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How to maintain good health for the long term post-childbirth

The human body goes through a lot of changes during and after pregnancy. This segment is sponsored by Overlake Medical Clinics.

The human body goes through a lot of changes during and after pregnancy. Overlake Medical Clinics' Physical Therapist Kathy Golic joins New Day Northwest with some advice about what we need to know after having children to maintain good health for the long term. 

"The tummy area is just the tip of the iceberg," Golic said. "We think about trying to get our whole body back in shape, being healthy and fit in a safe way. I'm a pelvic floor physical therapist, and I like to really talk about this part of the body that people don't talk about." 

Golic explains the pelvic floor's importance and how it should be thought of as "the bottom of the core." 

"Basically, it's responsible for holding things in and letting things out," said Golic. 

The problems can occur right after childbirth, but also as a woman ages. 

"Fortunately, most people recover pretty nicely after childbirth," explained Golic, "But there are some issues that can result. and if they're not dealt with, they can present down the line. Things like leaking urine, leaking gas, leaking stool,  organ descent...the organs can basically slide down into the vagina and out. We try to train the muscles and the systems to manage the pressures so that we can hold the organs up and in when we're going about our tasks." 

While surgery is an option for some, Golic said that oftentimes she is able to help people as a pelvic floor specialist by teaching them how to change their breathing, activities of daily living, and routines to integrate. 

"I've seen many patients go off the surgery schedule," Golic said. "It's a training thing. It's taking the brain and making a connection."

This segment is sponsored by Overlake Medical Clinics. Watch KING 5's New Day Northwest 11:00 weekdays and streaming live on KING5.com. Connect with New Day via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

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