Mia Pelvic Physio

03/03/2026

I’ll be honest — before menopause happened to me, I didn’t fully understand it.
I thought menopause meant hot flashes. That was it.
I had no idea it could also bring brain fog, low mood, irritability, feeling overwhelmed, sleep disturbances, fatigue, dry skin — and in my clinical world — an increase in urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
One statistic that truly stopped me in my tracks?
The years when most women transition through menopause also coincide with the highest su***de rates in a woman’s life. Research is now exploring the connection between hormonal changes and mental health. This transition is far more complex than we were ever taught.
The good news?
We know more than ever before — and research strongly supports exercise as medicine during menopause.
Here’s what the evidence shows:

Cardiovascular exercise (3–5 days/week)
20–40 minutes of brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or dancing
✔ Helps reduce hot flashes
✔ Improves brain fog
✔ Boosts mood

Strength training (2–3 days/week)
✔ Preserves muscle mass and metabolism
✔ Maintains bone density
✔ Improves mood and confidence

Mind-body movement (2–5 days/week)
10–30 minutes of yoga, Pilates, tai chi, breathwork
✔ Reduces stress
✔ Improves sleep

If we simplify it:
• Walk 20–25 minutes most days
• Strength train 2–3 times per week
• Add 10–15 minutes daily of stress-reducing movement or breathing

And here’s something many women don’t realize:
Walking is actually an indirect way to strengthen your pelvic floor.
With every step, the gentle ground reaction force stimulates your pelvic floor muscles to respond and support your bladder and pelvic organs. Consistent walking can help reduce the risk of urinary incontinence and prolapse.
Menopause is a transition — not a decline.
And movement is one of the most powerful tools we have.
In my next post, I’ll share specific strategies to reduce the risk of prolapse and incontinence after menopause. Stay tuned.

03/02/2026

I had to laugh (because otherwise I might cry 😅).
Seven months ago, my little one was referred to a pediatric specialist for a pretty significant skin issue. Our family doctor actually gasped during the exam — so naturally, I assumed we’d be fast-tracked.
We weren’t.
Days turned into weeks… weeks into months…
Until now. Seven months later. I finally got an email indicating we can now make an appointment to see the specialist.
The good news? Within days of not hearing from the specialist, I did some research, made changes to her nutrition intake, and sought out complementary care (i.e., acupuncture) — and her skin condition was resolved within a few weeks. 🙌
Why am I sharing this on a pelvic floor physio page?
Because this is something I see all the time in healthcare: long waits, uncertainty, and families or women quietly struggling while they’re “on a list.”
If you’re dealing with:
• Pelvic pain
• Incontinence
• Pain with intimacy
• Postpartum symptoms
• Pressure or prolapse symptoms
You don’t have to just wait and hope it resolves.
There are often safe, conservative options that can help now — and pelvic floor physiotherapy is one of them.
Advocate for yourself. Explore your options. Your body deserves support sooner than seven months from now. 💛

02/19/2026

I want to chat a bit about C-section recovery today.

Did you know Cesarean birth makes up about 34% of all births in Canada (2022)? It’s important to talk about C-section recovery because it is a major surgery, and many people don’t realize how much rest, care, and support someone needs afterward.

Let me begin by saying that C-section recovery is BIG. 🤍

You’re healing from major abdominal surgery while learning to care for a brand-new human. That’s no small thing.
The good news? Recovery can feel much more manageable with the right support and a few gentle reminders:

✨ In the hospital
• Move smart — use your arms and legs to help you sit or stand
• Take short walks (even a few steps count!)
• Gentle core activation + ankle pumps help circulation
• Stool softeners, a pillow for support, and even chewing gum can make that first bowel movement easier

✨ Once you’re home
• Rest isn’t lazy — it’s healing
• Pain is normal; taking medication when needed is okay
• Check your incision daily for redness, swelling, or fever
• Keep walks short and frequent
• Lift only your baby for now — protect that incision

✨ Breathing + compression
Deep, diaphragmatic breathing helps healing, and many people love compression garments for extra support in those early weeks.

✨ Scar care matters
Around 6–12 weeks (with provider approval), gentle scar massage can help reduce long-term discomfort and improve mobility. And remember — healing is emotional too. Go gently with yourself.

💛 You don’t have to just “push through.”
If pain, bladder concerns, or discomfort persist, a pelvic health physiotherapist can help.
C-section recovery isn’t about bouncing back — it’s about healing forward.

