The Root to Bloom Process

You're playing outside with your 3yo and she says “mommy chase me!”

…And you freeze knowing that you will probably pee a bit if you do.

A long walk in the sunshine with your newborn restores your sanity,

…And when you get home you are having pelvic pain that makes it impossible to do anything for the next couple of days.

You’re celebrating that your 3yo is able to keep their underwear dry!

…And then suddenly they are having poop leaks most days, and you are both feeling frustrated.

Your pelvic health, and your child’s, can have a tremendous impact on your quality of life and that of your whole family.

Imagine if you could:

➡️ Chase after your preschooler when they want to play tag…without having to worry about leaking urine.

➡️ Go on that road trip for a girls weekend…without worrying you will have to stop every 30 minutes to pee.

➡️ Carry your toddler AND the grocery bags…without feeling like your vagina is going to fall out.

➡️ End the battles about pooping with your 4yo.

➡️ Watch your 6yo confidently go to a sleepover with their cousins, knowing their underwear will stay clean and dry all night.

This is why Root to Bloom provides holistic support to help you prepare for birth, thrive in the fourth trimester and beyond, relieve pelvic pain, and eliminate leaking. And to help your child get pee and poop in the potty, keep their underwear clean and dry, and end the battle with constipation. 

The Root to Bloom process is not just a band aid for your symptoms. Here’s what it looks like:

Root: Evaluating all of the underlying factors that may be influencing your symptoms. (3-5 visits)

For my patient, G*, this looked like diving into her pregnancy and birth history, exercise routines (before, during, and after pregnancy), when symptoms started, bladder habits, diet and hydration, bowel habits, daily routines, stress, sleep, and short and long term goals.

The Root to Bloom assessment looks at you head to toe. This means I looked at how G’s body is moving, in the types of ways she does every single day (over and over again) as a mom:

• Reaching overhead

• Reaching down to the ground

• Twisting and rotating 

• Bending over to lift 

• Step ups

• Standing on one leg

• Squatting

Because G had had a c-section we also assessed scar tissue around that area.

Other factors we considered were breathing, rib mobility, abdominal function, and pelvic floor muscle strength and coordination. 

Each step of the process involves informed consent.

Tend: Addressing factors influencing your symptoms, working towards a goal of symptom reduction.

For G, we spent 4 sessions in this phase and symptoms were eliminated with short distance running and starting to be eliminated with longer distance running. This phase involved manual therapy to address pelvic floor coordination and strength, and restrictions around a c-section scar. Stress management strategies, strategies for habit change, education on bladder health strategies, mobility exercises to optimize movement patterns, and coordination of breathing and abdominal muscle function were also a focus at this time.

Grow: Challenging your body with new ways to move and gain strength, to get back to all the things you love without symptoms.

G was able to recognize broader goals beyond just “no more leaking” with running. In this phase, the focus was on starting to build a comprehensive progressive strengthening program for home to help her feel stronger when she’s with her kids, and confident that her body can handle anything that life throws at her.

Bloom: Guiding self care to remain symptom-free and thrive in life.

G has continued to attend monthly sessions. Together we are modifying and progressing through strengthening programs, troubleshooting form with exercises, addressing minor aches and pains when they are a small annoyance before they become a significant injury, and maintaining accountability with lifestyle changes to support pelvic health - which is the foundation of whole body health.

Click the button below to schedule a pelvic floor physical therapy assessment for you or your child.

*To protect patient identities, details of patient stories and initials have been changed.