79- Don't Become a Victim of Chronic Pain// An Update On My Journey With PeVD or Pelvic Venous Disorder (aka Pelvic Congestion Syndrome)

Hey girl! You are making the time to workout and strength train, but are you prioritizing the right exercises? It can be so overwhelming to try to create the right workout or fitness plan and our time is limited so we want to make sure we are getting the biggest bang for our buck!  Whether it’s during pregnancy, postpartum or beyond, glute exercises are crucial for pelvic floor and whole body health! Did you know that your foot, knee or hip pain can, and probably is, being caused by glute weakness or an imbalance in the pelvic muscles?! Even painful sex can be because there is dysfunction in the glutes and pelvic muscles. As our bodies adapt and shift during pregnancy, postpartum or beyond, it is important to make sure we keep our glutes active and strong to help keep pain and pee-leaks away.  However, there are so many leg and glute exercises that it can be overwhelming to try to know which ones to prioritize as busy but active moms! Inside today's episode I am going to break down the four main exercises or functional movements that I think are crucial to maintaining balanced strength and stability around the pelvis, as a pelvic health physical therapist. Remember mommas, you do not have to be an experienced lifter to do these exercises. May of these you are already doing on a functional level, so it is more about learning the movement patterns and doing them at body weight or whatever weight feels good for your core and your body and showing up for it consistently!  If you have any injuries or painful symptoms, make sure to reach out so we can get you booked for a Coaching Session or in person Therapy session for a more individualized plan and one-on-one instructions so you can feel confident as you start strength training and grow that booty!! Make Sure to reach out to> [email protected]  AND/OR Join my FREE Facebook community for ACCOUNTABILITY and a safe and supportive place to share and support each other!> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696216757461633/    Join my VIP Insider group and receive my Newsletter full of great tips and tricks and upcoming resources! > https://newsletter.balancedmomtality.com/   Follow and get tips/tricks on:  Facebook> @thebalancedmomtality Instagram> @the_balanced_momtality Learn > www.balancedmomtality.com

Hey Mom Friend! I know there are soo many feelings and questions during pregnancy, especially around activity and what “safe” exercises during pregnancy even are. Our time and energy in the first trimester is limited and it can feel so overwhelming navigating the prenatal world and changing body.  You want to make sure your time and especially your energy, is used wisely and not causing harm to you or your growing baby.  I have been there with my own pregnancy journey before I knew all the pelvic floor and prenatal information I know now, and man was it confusing and scary and uncomfortable! I was peeing myself and battled many of the common pregnancy aches and pains: SIJ pain, round ligament pain, sciatica, SPD (pubic bone pain), prolapse and even hemorrhoids! For six years I struggled with some residual leaking and low back issues, until I learned all the tools and exercises I should actually be spending my time on! Then I was able to not only prevent worsening of issues with my subsequent two pregnancies, I was able to heal my leaking and issues while I was pregnant!  Inside this week's episode I am letting you in on all the basic foundational core and pelvic floor information that every pregnant woman should know, and frankly every human.  So even if you are not pregnant this episode is going to help you get back to the basics and strengthen your foundation so you can heal! Stay tuned as this is the first of three in my “Prenatal Fitness Series”! As always, if you are experiencing any pelvic floor/women's health issue like urinary incontinence/leaking, pelvic pain, pain with sex, urgency, heaviness/prolapse or any other back/hip/joint pain let's get you booked for a virtual coaching session or in person physical therapy session for a more individualized plan and one-on-one instructions so you can feel confident in your body and start healing today!!  Make Sure to reach out to> [email protected]  AND/OR Join my FREE Facebook community for ACCOUNTABILITY and a safe and supportive place to share and support each other!> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696216757461633/    Join my VIP Insider group and receive my Newsletter full of great tips and tricks and upcoming resources! > https://newsletter.balancedmomtality.com/   Follow and get tips/tricks on:  Facebook> @thebalancedmomtality Instagram> @the_balanced_momtality   Learn > www.balancedmomtality.com  

