Adventures in vaginas (and other parts)

What's good with your IBS?

Cait Van Damm — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:14:18 GMT

Hi everyone! Ever have a long day where you’re just… toast? Yeah. That’s me! This was first written in 2022. I’ve edited and improved today’s version! If you’re looking for many a tool for calming your nervous system in a way that centers your autonomy as a whole human, may I lovingly recommend Tidal Work? Paid subscribers get $10/month off — code at the bottom!

Every now and then I’m in a clinical situation where I have to stop and ask myself, a la The Talking Heads, “how did I get here?” (Please cue my favorite summer album.)

That happened this week. I took on several new patients who are seeing me primarily for functional gastrointestinal disorders - irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), abdomino-phrenic dyssynergia (say that three times fast), and chronic constipation.

When I started this work, it was all vaginas, all the time. Now my work is fantastically varied, and I’m working on bodies head to toe with the pelvic floor in mind.

You might wonder — how are IBS and the pelvic floor related? And I would be happy to tell you that they’re basically the best/worst abusive anatomical relationship out there. Your IBS loves to troll your pelvic floor!

Here’s the tl;dr:

IBS, defined by the presence of cramping, bloating and abdominal pain, can include significant constipation, diarrhea, or both (my personal fave!). It’s common; 5-10% of the population at any given time are exhibiting symptoms.
The exact mechanism of IBS is unknown, but a leading theory is a visceral hypersensitivity in the enteric nervous system, meaning that the organs themselves become super sensitive to… anything and everything.
IBS is directly correlated with pelvic floor dysfunction — maybe that’s why I hang out with so many of you!
Share

The deep dive:

You might be saying to yourself, “I call bullshit. IBS has nothing to do with my pee leaking/poop smearing/pelvic pain.”

You’re entitled to your feelings, but I lovingly disagree. Let’s first think about the poop-related symptoms of IBS; constipation and diarrhea.

I’ve discussed constipation at length before, but I’ll shout it again; constipation is wildly under-diagnosed, and it’s really effing bad for your pelvic floor. Constant straining creates increased intra-abdominal pressure which then pushes down on the pelvic floor so you can get a turd out. This can lead to a host of symptoms, but pelvic organ prolapse is top of mind, as is both urinary and fecal incontinence. This study compared folks with IBS-C to those without IBS and found that, lo and behold, the group with IBS had significantly increased amount of prolapse and urinary symptoms.

Diarrhea, on the other hand, is simply too hot to handle for your sweet anal sphincters, which are in no way designed to retain liquid. So there’s an obvious leakage risk, but more interestingly, constantly trying not to shit yourself will likely lead to chronic tensing of your pelvic floor, and this can also lead to urinary leaking and pain. In fact, this study found that fecal urgency was linked to increased urge incontinence. Such good times!

But what I find most fascinating is how visceral hypersensitivity — the organs themselves going on high alert — can create chronic pelvic floor dysfunction. Research shows that this hypersensitivity is connected to the gut-brain axis — a dual direction superhighway of communication between the brain and the gut microbiota — and that disruption of this axis creates not only sensitivity, but also has cognitive and psychological effects as well. This connection points to a more global alarm system going off in the body, and it absolutely makes sense that the exit doors to the urinary and GI system would be affected, too.

Clinically, I’ve consistently noticed that folks with IBS tend to have more protective, tighter pelvic floors. This study found a correlation between pre-existing IBS and painful bladder syndrome, citing vagal nerve disruption as a possible cause, and this study suggests that altered diaphragm contractility can create disruptions in intestinal motility in addition to chronic pelvic pain. So, you know, it’s a thing.

Bottom line: it’s a total chicken and egg game, but the nervous system and the GI system are pals. When one is messed up, the other one probably is too — and the pelvic floor is a frequent victim of this game.

The take-home:

If you’re struggling with IBS, take a deep breath. No, seriously, do it! Mind-body therapies, including yoga and meditation, have been shown to have a medium to high effect on treating IBS. As I recently wrote about, there’s excellent research on vagal nerve stimulation as an IBS treatment, too, but public access to this treatment is challenging to find!

