able to access your parasympathetic nervous system as well as your sympathetic nervous system. But you know. We're in a lot of sympathetic overdrive with the world is stressful and can be some more than others. And so we want to be able to give your body the ability and you the motor plan. To access your parasympathetic nervous system as well as use your sympathetic nervous system when it's appropriate. This is what is often I had found to be the missing piece in pelvic floor therapy because I was at my wits end. You were the fourth pelvic floor therapist I was going to because the I was at the point where the OBGYN was suggesting you just need a bladder sling. Denise, this, if pelvic floor therapy hasn't worked up until this point, it's not going to work. Let's do a bladder diary. Let's do these tests. I mean, I was peeing in funnels. It was excessive. And embarrassing and hard, but I knew deep down, I was like, I am thirty what, I was thirty-two when I was doing this. I don't want to have a bladder sling because not only of what happens when you have surgery, but It was not going to last long term. It was a quick fix. Whereas if I had taken the extra step to go see you, then it would have potentially I might not have had, excuse me, if I had not gone to see you, I might have had surgery. What would you say to someone who might be at that spot? I think if you're at that spot, um, Let's try something different, right? And so, I mean, part of the eval, I think I had asked you, like, what did the other therapists do? Because that hadn't worked in the past, so I wasn't going to repeat what, what hadn't worked. Um, and so then, um, You know, you change the plan based on what each person needs and what they have done and what has and hasn't worked. Um, and I, and I mean, there are, you know, there are some people that do require a surgery. And so, yeah. Sometimes you are at that place. But, um, I think if you can attempt every conservative measure to not, um, Not have the surgery, then, you know, we should try it. Um, it may not fix it entirely, but, you know, if we can get you 80% better and you can live like that. You know, totally up to you. But there are some people that don't want to commit the time, don't want to commit to it. And so for some people, the surgery is Is their choice and a better answer for them at that time. And it doesn't mean that we don't go back and still treat them after the surgery. Like what you did there. When you say time, Kristen, or I guess listeners, when she says that, what she means by that is I remember going once a week for twelve weeks. That's what insurance covered. That was the consistent or consecutive plan that you were used to doing. And that included activities at home. So if you're like, okay, when she's referenced time commitment, what does that look like? That is a general overview. That's just a quick, quick thing. She referenced in there, you know, what did not work for you in the past. So whether it's a myth or not, one therapist had told me at home to wear Crocs. You wear Crocs around the house, that'll help you not pee, right? And so I was wearing Crocs like nobody's business and it did not help. It did not help. Like I said, whether it's a myth or not, but is there a myth that you know of that is in regards to pelvic floor therapy that you wish other women knew? The truth, really? I don't know. There might be a lot. Well... There might be a lot. Um, I mean, I, I don't know that the croc thing is entirely wrong because absolutely, um, You know, we use a shoe list here, too. And so absolutely what we put on our feet is important because your feet give your pelvis information from the floor. Your brain gives your pelvis information. We do do a top-down, bottom-up approach. Um, so footwear is a big deal. But, um, so I don't know that that was entirely wrong. Also, part of the, I mean, the nerve that helps innervate your lower leg also innervates part of your pelvic floor. And so, so sometimes that can, um, it can help in a certain way, um, for you biomechanically, that just wasn't what you needed biomechanically when you got to me. At the time. That's so good. Yeah. Which is the importance of going to see someone. Yes. Do some things in the meantime, right? Like. Kristen, for those listening today who are thinking, okay, yes, I need this, but I can't right now. What is something that you would say to them to take a step in the right direction to improve the situation that they might be in as a result of pelvic floor health? The loaded question, Denise, it always depends on what the patient needs. But that's the truth, right? That, I mean, it is a great person. I mean, I think, you know, maybe one of the more prominent things that um, I said on your first visit was um, typically um, Typically, not every time, but typically pooping dysfunction drives the urinary dysfunction. Oh, yes. How did I forget about this? And so, so probably the easiest thing that you can do is add a squatty potty, um, or something similar to that into your restroom. And so, um, whether it's like the kids or the grandkids, um, Or whoever's collapsible step stools, um, put one under each foot. Uh, you can put the laundry basket upside down. You can put the trash cans upside down. If you're in a public restroom, put the trash can upside down. Um, or on its side so that you can get your knees up and out because that biomechanically puts you in a maximally relaxed position to let Um, those bodily functions happen as easily and naturally as possible. Um, and so that will take stress off of your pelvic floor. I, while you were talking about that, I said, yes, what a great idea because this Squatty Potty, I purchased, let me see, it said purchased January twenty-four I was like, yes, I knew I, I love, it's like $22. So we will link Right. In the show notes, a squatty potty. And at first I was like, am I that person now that has a squatty potty? And the answer to that is yes. And yes. A year later, 100%, it is a game changer. And now when I am in, I was thinking of you one time just in this past month when we were traveling and I was at an airport. And at one point in time, you were like, if you need to put your suitcase down on the floor, and I remember when you told me that, I will never do that, right? I'm not putting my suitcase on the floor. You betcha I did. You, you, 100%. And Sydney, who is eight now, comes to my bathroom because she likes that. I mean, it just helps them. And another thing, once you mentioned the squatty potty that I thought of that was really helpful too, is that when anyone... Goes number two. Yep. You should not really push really hard. Correct. You can hum, right? You, you have to hum. Why is that? Um, Um, because that helps keep your sphincters open. So it's going to give you a greater chance for things to exit your body in the easiest, most natural way possible. If you're unable to see Kristen right now, um, on our, if you're listening to this, the smile that you have is gold because it's like, how is in a super. Technical way, but also like we're talking about poop in here, you know, and people don't do that, right? They just don't. No, no, it is taboo. It is. Right. One thing I love about females in the profession that you are and any really working mom, right, is that you have specialties. We all have the expertise that we have, but ultimately- There is such power in knowing that we're working moms