Hey Friend, For those that haven’t been following along, I have been struggling with symptoms of Pelvic Venous Disorder or PeVD or better known as, Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, for the last year.  It all started with an ovarian cyst like pain, but I later learned that my “menstrual cramps” I was feeling on and off throughout the month, not just during my menses, was also due to these enlarged veins.  The heaviness and cramping was starting to get so uncomfortable that standing or sitting for too long was painful, and even exercise started to become painful.  Thankfully sex was never painful, but painful intercourse or dyspareunia, especially pain or cramping with and after arousal or orgasm, is a very common symptom of PeVD.  I was not a typical presentation for this diagnosis, so it surprised me when I found out from an ultrasound.  So I share my story so that others with pelvic pain, constipation, heaviness, sharp abdominal pain, low back pain or pain with sitting, standing, or exercising, can start to become aware of this diagnosis and advocate for yourself.  As many gynecologists do not believe this condition is a cause of pain…. And I can tell you… it most definitely IS!   After two procedures using coil embolization and sclerotherapy to close off the dysfunctional varicose veins in my pelvis, it was identified that a compression of my Iliac vein was pretty severe and needed to be treated with a stent.  I am two weeks postop and recovery has been a journey.  Many things I was not expecting, so again, I wanted to share with the World so that maybe you can feel more prepared and aware of the treatment options out there for you! Thanks for following along on my health journey and sending all the love and supporting messages, it has meant a lot!  As always, if you are experiencing any pelvic floor/women's health issue like urinary incontinence/leaking, pelvic pain, pain with sex, urgency, heaviness/prolapse or any other back/hip/joint pain let's get you booked for a virtual coaching session or in person physical therapy session for a more individualized plan and one-on-one instructions so you can feel confident in your body and start healing today!!    Make Sure to reach out to> [email protected]  AND/OR Join my FREE Facebook community for ACCOUNTABILITY and a safe and supportive place to share and support each other!> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696216757461633/    Join my VIP Insider group and receive my Newsletter full of great tips and tricks and upcoming resources! > https://newsletter.balancedmomtality.com/   Follow and get tips/tricks on:  Facebook> @thebalancedmomtality Instagram> @the_balanced_momtality   Learn > www.balancedmomtality.com

Hey Girl, This time of year with the Holidays everything starts to feel stressful and overwhelming and this is a common time that people tend to “fall off the wagon”.  When in reality staying on track with some basic health and wellness pieces, can be a game changer for keeping your pain and symptoms away and keep you feeling good! That doesn’t mean you have to power through and just do it all. NO. In fact its the opposite, remove some things off your plate and prioritize the things that make the biggest changes in not only your physical health, but your mental health.  Mindset is huge for your overall health and wellness and we cant forget that its something we have to monitor and continue to work on throughout your entire life. This week I am so excited to have a special guest on the show to help you understand more about how much mindset can be impacting you and how you can optimize your mental health so that you can continue to show up consistently even when you don't have the motivation! Ashley Fillmore is a leading expert in sustainable weight-loss. She helps women heal their metabolism, balance their hormones, and achieve body-composition changes that last a lifetime. Ashley has a BSc in Exercise and Nutrition and is a certified personal trainer, professional nutrition coach, and health educator with nearly twenty years of experience!  Ashley is the host of the Cheers to Your Success Podcast and the founder and president of Metabolic Fix™ – a premium online coaching company that has helped thousands of women finally break free from chronic dieting and achieve long-term, sustainable results using the Metabolic Fix Method™. She is deeply committed to helping women better their lives, and strives to inspire others to embrace the life of health, happiness, and self-love they deserve. As always, if you are experiencing any pelvic floor/women's health issue like urinary incontinence/leaking, pelvic pain, pain with sex, urgency, heaviness/prolapse or any other back/hip/joint pain let's get you booked for a virtual coaching session or in person physical therapy session for a more individualized plan and one-on-one instructions so you can feel confident in your body and start healing today!!    Make Sure to reach out to> [email protected]  AND/OR Join my FREE Facebook community for ACCOUNTABILITY and a safe and supportive place to share and support each other!> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696216757461633/    Join my VIP Insider group and receive my Newsletter full of great tips and tricks and upcoming resources! > https://newsletter.balancedmomtality.com/   Follow and get tips/tricks on:  Facebook> @thebalancedmomtality Instagram> @the_balanced_momtality   Learn > www.balancedmomtality.com   Contact and Learn from Ashley:  IG Handle: @ashley_fillmore1 Website: https://metabolicfix.purfitstudio.com/one Podcast -- Cheers to Your Success: https://metabolicfix.purfitstudio.com/podcasts/cheers-to-your-success Freebies: Free Hormone Assessment and Hormonal Guide: https://metabolicfix.purfitstudio.com/hormone-quiz Weight Loss Calculator: https://metabolicfix.purfitstudio.com/weight-loss-calculator Metabolic Damage quiz: https://metabolicfix.purfitstudio.com/md-quiz    

