The Diaphragm is Connected to the Pelvic Floor!…(and the abs, and the breath, and the glutes….)

By Dr. Sheri DeSchaaf, DPT

I recently had the honor and pleasure of teaching all about the pelvic floor during pregnancy and delivery to a passionate group of doulas from Operation Doula in San Diego.

If you’re unfamiliar with Operation Doula  it is a wonderful organization that provides doula services free of charge to military families throughout San Diego County.

One of the things this group wanted most to learn was the detailed anatomy and function of the pelvic floor, how to best strengthen it during pregnancy, how to protect it through labor, and how to restore it postpartum.

Check out this brief video on YouTube where I describe to a room of doulas how the pelvic floor works as a TEAM with the transverse abdominis and diaphragm, and how training the team as a whole and the pelvic floor as a part of that team is essential!

Stay tuned for more clips from this workshop on the blog. If you are a birth worker interested in learning more about the pelvic floor and pregnancy, I am in the process of creating an online workshop on pelvic floor health just for doulas/birth workers! To receive updates when the workshop goes live, fill out the form below to get on my email list!

For more videos on pelvic floor and core anatomy, check out my Instagram  and Facebook feeds for videos on diastasis recti, bladder dysfunction, perineal tears, exercise during/after pregnancy, and more!