A Personal Note: I Peed a Little
Hello friends! For those of you who don’t know, I am 32 weeks pregnant!
As a physical therapist, aka movement expert, when I say I have noticed every change in my body and how it moves throughout this pregnancy, I am not kidding. But, y’all, in the last couple of weeks, shit’s gotten super real!
First, I started having inner thigh/groin pain making it impossible to walk for exercise. I thought I was sore from a gym workout but when I tried a nice mellow walk to loosen up, it only got worse! The next time I went for a walk, it happened again, inner thigh pain, which got worse the farther I walked! NOOOO!
I felt frustrated and broken…
And then, friends, the unthinkable happened (not really unthinkable AT ALL, quite common actually, but I need the drama here)...
I peed a little!
I did something ridiculous that made my partner and I laugh, and I was dying, like laughing so hard I was crying. I said to him, “ I am gonna pee my pants… wait, I think I already did!” And yup, I did. Y’all, I PEED! I’m a pelvic health physical therapist. This is literally one of my specialties professionally- to help women with the issue of peeing when they laugh, cough, sneeze, lift, run, jump, etc. No, I didn't think I was immune… but it certainly took me by surprise and made me feel, once again, a little broken, frustrated and not, well, in control. 😏
I wanted to share some takeaways from these two experiences:
1. None of us is immune or alone in feeling frustrated or broken when something happens to derail us.
We feel like our bodies aren’t ours anymore or like we will “always have to do these stupid rehab exercises before doing what we actually want to do.” And even PT’s, coaches and trainers go through it. Sure, we can sometimes find the cause and treat it ourselves, but sometimes we can’t and we need some guidance (happy to report I have already been seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist so she will hear about this too). And sometimes...
2. We need to shift- both our workouts and our mindset!
Here’s how this played out for me, after I had a few days of feeling bummed, I shifted my workouts in the gym to focus on more midline stability, more double-leg strengthening, for now! And with this new inner thigh pain, I suspect from a shifting (no pun intended) of joint laxity in my pelvis, I can't rely on walking for exercise, so I am using the stationary bike (thank the universe for this bike and the big window in my room), again, for now!
But, most of all, I had to shift my mindset!
I had to stop focusing on what I can’t do right now and focus on what I can do. I had to practice what I preach and change what I was doing to accommodate my growing body and all the changes that come with it. And most of all, I needed to approach all of this with curiosity instead of frustration. I try to relay to my clients all the time, so again, practice what I preach! And I am happy to report, things are a little better- both physically and mentally! And I will leave y'all with this...
How can we get curious instead of frustrated when we feel our bodies are broken or failing us?
We can try something new. We can focus on what is happening in our bodies. Ask: What sensations am I feeling? What feels good? What feels not so good? What happens if I do a few more, does it feel better? Worse? And how do I feel later and the next day? And ultimately, if I am unsure, scared or still frustrated, who can I reach out to for help??
You don't have to do this alone! Find a PT, trainer, coach who can help you and who is certified and versed in what you are dealing with! If you don't know someone in your area, reach out to me and I can help you find someone!
Look for some fun posts coming your way this month!
xoxo,
Natasha
Are you a woman who wants to do the things you love with confidence?
I’m Natasha Fett, Doctor of Physical Therapy. I help active women continue or return to doing what they love, and do it for the long term! I treat you one-on-one by looking at your body/mind/lifestyle as a whole and listening to your goals and expectations to give you the care you want and deserve that fits into your busy life. My mission is to help guide you and ultimately empower you to be in tune with your body and manage your symptoms to do what you love with confidence.