As a mom of four who spends too much time on YouTube, I’ve collected a lot of obstetric and gynecological content in my social media algorithm. One of the better aspects of social media is the preponderance of awesome doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and regular moms using their platforms to share real and honest information about women’s health with the world. As a result of my algorithm, I feel better educated than ever about the female body. So yes, I есть heard the gospel of pelvic floor physical therapy. I’ve seen plenty of videos telling me all the issues that a pelvic floor physical therapist (PFPT) can treat, and that every postpartum mother should see one as a matter of routine. So have I scheduled an appointment, yet? …Nope.
I’ve been blessed with relatively easy births, minimal tearing, and a level of stress incontinence that I would label as “manageable.” Still, I know that I would probably benefit from a bit of PFPT—as most, if not all, women would. But between homeschooling my kids and a household budget to balance, I haven’t felt comfortable making PFPT a priority yet. Maybe you can relate.
Or maybe you haven’t been as blessed, and you’re suffering from serious pelvic symptoms that are impacting your lifestyle, but your circumstances won’t allow you to book an appointment even if you desired it.
Enter Floored: A Woman’s Guide To Pelvic Floor Health At Every Age And Stage by Dr. Sara Reardon. While Floored can’t replace what a PFPT does, this new book from the self-styled “Vagina Whisperer” presents a lower barrier to entry to helping women begin to understand their pelvic floor health.
Dr. Sara Reardon is a pelvic floor physical therapist with two decades of experience. Since 2017, she has presented educational content under the moniker “The Vagina Whisperer,” sometimes dressed in a bright pink vulva costume. Her videos and blog posts cover topics from болезненный секс to how to go to the bathroom after a c-section.
Now she’s condensing all of her knowledge into a book that you can keep on your shelf or lend to a friend: one reference for practically every possible problem below the belt.
Кто является целевой аудиторией Floored?
Во введении к Floored, Dr. Reardon claims that this book is targeted to “everyone with a pelvic floor, which is everyone.” However, the book really speaks directly to women, from menarche на менопауза. (The book’s introduction gives a nod to the existence of women who identify as men, but notably sticks to terminology like “woman” and “mother” throughout.) And again, while men also have pelvic floors and might also experience some of the conditions covered in this book, the chapters mostly address the female anatomy.
There are chapters in Floored which specifically address most pelvic floor conditions, to make it easy for anyone suffering from difficulties in a particular area to find what they need. However, you don’t have to be dealing with an acute condition to benefit from the Floored. In fact, much of the book’s advice is beneficial for prevention, or for self-treating relatively minor issues. Dr. Reardon encourages the reader to see their own doctor or to seek a PFPT evaluation if they feel that they need more help. In fact, reading Floored could be the encouragement you might need to seek professional help, once you have a good understanding of what’s normal and what’s not.
You don’t have to be dealing with an acute condition to benefit from the Floored. In fact, much of the book’s advice is beneficial for prevention, or for self-treating relatively minor issues. Dr. Reardon encourages the reader to see their own doctor or to seek a PFPT evaluation if they feel that they need more help.
Каковы основные области содержания Floored?
Part 1 is the meatiest part of the book and consists of two chapters. Chapter 1 covers the anatomy of the bones, muscles, and organs of the pelvic floor. It also includes a helpful guided self-exam to get you acquainted with your body, and to help you diagnose your concerns and categorize them into one of the two major pathways to healing. You’ll probably find yourself turning back to Chapter 2 frequently as you read through chapters on individual systems and problems, as this is where the “strengthening protocol” and the “relaxation protocol” are described. The chapters that follow will refer you back to one of these protocols or the other, depending on whether your particular problems likely stem from muscle weakness or muscle overactivity.
I found this chapter particularly helpful, since the common wisdom of “Don’t forget your Kegels!” has recently changed (in my previously mentioned YouTube algorithm) to “Kegels might actually be making your problem worse!” This well-meaning but confusing information neglects to explain how you could possibly know which category you belong to! However, if you read Floored, you’ll be able to reference the checklist of symptoms in Chapter 2 and determine for yourself whether you’d likely benefit from more Kegels or not (turns out, I would.)
Part 2 features chapters on how to go to the bathroom correctly (useful information for anyone), while Part 3 runs down potential problems with periods, sex, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, менопауза, and pelvic pain. If you are experiencing a problem in your pelvic floor, from incontinence to молния в промежности на болезненный секс, you will most likely find a section in one of these chapters covering your problem, with brief recommendations for exercises, stretches, and modifications you can try to improve your symptoms.
Сильные стороны Floored
The strengths of this book are its breadth of knowledge, and ease of access to knowledge about the pelvic floor. Almost anything that can go wrong with your pelvic floor is addressed in this book, at least briefly. The scope of Floored is wide and shallow, but will give you a jumping off point, and if you find you need additional resources or support, you’ll have a better vocabulary to address it.
