Pelvic Floor Support During and After Pregnancy

Pregnancy & Postpartum

Support for your body before, during, and after baby.

Growing and delivering a baby is incredible—but it can also leave you with:

Leaking when you cough, sneeze, laugh, or run
Always crossing your legs “just in case”
A heavy, dragging feeling in your pelvis by the end of the day
Pelvic, vaginal, or tailbone pain that makes intimacy or sitting uncomfortable
Core weakness, a “gap” down the middle of your abs (diastasis recti)
C-section or perineal scar tenderness
Hip, low back, or SI joint pain that didn’t exist before pregnancy

At Timpanogos Physical Therapy, we help you navigate pregnancy and postpartum with a plan that actually fits real life. We blend:

Thoughtful, pregnancy-aware physical therapy
EmStrong EMS pelvic floor chair (postpartum)
Shockwave therapy for pain, tightness, and scar tissue (when appropriate)
EMS body sculpting for diastasis recti and core rebuilding
Gentle exercises, education, and support

So you can feel stronger, more comfortable, and more like you again.

Pregnancy & postpartum issues we commonly treat

During pregnancy and after delivery, we often see:

Low back, hip, and SI joint pain
Pelvic girdle pain (front or back of the pelvis, pubic bone discomfort)
Pelvic floor issues – leaking, urgency, heaviness/pressure
Pelvic organ prolapse symptoms – “something is falling out” or dragging sensation
Diastasis recti – a separation or doming down the midline of your abs
C-section, episiotomy, or perineal scar pain
Tailbone (coccyx) pain
Pain with intimacy or pelvic exams
Difficulty returning to walking, lifting, running, or workouts comfortably

You don’t have to wait until you’re “done having kids” or “worse” to ask for help. We can support you during pregnancy and at any point postpartum—even years later.

During pregnancy: support, not stress

While you’re pregnant, our focus is on:

Managing pain and strain (back, hip, SI, rib, pelvic)
Optimizing posture, breathing, and movement so your body works with you, not against you
Teaching pelvic floor and core strategies to prepare for delivery and postpartum recovery
Helping you stay active safely, not sidelined

We do not use tools like EmStrong, EMS body sculpting, or shockwave over the abdomen/pelvis during pregnancy. Instead, we lean on:

Gentle hands-on care
Safe, modified strengthening and stretching
Positioning and movement tips for sleep, lifting, and daily life

Postpartum: rebuilding from the inside out

Once you’re cleared by your OB/midwife and ready to start, we can help you:

Regain pelvic floor control (less leaking, less urgency, less heaviness)
Rebuild core strength and address diastasis recti
Ease scar sensitivity (C-section, episiotomy, tears)
Calm pelvic, low back, hip, or tailbone pain
Return to walking, lifting, running, and workouts with a clear plan

This is where our tech really shines.

EmStrong EMS Pelvic Floor Chair (Postpartum)

Thousands of contractions, 30 minutes, you just sit.

After childbirth—whether vaginal or C-section—the pelvic floor has been through a lot. Our EmStrong EMS pelvic floor chair gives it a powerful, targeted boost.

You sit fully clothed on the chair while high-intensity electromagnetic pulses safely stimulate your pelvic floor muscles to contract. In a single 30-minute session, EmStrong can trigger thousands of pelvic floor contractions—far more than most people can realistically manage with DIY Kegels.

Postpartum, EmStrong can help:

Reduce leaking with coughing, sneezing, laughing, and exercise
Improve urgency and “gotta go now” feelings
Support prolapse symptoms, heaviness, and pelvic support
Give you a stronger baseline so your exercises actually stick

Insurance & cost

Right now, insurance does not cover EmStrong sessions.

That can sound frustrating, but consider:

Traditional pelvic PT through insurance often means many visits over months or years, plus copays, coinsurance, and deductibles.
EmStrong is typically a finite series of sessions, and many women see meaningful changes in just a few sessions.
For a lot of women, the total out-of-pocket cost ends up lower than what they might spend on long-term, insurance-based care.

We’ll be upfront about pricing so you can decide what’s best for your body and your wallet.

EmStrong doesn’t replace pelvic PT—it turbocharges it. We still coach breathing, posture, and movement, so your stronger pelvic floor helps you in real life.

Diastasis Recti: Core & Abdominal Wall Rebuilding

What is diastasis recti?

Diastasis recti is a separation or thinning of the tissue along the midline of your abs (the linea alba). You might notice:

A ridge or dome down the middle when you sit up, cough, or lift
A feeling of weakness or “no support” through your middle
Low back discomfort or feeling like your core can’t keep up
Changes in how your stomach looks, even after you’ve lost baby weight

Many women are told their only option is surgery. Surgery can be appropriate in some cases—but it’s also expensive, invasive, and comes with real downtime.

