Last summer, I completed my Prenatal and Postnatal Corrective Exercise certification with Dr. Sarah Duvall.
She recently redid the entire course, making it bigger and better… Since I bought the previous course, I have access to this version for free.
The new version was released last week, and I have already started diving into the course material. I was scanning the new textbook, and I came across some interesting statistics.
Urinary incontinence affects 17-30% of women 20+ years old. (Curillo-Aguirre & Gea-Izquierdo, 2023)
60% of women had a diastasis recti at 6 weeks postpartum, and 32% at 12 months postpartum. (Sperstad & Tennfjord, 2016)
Those with diastasis recti showed a decrease in pelvic floor muscle endurance when compared to a control group. (Zhang et al., 2023)
“Women with [pelvic girdle pain] had statistically significantly more PFM [pelvic floor muscle] tenderness, more difficulties in performing a correct PFM voluntary contraction, presented more often with a higher degree of diastasis recti and more distortion in the abdominal midline (in the projection of the linea alba), and had lower vaginal resting pressure when compared to the controls.” (Starzec-Proserpio et al., 2022)
Women who had given birth had a higher risk for functionally significant back pain compared to women who had not given birth (85% vs 77%) Women who recalled severe, acute postpartum back pain had a higher prevalence of current debilitating back pain (89% vs 75% (Zhang et al., 2023)
46% of women who experienced pelvic floor symptoms during exercise stopped participating in the exercise. Other women modified or decreased their exercise intensity, frequency, or impact. (Dakic et al., 2023)
Bad news…
Most of us who have experienced pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are likely experiencing some sort of pelvic floor dysfunction (leaking, weakness, tightness, prolapse, pain in the pelvic area, etc), abdominal dysfunction, and back pain.
But there’s hope! Studies show that pelvic floor education and specialized exercises can bring about significant improvements.
In a French study, patients showed a significant improvement immediately after sessions of pelvic floor education. (Blanchard et al, 2020)
Numerous studies highlight the effectiveness of targeted exercise programs in improving diastasis recti.
The key here? Intentional, specialized programming. Not random exercises you find on Instagram, or jumping back into the sports and exercise regimens you were doing prior to pregnancy.
That’s why I created Yoga for Moms with New Babies, my 8-week live, online program designed specifically for moms who’ve given birth or welcomed a new baby in the past five years. Whether you’re dealing with pelvic floor dysfunction, diastasis recti, back pain, or just want to feel strong and supported again, this program is for you.
Here’s why it works:
Small class sizes (a maximum of 8 students per series) mean personalized attention and customized feedback every step of the way
A unique blend of breath awareness, traditional yoga poses, and rehabilitative exercises designed to encourage healing.
A supportive community of fellow moms, so you never feel alone in this journey.
The next series starts in January. Spots are limited and fill up fast. Click here to get your name on the waitlist, and be the first to know when doors open.
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