Be patient. You’ve done something incredible. 🤍

01/31/2026

Let’s Talk About Queefing (Yep, We’re Going There 😅)

Have you ever heard of queefing?
Because I definitely experienced it after having kids… long before I knew va**nal farts actually had a name. Delightful, right? 🤣

One thing you should know about me: there is no such thing as TMI in my line of work.

The first time it happened, I was honestly a little freaked out. I remember thinking, “Is something seriously wrong here?” My mind jumped straight to the worst-case scenario — like gas somehow coming out of the wrong place.

There is a rare condition called a va**nal fistula that can cause this and does require medical attention — but here’s the reassuring part:

Most of the time, queefing is very common, especially after va**nal delivery, and completely harmless. Even if it’s surprising, awkward, or happens at the worst possible moment 🙃

So what causes queefing?

Queefing happens when air gets trapped inside the va**na and then escapes. Some common reasons include:
👉 Sexual activity
👉 Pelvic floor tension
👉 Pelvic floor weakness

As a pelvic floor physio, I’ve helped many people rebuild pelvic floor strength 💪 and coordination 🏃‍♀️ after childbirth — and improving this often reduces or completely resolves queefing.

That said, there are times when gas plus other symptoms should be checked out. Please seek medical attention if you’re experiencing things like:

Stool leaking into urine
Strong-smelling urine or va**nal discharge
Frequent va**nal or urinary tract infections
F***l or urinary leakage
Pain or discomfort around the va**na or re**um
Painful s*x
Nausea or abdominal pain
Bottom line?
Queefing is common, normal, and nothing to be embarrassed about — but your body will always tell you when something needs a closer look.

And just a gentle reminder: posts like this are for general education only and don’t replace personalized medical advice.

If you’re unsure, curious, or just want reassurance — that’s what we’re here for 💛

01/26/2026

Ice Isn’t Always the Hero We Think It Is ❄️🤕

Whenever my kids get hurt, the very first thing they ask for is ice. And honestly? Most of us grew up believing ice fixes everything.

But here’s a little plot twist…

While ice can help numb pain temporarily, research suggests that icing (and even taking anti-inflammatory meds like Advil) may actually slow down the body’s natural healing process for new injuries. Our bodies use inflammation for a reason — it’s part of how healing gets started.

So if ice isn’t always the answer, what is?

For new or acute injuries, a more helpful approach can be:

Protect
Give the injured area a break for the first 1–3 days. This means limiting movement so you don’t keep irritating the tissue.

Elevate
If possible, elevate the injured limb above heart level to help reduce swelling. Pro tip: this works best when you’re lying down, not sitting.

Compress
Using a bandage or tape can help manage swelling and give the area a bit of extra support.

Ice isn’t “bad” — it can still be useful for short-term pain relief — but it’s not always the magic healing tool we once thought it was.

Your body is pretty smart. Sometimes it just needs a little protection, support, and patience 💛

Wishing you a smooth and sp*edy recovery!

01/20/2026

I get asked this question a lot — why pelvic floor physio? So I thought it was time to share my “why”.

Like many women, my journey started after having children. I began experiencing urinary leakage and felt like I constantly needed to go to the bathroom. At first, I brushed it off and assumed it was just part of being postpartum and that it would improve with time.

But time passed… and nothing changed.

By the time my youngest daughter was three, I was still dealing with the same issues. That’s when I decided to really look into it. I started learning more, working alongside colleagues, and completing additional training. With the right support and treatment, my symptoms completely resolved — and now I’m happily symptom-free.

That experience lit a fire in me.

I became passionate about pelvic floor health because I truly believe these issues shouldn’t be something women (or men) just learn to live with. They can affect confidence, comfort, and everyday life — and in many cases, they’re very treatable.

I also grew up in a fairly conservative environment where talking about anything “down there” felt awkward or off-limits. And honestly, that embarrassment and silence is one of the biggest barriers to people getting help. So many struggle quietly because they feel ashamed or think it’s just something they have to accept.

I want to change that.

By being open and honest about pelvic health, I hope to make these conversations feel more normal — because pelvic health is health.

There are also a lot of myths about pelvic floor physiotherapy. No, it’s not just about Kegels. And no, it’s definitely not all internal treatment. Most of what I do involves education, tailored exercises, and external assessment and treatment. Internal treatment is only a small part of the picture, and only used when necessary.