At Timpanogos PT, we offer a non-surgical approach combining:

EMS body sculpting / muscle-building technology
Targeted core and breathing retraining
Posture, lifting, and movement coaching

To help your abdominal wall become firmer, flatter, and more supportive.

EMS Body Sculpting for Diastasis Recti

Our EMS body sculpting technology (the same tech we use for body sculpting and muscle building) is one of our favorite tools for diastasis recti in the postpartum phase.

It uses high-intensity electromagnetic pulses to:

Trigger powerful contractions in your deep core and abdominal muscles
Recruit muscles that are hard to “find” after pregnancy and surgery
Complement your exercises by giving the core a much deeper workout than you can usually achieve on your own

Paired with the right exercises and strategies, EMS sculpting can help:

Narrow the gap of diastasis recti
Improve core strength and support
Reduce feelings of “bulging” or weakness in the midsection
Tighten and tone the abdominal area, improving appearance
Stimulate collagen production in the skin, which can help with skin firmness and texture over time

We’ve seen women who were considering surgery for diastasis recti improve enough with this combination approach that they no longer felt surgery was necessary—gaining strength, confidence, and cosmetic improvements without the cost and downtime of an operation.

Cash-pay, like EmStrong

Just like EmStrong, EMS body sculpting for diastasis recti is a cash-pay service:

Insurance currently sees this as “body contouring” or “wellness,” not a covered medical procedure.
You’ll know the exact cost up front—no surprise bills later.
When you compare it to a surgical repair (anesthesia, hospital, surgeon’s fees, time off work, help at home, risk of complications), many women feel this is a far more reasonable first step.

We’ll talk honestly about what’s realistic for your body so you can make an informed decision.

Shockwave Therapy in the Postpartum Phase

When you’re cleared and it’s appropriate, shockwave therapy can be a powerful tool for postpartum recovery, especially for:

C-section or perineal scar pain – helping soften thick, sensitive scars
Pelvic floor and pelvic girdle pain – addressing tight, overworked muscles and connective tissue
Hip, low back, and SI joint pain tied to muscle tension and imbalances

Shockwave helps:

Soften stubborn, tight, or overworked tissues
Improve local circulation and tissue health
Make exercise and movement more comfortable and effective

We combine it with manual therapy and exercise so the changes you feel actually translate into better movement and less pain day to day.

What care looks like with us

1. A judgment-free evaluation

We’ll talk about:

Pregnancy and birth history (vaginal, C-section, tears, interventions)
Current symptoms: leaking, urgency, heaviness, pain, core weakness, diastasis, scar issues
Your goals: picking up kids, running, workouts, intimacy, travel, sleep, you name it

We’ll gently assess posture, breathing, hips/back, core, and pelvic floor (only if you’re comfortable and it’s appropriate for your situation).

2. A plan that fits your phase of life

Depending on where you are (late pregnancy vs early postpartum vs years after childbirth), your plan might include:

Pain and strain management (hips, back, pelvis, ribs, neck)
Pelvic floor activation, relaxation, and coordination
EmStrong for postpartum pelvic floor strengthening
EMS body sculpting and smart exercise for diastasis recti and core
Shockwave therapy for scars, tight muscles, and persistent pain (when appropriate)
Gradual return-to-walking, return-to-running, and return-to-lifting plans

We’ll adjust as we go—your program changes as you change.

FAQs

When can I start PT during pregnancy?
In many cases, you can start as soon as you’re having symptoms or questions. We’ll always defer to your OB/midwife on any medical restrictions, and we’ll keep everything pregnancy-safe.

How soon after birth can I start?
We typically start more focused pelvic and core work once your birth provider clears you, but there’s often a lot we can do earlier with gentle strategies, education, and positioning.

Is EMS body sculpting safe right after birth?
We’ll wait until you’re medically cleared and your body is ready for more intensive work. We’ll talk through timing based on delivery type, healing, and how you’re feeling.

Do I “miss my window” if it’s been years since I had kids?
No. We see plenty of women whose “baby” is in elementary school—or older. Pelvic floor and core function can still improve, even years later.

Will this be awkward?
We know these are personal topics. We explain everything, move at your pace, and never push you into anything you’re not comfortable with.

Ready to feel more like yourself again?

Whether you’re pregnant, freshly postpartum, or years out and still dealing with “mom bod” symptoms you thought you just had to live with, there are options beyond just putting up with it—or jumping straight to surgery.

Schedule a pregnancy & postpartum evaluation at Timpanogos Physical Therapy, and we’ll build a plan that can include tools like EmStrong, shockwave therapy, and EMS body sculpting for diastasis recti—plus smart, compassionate rehab—to help you feel stronger, more supported, and more at home in your body again.