Hey Friend, Are you struggling with incontinence or stupid pee leaks whenever you sneeze or cough? Feeling heaviness ever since you delivered your baby and want to start exercising, but not sure what the safest exercises are? Knowing breathing is important, but not sure when or how to breath optimally? Well you are in the right place! Breathwork is the KEY to healing and restoring your core and pelvic floor, whether you are pregnant, about to give birth, just had a baby, had a baby 10 years ago or have never had a baby and just struggle with pelvic floor dysfunction! I have a few episodes about breathwork and why it's important and different breathwork exercises you can try, so go check them out if that is what you are looking for. Inside this week's episode I am going to do a deep dive into breathwork and the two main types I teach my patients.  We need to be practicing both types of breathwork control daily, in order to truly heal and make everything you do a core workout! So make sure you listen to the whole episode as I will guide you through both types and how you can get started healing today!    As always, if you are experiencing any pelvic floor/women's health issue like urinary incontinence/leaking, pelvic pain, pain with sex, urgency, heaviness/prolapse or any other back/hip/joint pain let's get you booked for a virtual coaching session or in person physical therapy session for a more individualized plan and one-on-one instructions so you can feel confident in your body and start healing today!!    Make Sure to reach out to> [email protected]  AND/OR Join my FREE Facebook community for ACCOUNTABILITY and a safe and supportive place to share and support each other!> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696216757461633/    Join my VIP Insider group and receive my Newsletter full of great tips and tricks and upcoming resources! > https://newsletter.balancedmomtality.com/   Follow and get tips/tricks on:  Facebook> @thebalancedmomtality Instagram> @the_balanced_momtality   Learn > www.balancedmomtality.com

Hey Momma, Are you pregnant, about to give birth or maybe just had a baby and are feeling lost? Or like you need some support and want to have someone in your corner to help advocate for you throughout your labor, delivery and postpartum journey? Doulas can be an amazing resource for momma as she is navigating this uncharted territory, or maybe well-known territory and you know you need help.  I don't know about you but I had heard about Doula support during birth but I hadn’t really thought about using a Doula for postpartum support. And lets be real, thats when most moms are exhausted and overwhelmed and sleep deprived and needing all the help they can get! So I am so excited to have a guest on today’s show who is going to break down Doula services and how they are able to best support and advocate for us through pregnancy, birth and postpartum! Kristin Revere is the CEO and Founder of Gold Coast Doulas birth and postpartum doula agency in Grand Rapids, MIchigan. She is an elite certified birth doula, a newborn care specialist, childbirth educator, and an elite certified postpartum doula. She cohosts the Ask the Doulas podcast and co-created the Becoming A Mother course. Kristin co-authored the book, "Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby". Her links for her information are below.  As always, if you are experiencing any pelvic floor/women's health issue like urinary incontinence/leaking, pelvic pain, pain with sex, urgency, heaviness/prolapse or any other back/hip/joint pain let's get you booked for a virtual coaching session or in person physical therapy session for a more individualized plan and one-on-one instructions so you can feel confident in your body and start healing today!!    Make Sure to reach out to> [email protected]  AND/OR Join my FREE Facebook community for ACCOUNTABILITY and a safe and supportive place to share and support each other!> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696216757461633/    Join my VIP Insider group and receive my Newsletter full of great tips and tricks and upcoming resources! > https://newsletter.balancedmomtality.com/   Follow and get tips/tricks on:  Facebook> @thebalancedmomtality Instagram> @the_balanced_momtality   Learn > www.balancedmomtality.com   Learn More about Kristin’s Services at: www.goldcoastdoulas.com  www.askthedoulas.com  www.supportedbook.com  FB/IG/TIckTok: @goldcoastdoulas 

