Postpartum Series: The Fourth Trimester - Healing Your Core & Pelvic Floor After Birth with Jessica Pumple

Sep 1, 2022

Jessica is a pre and postnatal fitness instructor (as well as a dietitian, diabetes & bariatric educator). She healed her 4-finger diastasis recti gap after her pregnancy and now helps moms heal and restore their core in 30 days. You'll learn so much from our conversation and the bonus material included below in the show notes. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Jessica Pumple, Host of Pregnancy and Postpartum TV (2:20)
• Diastasis recti (2:30)
• At-home diastasis recti test (4:39)
• Does everyone have diastasis recti? (6:04)
• Treatment for diastasis recti (6:37)
• Diastasis Recti Healing Core Workouts Playlists
• How you can prevent diastasis recti during pregnancy (9:17)
• Belly Bandit Bamboo Wrap
• How to improve your posture to heal diastasis recti (10:43)
• Core healing exercises for diastasis recti playlist (11:36)
• How the muscles of the core and pelvic floor are connected (13:18)
• Diet recommendations to repair your muscles (people usually get this wrong) (14:00)
• Other methods to consider for healing your pelvic floor and core after birth (17:13)
• Jessica’s program to heal diastasis recti (19:06)

Roll out your yoga mat, then play Jessica’s videos and try to healing exercises. Stop by her site for more info on protecting your pelvic floor.

Jessica made a special guide for Pure Nurture on healing your core and pelvic floor after birth.  

More from Jessica:

Pelvic Floor Foods to limit:

• Caffeinated beverages (coffee and tea) are diuretic and bladder irritant, which means they cause the kidneys to make more urine than normal. This causes overuse and sensitivity in the bladder.
• Carbonated beverages (soda – yes, even diet soda) can trigger overactive bladder symptoms because bubbly drinks tend to tickle and irritate the bladder. They also typically contain caffeine and artificial sweeteners, which are bladder irritation triggers on their own.
• Highly acidic fruits and veggies (tomato, cranberry, orange) can irritate the bladder lining due to their high acidity.
• Spicy foods can cause your bladder to burn for the same reason that they cause your mouth to burn. This can cause irritation to the bladder lining.
• Artificial sugars and sweeteners (Splenda) worsen symptoms of overactive bladder for similar reasons as do carbonated beverages.
• Alcohol is a diuretic and bladder irritant. Also, when a person consumes alcohol, that liquid accelerates the rate that kidneys gather water and causes the bladder to empty more often. Not a good combination.

Foods to include for pelvic floor healing:

• Pure water
• Apricot, banana melon (low acidic fruits)
• Herbal teas (non-caffeine)
• Omega 3 fatty acids (fish, walnuts, hemp or chia seeds)

What to look for in a belly band: (Belly band is for support, but not a replacement for strengthening exercise)

• Works - one that is recommended by doctors and HCPs
• Comfortable/lightweight especially if going to be exercising in it
• Discrete under clothes
• Price
• Material (Jessica recommends bamboo.)

What Jessica's program is all about:

Heal your core and pelvic floor in 30 days with her online program. It's a step-by-step guided video program to heal your core and pelvic floor. It's best for a  mom that is first cleared to do exercise or just starting after not exercising no matter how long post-partum needs different exercises than someone who has been consistently exercising for a few weeks. The program has been carefully designed to progress with you to heal and restore the diastasis as well and flatten and tone and also to prevent leaking or peeing a little when you sneeze or jump. Learn more here!