Feature Friday: Pelvic Floor Therapy, Fertility + More with Dr. Juicy Jackie
Our blog today features the incredible Dr. Juicy Jackie, known for her fun and ✨ juicy ✨ tips on instagram! Jackie is a pelvic floor therapist, fertility and preconception expert doing 1 on 1 coaching along with courses and free tips + facts on her site and social channels. Let's dive in!
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do!
Hi! I am a holistic fertility coach and pelvic floor physical therapist and I coach humans in their 20s and 30s to embrace a deep, intuitive understanding of their bodies as they unlock their uniquely feminine power to conceive, grow, birth, and nurture a baby in the high calling of motherhood.
What this looks like practically: I offer 1:1 fertility and preconception coaching services, pelvic floor wellness and exercise programs, pregnancy and birth prep support, and holistic postpartum coaching to women as they travel the continuum of parenthood from preconception to postpartum.
I take a holistic, integrative, and trauma-informed approach to preconception, infertility, pregnancy, and postpartum because I have learned through my own experiences that it’s never just about the body OR JUST about the mental/emotional aspects. In parenthood, these layers are un-detachable from one another, and that requires a unique perspective to how we address concerns with the body, particularly with regard to reproductive health.
"The pelvis is literally the portal to our parenthood, both anatomically and (to sound a little woo-woo), emotionally and spiritually. It’s how we get pregnant, and it’s how we birth. And it’s the beginning of the inexplicable transformation that happens from the time we decide to become a parent. "
Talk to us about Pelvic Floor therapy! How do you know if you need it?
Pelvic floor therapy is a specialized form of PT that addresses issues involving the 6 P’s - pooping, peeing, periods, painful intercourse, pregnancy, and postpartum, and how these issues interact with the WHOLE body.
From a health standpoint, I believe all should have a working knowledge of their pelvic floors because it is so crucial to our digestion, menstrual cycles, bladder health, and sexual health, in addition to literally being the passage to conceive AND birth your baby.
Common problems that indicate you need some TLC for your pelvic floor:
Urinary incontinence/ leaking of any kind
Bladder urgency (constantly feeling like you need to pee)
Pain with intercourse (or tampon insertion)
Period pain that has you on a heating pad the first two days of your period and/or reliant on ibuprofen
Low back or hip pain that isn’t resolved with typical PT and/or chiropractic care
Constipation
Prolapse (feeling of heaviness in the pelvis)
Post C-Section
Post abdominal surgery
And I generally recommend at least SOME form of pelvic floor care for anyone in pregnancy and postpartum - whether or not you are experiencing symptoms.
What is your biggest piece of advice for people trying to conceive?
First, remember that Your powerful, feminine body was MADE for this- everything you need to heal your body, conceive with confidence, and embody your higher calling to motherhood is already within you. Practically speaking, Get to know your body intimately and early, so that if you sense a potential problem, you can address it before you start to get anxiety over it (which definitely has an impact on fertility)
What are common pelvic issues that people who have given birth may face after childbirth, and how does pelvic therapy contribute to their recovery?
The most common things I see are painful intercourse, incontinence, perineal pain from tearing, prolapse (that feeling that something is “falling out” of the vagina), back and hip pain, and even upper back, neck, and shoulder pain from nursing, babywearing and carrying ALL THE BABY STUFF. Little known fact - upper back stiffness from these daily activities can really impact the pelvic floor as well.
An important thing to recognize (and to seek out in your perinatal care), is that the emotional pieces of these issues can’t be fully separated of these physical issues. Birth trauma, postpartum trauma, and even just the normal stresses of being a new mom have a huge impact on physical healing - I’ll spare the details for this post, but you can read my abbreviated postpartum story here .
Another piece of postpartum care that is HUGELY missing is how to approach exercise and activity levels postpartum while your body is healing from this huge event - birth. A frustrating piece of postpartum care in the US is that we are told to rest and do nothing for 6 weeks, then at our 6 week appointment we get almost ZERO guidance on how to return to exercise safely - it’s just “ok, you’re good, go run, go have sex, you’re fine.” this is perpetuated SO much by bounce back culture.
As a holistic postpartum coach and pelvic floor PT, I can tell you that even in the absence of “obvious” issues, it’s wise to consult a pelvic floor specialist to develop a plan that honors your unique birth and postpartum experience, as well as your activity goals.
Guidance from a pelvic floor specialist is crucial to understanding normal healing processes , identifying a movement/exercise program that supports your healing AND your fitness goals, while paying close attention to the nervous system and its role in your healing.
How do you approach preventive pelvic care for those planning to conceive? Are there ways you can support your body and prep for pregnancy + beyond?
So many ways! The short version is this:
I think the BIGGEST part is starting to be proactive about understanding your body’s normal physiological processes that you weren’t taught in health class. Knowing how your menstrual cycles work and starting to get to know your body at least 1 year before you plan to start TTC is ideal. I have an amazing fertility guide (you can get it for free here ) that I wrote specifically for those wanting to get to know their bodies now, so when they TTC, there will be less mystery.
Start learning to nourish your body through food and movement/exercise that supports your cycles. Ovulation is a good indicator of overall health, and you ideally want to be as healthy as possible BEFORE trying to to conceive.
If you know you have issues with your cycles (irregular cycles, severe pain, for example, or an actual diagnosis like PCOS or endometriosis) seek out support NOW so that you can heal your body and avoid fertility hurdles and added stress on your TTC journey.
These are all things I love to help people with so they don’t have fear as they enter into the preconception phase of their lives.
What is one unpopular (or should I say juicy?!) opinion you have surrounding fertility?
Birth control is a band-aid for PCOS, endometriosis, and period problems like irregularity and pain - and it can mask underlying issues that have an impact on fertility and overall health long term. These issues tend to come BACK when you get off of it, and if you’re ready to try for a baby, you may have to extend the timeline to work on healing your hormones and body. While I TOTALLY understand the desire for quick and easy relief, I’m a huge believer that everyone deserve to treat these problems at the root of the issues and experience deep healing.
Where can we find more info from you and follow along?
- I’m on IG all the time talking about this stuff at @drjuicyjackie . I LOVE new friends - please DM me and say hello!
Get my free Ultimate Fertility Guide that teaches you how to track your ovulation and have the best chances of getting pregnant - plus, by getting on the list, you’ll be the first to know when registration for my Foundational Fertility Course opens!
You can join my Juicy News Email list (FUN emails only - we talk motherhood, fertility, pelvic health, with a side of pop culture, millennial mom fashion, and miscellaneous silliness)
Read my personal fertility and postpartum stories, check out the blog, and learn more about my unique approach to preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum and/or work with me - drjackiejoy.com