I know these topics can feel uncomfortable to talk about. But you’re not weird, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to deal with it by yourself. I’ve been there, and I’m here to help

01/18/2026

The “Small Bladder” Myth 🚽🎈

Have you ever said (or heard someone say),
“I have to p*e all the time — I just have a small bladder”?

I used to think that sounded totally reasonable… until I entered the world of pelvic floor physiotherapy. And now? I’m here to gently bust that myth.

Spoiler alert: there’s no such thing as a small bladder.

Your bladder is actually pretty impressive. It can hold up to about 4 cups of liquid (no, that does not mean you should wait that long 🤣). A healthy bladder usually sends the “time to go” signal when it’s around 2 cups full, and by about 3 cups, it’s sending a very clear GO. NOW. message.

So if you feel like you’re running to the bathroom constantly and only p*eing a little each time, your bladder may be hitting the panic button too early — a pattern known as urge incontinence.

Here’s a quick (and slightly funny) way to check:
Next time you p*e, count your “Mississippis.”

If you have a steady, full stream for about 8–20 Mississippis, that’s considered normal. If it’s much shorter than that, your bladder may be asking to empty before it actually needs to.

Urge incontinence can be incredibly frustrating — especially when it starts affecting your confidence, your plans, or your willingness to leave the house.

Some common reasons this can happen include:

“Just-in-case” p*eing (yep — your bladder can be trained to panic early)
Consumption of bladder irritants (e.g, coffee, carbonated drinks, alcohol)
Pregnancy (hello, baby sitting right on your bladder)
Anxiety (think exams, interviews, public speaking)
Pelvic organ prolapse (when the bladder sits lower than it should)
Too much tension in the abdominal or pelvic floor muscles
Abdominal surgery, like a C-section

The good news?
You don’t have to live like this — and your bladder isn’t broken.

A pelvic floor physio can help figure out why your bladder is acting extra dramatic and create a plan to calm things down and get you back to normal bathroom habits again.

Because constantly knowing where every washroom is… shouldn’t be your superpower 😉

01/17/2026

What Does a Physio Do When She Hurts Her Back? 😅
So… plot twist: I hurt my low back while gardening in the summer.
When I told my neighbour, she laughed a little — not in a mean way, more in a “wait, YOU? The physio?” kind of way. And honestly, I get it. It does sound ironic that someone who treats back pain for a living ended up with back pain herself.
But here’s the truth: physios are human too. Accidents happen. Heavy pots happen. And backs don’t always appreciate them 😄
The only real difference? I might be a bit more prepared to deal with it.
After lifting a very heavy garden pot (lesson learned), I sprained my low back and wow — it was painful. Sharp, stabbing pain every time I bent down, rolled in bed, sat, or walked. Not fun. My poor back muscles and ligaments were clearly not impressed.
So here’s what I did to help things heal as quickly as possible:
Support & Protect
I wore a low back support belt (similar to what weightlifters use). It helped keep my back in a neutral position and provided gentle compression, which calmed down irritated nerves and reduced the pain.
Rest (Yes, Really)
I gave my back a break. I avoided things that made it worse — bending forward, twisting, long walks, and sitting for too long. While I don’t believe rest is helpful long-term, it is important when an injury is fresh. Those first few days of not pushing through allowed my muscles to settle and recover faster.
What I Didn’t Do
This part surprises a lot of people: I didn’t stretch my back or get a massage. Even though those can be great later on, doing them too early — while the tissues are still irritated — can actually make things worse. Sometimes the best move is to… not move too much.
After about four days of this, my back was already about 90% better, and I was moving normally again 🎉
Once the pain fully settled, I slowly eased back into gentle stretching and progressive strengthening — because strong backs are happy backs.
So yes, physios get injured too. And no, we’re not immune to heavy garden pots. But with the right approach, healing doesn’t have to take forever 😉

11/12/2025

New pic!

11/12/2025

06/03/2023

You won't get it all right and you don't need to. But take what you can from the 20/20-hindsight of other moms😂. Here is my take, which comes with a professional lens of what I also see time and time again with my clients.

06/03/2023

Kegels are fabulous! However, they are not the all-you-need quick fix that some media suggests. Rather, they are part of a bigger picture of pelvic health care, and sometimes are the opposite of what your body needs. Get to know what will work for YOUR body!