Hey Friend, Have you been feeling overwhelmed? Or like you are hitting a wall with your motivation or energy? Feeling like you are in reactive mode stumbling through your life from one thing to the next, only to feel like nothing has been done? Are your own self care activities getting pushed to the back burner? I have been there, like right now and so I am sharing my own struggles with you and the reality of motherhood and the overwhelm and frustration that I have been feeling lately and what I am doing about it. There are so many things that can get in the way of us showing up for ourselves and our mental health is one of them.  And in order to have a peaceful mind, you need to have a peaceful home.  So inside this week's episode I am diving into the areas of my life that I am resetting, and the intentions that I want to re-enforce for the rest of the year, so that I can be the present, patient and playful mom that you and your family deserve! There is no reason we cant enjoy the chaos of the Holidays without the chaos inside our heads.  So I have decided to use this as my own personal 8 Week Reset Challenge, which you are welcome to join over at the Balanced Momtality Wellness and Support Facebook Group! (link below)  As always, if you are experiencing any pelvic floor/women's health issue like urinary incontinence/leaking, pelvic pain, pain with sex, urgency, heaviness/prolapse or any other back/hip/joint pain let's get you booked for a virtual coaching session or in person physical therapy session for a more individualized plan and one-on-one instructions so you can feel confident in your body and start healing today!!    Make Sure to reach out to> [email protected]  AND/OR Join my FREE Facebook community for ACCOUNTABILITY and a safe and supportive place to share and support each other!> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696216757461633/    Join my VIP Insider group and receive my Newsletter full of great tips and tricks and upcoming resources! > https://newsletter.balancedmomtality.com/   Follow and get tips/tricks on:  Facebook> @thebalancedmomtality Instagram> @the_balanced_momtality   Learn > www.balancedmomtality.com  

Hey Love, Have you been wondering when the best time to see a Pelvic Floor PT is? Maybe you are pregnant, about to give birth, or postpartum and know that pelvic floor PT can be helpful, but you aren’t sure when the right time to make that appointment is. Or maybe you have been dealing with pelvic pain, frequent UTI’s, or frustrating pelvic symptoms that you aren’t getting answers for from your gynecologist.  Or maybe you are healthy and have no issues but want to be preventive and proactive to make sure that you are avoiding any leaking, prolapse, pain or dysfunction elsewhere in your body. Inside this week’s episode I am going to change the way you view physical therapy in general, but especially pelvic floor PT.  I am going to explain why and how I am an advocate for seeing a physical therapist as a wellness/preventive yearly visit, but also what dysfunctions physical therapy can help with.  I will help those pregnant mommas know when the right time to get in to prep for birth and recover optimally and make sure that you understand what services are out there for you to help with all your neuro and musculoskeletal issues! Or if you have some other conditions in the body like endometriosis, pelvic venous disorder or pelvic congestion or interstitial cystitis, I explain how and why Pelvic PT should be a part of your healing journey.  Maybe you had a c-section, hysterectomy, abdominal laparoscopy, embolization or prolapse repair and are not sure if you should do any rehab since your surgeon didn’t mention it.  My women's health coaching and therapy services are available for all women whether you are a mom, or not or feel you need pelvic floor PT or not! Hint.. everyone needs to see a pelvic floor PT at some point just to be proactive, but especially if you have had children or experience any of the symptoms below.  As always, if you are experiencing any pelvic floor/women's health issue like urinary incontinence/leaking, pelvic pain, pain with sex, urgency, heaviness/prolapse or any other back/hip/joint pain let's get you booked for a virtual coaching session or in person physical therapy session for a more individualized plan and one-on-one instructions so you can feel confident in your body and start healing today!!    Make Sure to reach out to> [email protected]  AND/OR Join my FREE Facebook community for ACCOUNTABILITY and a safe and supportive place to share and support each other!> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696216757461633/    Join my VIP Insider group and receive my Newsletter full of great tips and tricks and upcoming resources! > https://newsletter.balancedmomtality.com/   Follow and get tips/tricks on:  Facebook> @thebalancedmomtality Instagram> @the_balanced_momtality   Learn > www.balancedmomtality.com  

