Physical therapist for pregnancy
I am 22 weeks into my second pregnancy. I had diastasis recti after the first which never fully healed. Chasing around (and more to the point, lifting) a toddler, is challenging, and this time around the loosening of the ligaments is killing me. Sometimes it feels like my spine is going to disconnect at my tailbone, and my back spasms so much it takes several minutes before I can stand up straight again. My Kaiser OB wouldn't give me a rec for an OT based on what I was describing, so I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for a private pay OT who specializes in pregnancy who might be able to give me some recommendations for exercises/ equipment/ strategies to minimize the pain and damage and make recovery later a little easier.
Nov 14, 2017
Parent Replies
I go to awaken chiropractic on grand ave in oakland, they specialize in pregnant women and babies, they are life savers!
I'm sorry I don't have a recommendation for you but I think you want a referral for a PT, not an OT.
I can't recommend an OT for you, but I just took Mary McQueen's Core Diastasis Repair course through Baby Bootcamp and thought she and her program was really fantastic and helped a lot with repairing my separation. You will have to be post-partum before taking this class, but some of the things you can be doing while you are pregnant is always make sure when you're getting up from lying down that you do a log roll out of bed, or off the couch, don't use your abs to jack yourself up sit-up style. Roll onto your side and use your hands to push up from there. That's huge. Also, when picking up your toddler, get low, bring them in close and your your legs to stand--basic healthy lifting. Also, limit your twisting.
I would also recommend you get a low belly support band to go around your hips and support your growing belly. That helped me a lot. And I worked with a cranial sacral therapist named Tomi Knutson who really saved me during my pregnancies. I had terrible sacral issues to the point where it felt like I was being electric shocked if I moved wrong and Tomi was able to help realign things in a few sessions. Cranial sacral is extremely gentle and not at all like chiropractic. You just lay down and the therapist uses different gentle holds under your spine to help your body realign. It really seems like magic, but it works and it felt much safer than chiropractic.
Good luck!
Hello - My recommendation is to contact Stephanie Forster http://www.preggopilates.com/
Stephanie teaches pre/post natal Pilates in SF and she really specializes in diastasis recti. Looks like she does private and in home sessions as well.
Hope that helps and best of luck!
So sorry about your pain. I was broken after my first pregnancy and Anne-Marie @ Miracle Physical Therapy helped mend my nerve issue and have me my life back. Highly recommended. Sliding scale too! Good luck.
Miracle Physical Therapy
https://www.yelp.com/biz/miracle-physical-therapy-san-francisco?uid=0Wd…
Have you considered acupuncture? Kaiser has. Also, after dealing with chronic low back pain, the combination of acupuncture, yoga and massage was the cure for me.
Best of luck to you.
That is so annoying, ugh Kaiser.
I am sorry your OB is not taking you seriously enough, I would try again with your doc before moving on to pay out of pocket for care they should provide!
I was able to see a Kaiser PT after my pregnancy, my OBGYN submitted that I had a Diastasis and Coccyx pain and that got me in to get a PT to work on these things. Another FYI if you are at Oakland Kaiser they make you do a class before they will refer you to a PT, but if you go to Richmond you can start with a PT without doing a class. No idea why.
Otherwise I can't recommend an OT- but I do have a masseuse who is super experienced with perinatal issues. Just the other day I said to her "I wish I'd found you before I had the baby!" She is not only an excellent masseuse who has tricks for releasing ligament tension etc but she will also give you tips on exercises to do among other things- she taught me how to massage my C-Section incision to promote long term healing. And if she can't help you with an issue she can advise who can.
Her name is Skya Livingston
http://yogaskya.com
Skya was originally recommended by my chiropractor, Kenda Burke, who might also be able to assist you! She specializes in perinatal care as well and really helped me through my pregnancy.
Kenda Burke at Awaken
http://awakenoakland.com
I would also go see Armene at Awaken Chiropractic. She and the other chiropractor there specialize in pregnant women and children and she really helped me through some really painful sacral pain during my pregnancy. Her adjustments are extremely gentle. They are more a suggestion to your body than the "snap crackle and pop" adjustments chiropractic is better known for... but they work!!!