The scope of Floored is wide and shallow, but will give you a jumping off point, and if you find you need additional resources or support, you’ll have a better vocabulary to address it.
Dr. Reardon also doesn’t expect anything from you going in. Chapter 1 will catch you up no matter how much or how little you understood your anatomy beforehand. She writes with a friendly, conversational voice that makes Floored an easy read as well as a valuable resource. You do not have to understand any medical jargon to get something useful out of this book.
Ограничения или слепые зоны
As you might expect from someone who calls themselves “The Vagina Whisperer” and dresses in a stuffed vulva costume, Dr. Reardon’s tone can sometimes shift wildly from clinical to crass. She absolutely teaches you the correct terms for your anatomy, both external and internal, but occasionally will include casual colloquialisms in an attempt to break the ice. I was particularly put off by the phrase “butt stuff” employed in the chapter on pooping, but your mileage may vary.
She also freely discusses topics that might make the more conservative reader blush. Teen sex, anal sex, masturbation, and contraception are all mentioned casually. However, I appreciated that Dr. Reardon seems to respect, or at least acknowledge, variations in viewpoint around these issues. In Chapter 6 on sex, for example, she tells the reader to “do what aligns with your comfort zone and values” before listing suggestions for masturbation and pornography as part of healing sexual trauma. Ideally, I’d rather read a book that doesn’t recommend practices I find deeply objectionable. However, I do understand the world we live in, and I appreciate that this book is not outright hostile to traditional values.
With that said, if you’re not already comfortable with your anatomy, you might find some of her recommendations a big ask. I personally probably wouldn’t invest in any of the interior dilators or massage wands she recommends—but those do have their place in treating some pelvic floor issues. There are still plenty of exercises and stretches that are much more within my comfort zone, and more appropriate for my own pelvic floor issues. I definitely recommend that even the squeamish take the time to follow the instructions in Chapter 1 for the self-exam and self-assessment. You’ll end up understanding your own body better, and maybe finally understand the meaning of a Kegel.
The advice in Floored is very accessible and practical. You’ll be able to read the sections on your particular health concern and immediately have a few exercises to try. You can take or leave anything she recommends, with the confidence that if things don’t improve for you, at least you’re better empowered with the vocabulary to advocate for yourself with an in-person healthcare professional.
Whether you have the bandwidth in your schedule to incorporate Dr. Reardon’s recommendations might be another story. For example, most of the advice in the strengthening protocol assumes you’re modifying an existing exercise regimen of some kind (and made me wonder if maybe my current lack of an exercise routine contributed to my muscle weakness in the first place!). She’s not asking you to spend an hour a day on these exercises, though. Even a few minutes per day of PFPT exercises and more mindfulness about your posture, your breathing, and the way you move your body throughout the day can yield positive results.
Вердикт: купить, одолжить или пропустить Floored совсем?
“Nearly 1 in 3 women suffers from a pelvic floor disorder,” Dr. Reardon tells us in the introduction to Floored. If you’re that 1 in 3, and you aren’t already seeing a pelvic floor PT, you’re probably looking for something simple and easy to implement that will improve your symptoms. I think Floored is a great place to start. If one book can give you the tools to understand and start taking care of your pelvic health, it’s at least worth the waitlist at your library to find out. But I’m a cheapskate, and the hardcover is only $25. Borrow it if you don’t mind the wait for a new title; buy it if you can’t wait and want to be able to revisit the protocols, or share the book with a female friend or family member who could use it (and let’s be honest, many of them probably could!).
“Nearly 1 in 3 women suffers from a pelvic floor disorder,” Dr. Reardon tells us in the introduction to Floored. If you’re that 1 in 3, and you aren’t already seeing a pelvic floor PT, you’re probably looking for something simple and easy to implement that will improve your symptoms.
My recommended reading strategy for Floored is: start with Chapters 1 and 2, then skip to the chapter pertinent to your current struggles. Then, go back and read through the whole book once to get a picture of what else to look out for in the future. I had somehow managed to avoid any information about перименопауза for 37 years of my life, but I’m glad I read that chapter to know what’s on the horizon.
That said, if you are currently under the care of an actual pelvic floor PT (or have been in the past) then you might be able to skip this book. If you’re seeing a high-quality PFPT who’s educating you during your sessions (and yes, he or she should be doing that!), you may not learn anything from Floored for which your own PFPT wouldn’t be a better source. The way I see it, Floored is a “gateway drug” for professional PFPT, not a replacement for it, except perhaps in the mildest of cases.
As someone who may never get around to consulting a pelvic floor PT on my own, I’m glad I read Floored. I now feel much better equipped to identify when something’s wrong “down there,” and do something about it—whether that’s managing mild issues on my own, or the confidence and know-how to seek professional help should I need it.