Hey Girl, Do you suffer from chronic pelvic pain or heaviness? Hemorrhoids? Ovarian pain or cysts? What about bloating or constipation? Is it worse with standing or exercise? Maybe sex makes it worse? It’s possible you have Pelvic Venous Disorder (PeVD) or recently known as Pelvic Congestion Syndrome. This Diagnosis is so under diagnosed and missed and many times the same symptoms are attributed to things like Endometriosis, PCOS, IBS, or ovarian cysts and fibroids. PeVD is a part of my story and I have a few episodes talking more about the disorder itself and how to identify it and many holistic things you can do to help so check those out if you would like! Inside this week's episode I am diving more into my personal journey and updating my tribe on how I am doing since my embolization procedure.  I share my hopes, my struggles, and my experiences with chronic pain and what my plan is moving forward.  Thank you to all of my amazing listeners and friends who have reached out to check in on me and let me know that sharing my journey has been helpful for you! You all give me so much strength and support and just know, I'm here to do the same for you!  As always, if you are experiencing any pelvic floor/women's health issue like urinary incontinence/leaking, pelvic pain, pain with sex, urgency, heaviness/prolapse or any other back/hip/joint pain let's get you booked for a virtual coaching session or in person physical therapy session for a more individualized plan and one-on-one instructions so you can feel confident in your body and start healing today!!    Make Sure to reach out to> [email protected]  AND/OR Join my FREE Facebook community for ACCOUNTABILITY and a safe and supportive place to share and support each other!> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696216757461633/    Join my VIP Insider group and receive my Newsletter full of great tips and tricks and upcoming resources! > https://newsletter.balancedmomtality.com/   Follow and get tips/tricks on:  Facebook> @thebalancedmomtality Instagram> @the_balanced_momtality   Learn > www.balancedmomtality.com  

Hey Love! Are you feeling like no matter how much you want to take the right steps to heal your pelvic floor or get on a good fitness routine, you just can’t seem to show up for it? Everything else getting in the way or feeling like you don’t have enough time? Overwhelmed with all the things you need and also want to do? Maybe you feel guilty about taking that time to work on yourself? Or maybe you actually are not sure how or what you should be prioritizing in your healing? Mom life can be so stressful and all of these statements might be your reality, but they don’t have to be! I have been there momma.   I truly have felt truth behind all of the statements above, and it can feel so overwhelming and out of our control, right? But, what if I told you that you have way more control than you are giving yourself credit for, and maybe, just maybe, you are the one contributing to these thoughts and making them your reality? Inside today’s episode we have a heart to heart where I challenge you to think introspectively and honestly about what is truly holding you back.  You are the only one that has control over what you do, how you feel and what you decide to put your energy into.  So it is time to look deep within ourselves and be honest with what we have been doing to contribute to some of these fears and feelings and then re-write our narrative! You deserve to feel strong, confident and peaceful and doing all the self care is only a small piece of the puzzle.  You also need to change the inner workings of your brain and challenge your thoughts and feelings.  Find more time in your day, get rid of the guilt and stop letting overwhelm lead to exhaustion and stress.  It is time to heal your pelvic floor, core, body, mind and spirit! This is the mentality piece of The Balanced Momtality, I hope you enjoy it!  As always, if you are experiencing any pelvic floor/women's health issue like urinary incontinence/leaking, pelvic pain, pain with sex, urgency, heaviness/prolapse or any other back/hip/joint pain let's get you booked for a virtual coaching session or in person physical therapy session for a more individualized plan and one-on-one instructions so you can feel confident in your body and start healing today!!    Make Sure to reach out to> [email protected]  AND/OR Join my FREE Facebook community for ACCOUNTABILITY and a safe and supportive place to share and support each other!> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1696216757461633/    Join my VIP Insider group and receive my Newsletter full of great tips and tricks and upcoming resources! > https://newsletter.balancedmomtality.com/   Follow and get tips/tricks on:  Facebook> @thebalancedmomtality Instagram> @the_balanced_momtality   Learn > www.balancedmomtality.com