together. And so Kristen, I love to come onto the personal side with you because you're so organic about it and real. Why? Why? Why did you choose to be a working mom outside the home and has it always been something that you wanted to do? Um, I don't know, that might be a loaded question too. Um, I married later in, I mean, I say married later in life, like we were in our 30s. Um, and so, so I... Went to BT school so I could provide for myself and, and have a, a good life. Um, and so I am married to a farmer and continue to work because, um, That is how we provide our family insurance and uh, the retirement is a little bit different than land retirement and it just kind of helps us stay diversify. Um, but I mean ultimately I think it does, it does make me um, A better mom, you know, I get, I get to walk in the door and I haven't seen them all day and so everything is fresh and new and I get to hear all about their days and all of their accomplishments and we, um. You know, Facebook is good for some things. And so I found a, you know, better questions to ask your kids after school. And so we do the What was the best part about your day? What was the worst part about your day? Did you have any tricky feelings? Is there anything you would like to do differently? You know, just a little self-reflection at supper. Um, you know, that makes it not just the open-ended telling the afternoon day fine, uh, situation. Um, we all know girls, um, Answer that question differently than boys and so it just kind of helps, uh, spark the conversation a little bit better but, um, Um, but I also think it's, you know, we, I mean, our kids are six and four also. And so, you know, they hear us talk about budgeting and they hear us talk about, um, Insurance and, and adult real life things that, that most families in America are, you know, are doing for themselves also. And so I think it's, it's good that they get information. A full, a full picture. Um, you know, the days that I do take off that we get a stay home day as they call it. Um, you know, that isn't a weekend is extra special and fun and fun. We, um, sometimes we chill at the house. We do a lot of farm chores on those days so that we can all be together. Um, and that is also, I mean, I come from both grandfathers farmed, um, but like As a child, we may be farmed for fun, not like for life. Um, and so, so that is, um, it's a fun dimension. It's fun to see them love it. It's, it's, you know, so it's, I don't know, I guess I get the best of both worlds that way. Absolutely. And it's important for you to make that a part of what momming is for you, which is truly beautiful because we are able to all make it our own way. This is where the honesty comes in and I love it so much, right? Like ultimately from time to time we all struggle with am I doing a good enough job as a mom and as a working mom and as a Businesswoman. Did you or do you struggle with that and what thought comes to mind first and how do you combat that? Um, I mean, I, I will be honest, like my kids come first that, you know, I waited a long time for them. I prayed really, really hard for them and for my husband. Um, You know, my, my vocation is to be married and be a mom and so that, that is my first calling and so I would hope that, um, Well, you know, um, the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, like the second chapter, I think they have you write your own, um, they have you write something. Um, and so I had to do that at my very first job. I was single, not married. Um, obviously no kids in the picture. And, and I wrote like, I hope that. When I die, you know, the first thing that people say is she was a devoted and fantastic wife and mom and kids never went to bed without hearing I love you. They didn't wake up without hearing I love you. And that they weren't reminded of it, you know, constantly throughout the day. Um, same for my husband. And then at the end of it, I said, if I get to be a really great PT, that would just be icing on the cake. So I can't say that my first employer was really stoked, but I think it gives you a real life, you know, um, you can be passionate about all of it, um. You know, I want, I want everybody to be able to mom the way they want to mom and the way that works for their family. I want you to be able to Wife or partner the way or husband or dad, you know, like whatever that role is that you want to go back to. Like that is, that is your life and that's, that's what you're living for. That's what you're doing things for. That's who you do with them for. And so yeah. I think, you know, that's My kids are probably gonna come first, but, um, but, but I, I don't want to slight my patients for that. And so, you know, we do, um, QMG does a great job of providing the continued education that we ask for and look for so that we can keep our clinical skills. Where we need to be to to do the best that we can for our patients. That's beautiful. Well done. Final question, I promise. Where? Yes, you're fine. If people aren't local to the Midwest. Yeah. Where can they get more information? What should they look for in someone similar like you? Where can they get some extra advice or help? Sure. Um, so I was, the certification program that I chose was through Evidence in Motion. Um, and so you, that's a company out of Kentucky. They are all of the, what I would deem super, super smart people that do all of the research and write the Clinical practice guidelines that tell us all how to do it the best. Um, so I, that is who I was, um. Certified through, and so you can go to their website and get a list of their practitioners. You can go to APTA, um, their, the American Physical Therapy Association website and find Appellate for PT on their website. Um, I believe I am listed on the IPTA, the Illinois Physical Therapy Association's website. Um, you know, each, each PT can list their, list their own specialties in that, um. And I guess if it's really you're not local, then contact me and I'll help you find somebody. Then say that better myself. Thank you so much. For pouring into listeners and helping them realize, like, you don't have to pee yourself forever. It's okay that you realize that this isn't normal and it's okay for To ask for help. So thank you for sharing your love and passion and tips and tricks for all of us to learn more. Thank you. Thank you for the, for having me. It was very, very sweet. Very honored. Thank you. We will put her information in regards to where we can Purchase a squatty potty where you can find the evidence in motion based certification website in the show notes. And until next time, thank you for listening. What a pleasure it was to spend time with all of you and learn more about pelvic floor health. Something that oftentimes people don't talk about and you know that we're going to be right up there in it. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Working Moms Redefined Podcast. We are so glad that you are here investing time into you to learn how you can empower yourself to let that mom guilt hold less power, thrive in your career, and raise Great kids. You are doing so well. And if you want to remind someone else that they are doing a great job too, we would be honored if you would share this episode with them. Connect with us on YouTube and follow us on social so we can create that community that so many of us crave and need. And remember, you can do hard things.
