Pageants and Pelvic Floors

I have a weird kind of announcement to make. I'm not pregnant, so let's get that out of the way. But I am going to be representing the city of Raleigh at the Mrs. North Carolina America Pageant. To answer the question I've been getting a lot: yes, I'll wear heels. But as my friend Christine pointed out, I spend 364 days of the year NOT wearing heels, so I'll probably survive. :-)But to get back to the point: WHY am I doing a pageant? And HOW did this all happen? And WHAT does this have to do with pelvic floors?Well, here's the deal: I didn't actually start my practice with the intention of treating a lot of pregnant women. I took a few extra courses on treating pregnant women to make sure that I could take care of my existing patients who became pregnant, but I largely wanted to work with athletes. As it turns out, athletes get pregnant, too. I saw a handful of pregnant patients before I got pregnant, but once that belly of mine started showing, it was like a homing beacon for pregnant mamas looking for relief. The more expectant mothers I saw, the more I realized how little information was out there for them, and how much I wanted to help.I'm used to doing my own research. Even when presented with information from a trusted source, I still tend to do a little digging. So the fact that I was researching exercise through pregnancy before we decided to conceive wasn't surprising. What was surprising was that there was so little information out there. And the info that was there was conflicting. I came across the BIRTHFIT website, and knew I'd found something great. I reached out to the chiropractor who founded the organization, and shortly after, became involved.Since then, we've been working hard to spread knowledge to pre-conception, prenatal, and postnatal families about the four pillars that make up the foundation of a BIRTHFIT family: fitness, nutrition, chiropractic, and mindset. With the knowledge of these four pillars, families can expect healthier, happier, and safer pregnancies, births, and recoveries. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach, but a method of applying evidence-based practices into each family's situation.We consult with people from afar, work with people one-on-one, and try to take over all of your social media feeds with relevant information about the strength and beauty that comes with pregnancy. We created the BIRTHFIT Postpartum Series, which has been incredibly instrumental in bridging the gap between the "green light" given by healthcare practitioners postpartum and actually returning to physical activity safely and with intention. We're getting amazing feedback from moms and dads on how BIRTHFIT has changed the way they view pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and how impactful it has been in their personal situations. But it's not enough.I'm seeing moms who are pregnant with their second or third babies, who have unresolved issues from their first pregnancy. I'm seeing moms who are done having kids who don't run anymore because "after you have kids, you can't run without peeing your pants, and I just got sick of trying." I'm seeing women who stopped working out during their pregnancy because someone scared them into thinking they'd hurt their baby, and they ended up miserable for 40+ weeks because of it.I do my best to help all of the women who come to me, but it's so much easier to prevent problems from occurring than it is to fix ones that have already happened. It's also easier on moms. A woman I worked with through two pregnancies just delivered her second, and at 11 days postpartum, her diastasis recti was nearly closed. Yes, her abs were coming back together in less than two weeks after having her second baby. No weird wraps or invasive surgeries; just smart training, chiropractic care, mindful practices, and good nutrition. And you know what she's doing next month? The BIRTHFIT Postpartum Series. She's already been through this. She's heard all of the info. She knows the movements. But she recognizes that in order to recover fully and recover well, she needs to do so in a thoughtful and intentional way.So this brings us to the pageantry part; in an admittedly very round-about way. I was trying to think of creative ways to get more attention to BIRTHFIT. Social media can only go so far. When I have conversations with women about what it truly means to be BIRTHFIT, a light bulb usually goes off. I'm talking about the type of experience they want to have: a comfortable and healthy pregnancy, a calm birth experience, and a smooth recovery. Facebook ads and Instagram pics just aren't cutting it. I wanted a place where I could present all that is BIRTHFIT to a targeted group of people who would likely be interested. A group of married women seemed like a great place to start. Somehow, the idea of a "Mrs." pageant came to me, and I looked up if there was one. Yep, there is. And for North Carolina, it happens in November. So I contacted the organization to see if entries were still open, and the director told me if I got my application in by that evening, they were having a Board of Directors meeting the following day to select contestants. As you have guessed, I was selected as a contestant, and named "Mrs. Raleigh." I'll be sharing the BIRTHFIT message on November 21st in Mooresville, NC.Oh, and if you have a size 6 silver cocktail dress, I need one.