Women's pelvic health
Is leaking urine after childbirth normal?
It is common, affecting roughly one in three women in the first year after birth, but it is not something that has to be accepted. Pelvic floor physical therapy is the first-line treatment and resolves or substantially improves postpartum leaking for most women.
The details
What to know
Answered by the practice of Dr. Elana Shalem, DPT, pelvic floor and orthopedic physical therapist.
Pregnancy stretches the pelvic floor for nine months and birth adds its own strain, so leaking with coughing, sneezing, laughing, or running in the months afterward is expected. What is not expected is that it continues for years, and for many women it does because nobody offers treatment beyond "do your Kegels."
The problem is usually coordination and timing as much as strength: the pelvic floor needs to contract a fraction of a second before pressure rises, and to relax fully in between. A pelvic floor physical therapist assesses which of those is off and builds a program for it, along with breathing, pressure management, and a staged return to impact.
Treatment can start in the first weeks after birth with education and gentle activation, and a full program after the six-week check. Women who are years postpartum respond just as well.
Where you live
Tell us where you are
Insurance, referral rules, and booking depend on where you live. Choose your area and we take you to the right page.
Not listed? Dr. Shalem can only treat patients located in a state where she holds a license. Send a message and we will tell you what is possible.
How it works
How a virtual visit works
Most of pelvic floor physical therapy is education, breathing and pressure management, movement retraining, and a home program. All of it works on camera. During the evaluation, Dr. Shalem guides a self-assessment so she can see how the pelvic floor is coordinating with breath and movement. An internal examination is not possible by video; if a hands-on assessment would change the plan, she says so and helps the patient find local care.
Discovery call
15 minutes, free, by phoneA short call to hear what is going on, explain how visits work, and check insurance or pricing. No pressure to book.
Evaluation
60 minutes, by videoDr. Shalem takes a full history, watches how you move and breathe, and guides the self-assessments she needs to build a plan.
Your plan
Same visitYou leave the evaluation with a plain-language explanation and a short home program, usually a few minutes a day.
Follow-ups
45 minutes, every 1 to 2 weeksProgress checks, program updates, and techniques you can do yourself, for as long as they are useful.
For a video visit you will need
- A phone, tablet, or laptop with a camera
- A private room
- A mat or towel
- About an hour
Your physical therapist
Dr. Elana Shalem, DPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Miami. Licensed physical therapist.
Dr. Shalem treats pelvic health for women and men, from pregnancy and postpartum recovery to bladder, bowel, and pelvic pain conditions and recovery after prostate or pelvic surgery, and general orthopedic conditions of the back, neck, hips, knees, shoulders, and feet. Visits are one-on-one and unhurried, and she explains what she is seeing in plain language.
More about Dr. ShalemPrefer to write? Send a message.
Questions about insurance, pricing, or whether physical therapy is the right next step? We reply within one business day.
Start with a free 15-minute call.
Tell us what is going on, hear how Dr. Shalem would approach it, and decide from there.