Bringing Light to the Darkness: Elevating Women’s Health

Statistics show that between 85-90% of women have or will give birth at least once in a lifetime. The average number of children per household is between two and three children. That is an extremely high number of pregnancy experiences and postpartum bodies for a population as a whole. There are not many other “conditions” out there that so many people experience at least once (but often many, many more times) over the course of a lifetime.

So, with pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period being such common, regular, and predictable seasons of life, why are there not more resources for women during these periods? Why is it that pelvic health is a relatively new specialty area for rehabilitation clinicians? Why is it that evidence-based and holistic birth preparation resources are hard to find and not standard of care? Why is it that so many women consider back pain, urine leakage, or uncomfortable intercourse to be “just the way it is” during or after pregnancy? And why is it that women who are experiencing the many changes that come with menopause are so under-resourced and left in the dark during a period that every single woman will navigate if she’s blessed with the ability to age?