Are you bummed about missing your important appointments, that had to close their doors during quarantine? I was absolutely upset about not being able to go in to see my pelvic floor therapist, as this growing baby gets heavier and puts more pressure on my body. However the clinic I go to - Blueberry Therapy - is now offering VIRTUAL sessions! This means that no matter where you are internationally, you can see the same therapists I do ️ (and if you follow my Instagram, you know how highly I recommend them!). They’re also offering virtual pediatric and traditional physio, psychotherapy, speech therapy, and dietetics. Here's a look at their virtual services:
I had my first no-contact, virtual session with Kristin earlier this week over Zoom. The set up was exactly how it would be for a regular appointment - reminder emails and a scheduled time. I downloaded the Zoom app to my phone, and clicked on Kristin’s invite link when it was appointment time! It was super smooth from there. She did the same inquiry she would if we were in the same room, and gave me instructions for self-assessments so we could communicate about physical aspects (like diastasis recti and pelvic strength). To gain even more information about each patient's exact diagnosis, Blueberry Therapy is starting to implement the use of devices that measure the actual strength of your pelvic muscles. I'm personally SUPER excited for this part. There’s a device called Perifit which they are going to start bringing into their virtual sessions. Perifit is a tool you insert which measures your kegel strength, and coordinates with an app on your phone so that you can do the tests through little games. It gives you, as a patient, a sense of accountability (which I need if I want to stay on top of things), and gives your physiotherapist exact stats. By using this product (or a similar one), you can cover the internal portion of your appointment that you would otherwise be missing. I'm going to try to get my hands on one, as I'll be able to use it and monitor my progress now in pregnancy, and again in postpartum. Since pelvic muscles weaken with age, and without any training (like any other muscle in your bod), it will be a handy tool even after I've recovered from delivery.
After the appointment, Kristin sent me a file with exercises that I need to be completing about 6 days a week. Although I'm posting them here to give you some insight, remember that just because these in particular have been prescribed to me, doesn't mean that these are the same exercises YOU should be doing. You'll need your own assessment to determine that.
So no excuses for a pelvic floor that doesn't do it's job - even under quarantine!