I want to be really clear here on something — every body and brain is different. So while yoga might be ha-mazing for your bestie, you might hate it, and therefore, it is not therapeutic for you. And that’s okay! You are still a good person! Keep experimenting and find a provider who will partner with you to help you figure out what does work for your system. This is literally why I created Tidal Work.

I treat the way that I do in large part to elicit a sense of safety in the body. This isn’t solely because I’m a nice person (even though I am!) — it’s because when we create a nervous system that feels safe, that’s when the body can start getting its shit together and healing.

When, how, and where do you feel most calm? Make a list, and start to strategize how you can integrate more of those things into your daily routine.
Breathwork. I’m just going to keep hawking breath as the answer until, like, forever. Breathing is fantastic for the diaphragm, which as we just covered, is so important to pelvic floor health. You can get more of my breathing rants here and here. But! You may also like to play with breathing whilst moving?! Again, bodies are different!
You know that feeling of supreme zen you feel after a yoga class/workout/massage/acupuncture/etc etc? Think of that like medicine for your IBS and pelvic floor dysfunction. If it is at all possible, try to get yourself more of that feeling — however you can access it!
Consider building a team to support you. While I see folks with IBS to treat the mechanical side of things (aka lots of manual work on the belly to get things moving or calm shit down, as well as breathwork, etc.), I also highly recommend working with a functional nutritionist to address other issues at play that are out of my scope. Of course, a gastroenterologist can also be appropriate in some cases, too!

If you’ve been thinking about your IBS and pelvic floor issues as two separate entities, perhaps it’s time to consider that they could be connected. Hang tough, and know that you’ve got this — one breath at a time! May your GI system and pelvic floor be as cool, calm and collected as the beautiful person in this graphic.

As always, I am rooting for you. Paid subscribers, scroll below for your code!

upgrade and make magic happen

Thanks for being a paid subscriber! If you’re curious to try Tidal Work, you are welcome to use the code AINVGRATITUDE. I am in fact wildly grateful for you.

The secret mobility trick to lower back pain.

Cait Van Damm — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 23:47:24 GMT

I have this client I adore. When she starts experiencing stress incontinence, she stretches her adductors, and BOOM, everything’s cool. When she experiences lower back pain, she stretches her thoracic spine, and bada bing bada boom, she is pain free.

My client is the exception, not the rule, in how straightforward her symptom treatment is. But her case is not the exception when it comes to lower back pain — in many cases, limited thoracic spine mobility has a huge impact on lower back pain, and the SI joint in particular.

This is because our bodies just want to move and do functional tasks. If we’re limited in the upper back, our smart-ass bodies just try to borrow that mobility in the lower back. The SI joint is a vertical one, and because of physics, it’s often the first one to get pulled on.

How, you might be asking, do we unravel this nut? Yes, isolated thoracic mobility feels great, and is great. But I have found that the best results happen when the pelvis is stabilized and we create thoracic mobility from that place.

This shows the body how to keep the pelvis and lower back stable while moving where its meant to move from during oh, I don’t know, about a gazillion functional daily tasks of living.

It’s a good time! I felt both sore in my butt and so much more easeful on the other side!

Props: A wall, a light theraband (totally optional), two blocks or a stool (also optional)

Is it postpartum or perimenopause chillin’ in your vagina?

Cait Van Damm — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:53:08 GMT

I had my kids when I was 31. I was a huge outlier; most of my friends, colleagues, and clients have their kids much older.

“Older” is subjective. I am objectively older than I was when I gave birth, and I’m sure that if I had another kid at 38, I’d def consider myself older. But I’ve supported birthing parents as old as 51. As always, everything is a spectrum.

You know what else is a big fucking spectrum? Perimenopause. You’ve heard this before, but yes, it begins ten (maybe more!) years prior to the onset of menopause, which is generally considered a genetic thing. Anywhere between 45 to 55 is considered “normal”, with the average age of menopause onset being 52 in the US. (Note that menopause is the state of not having a menstrual cycle for over a year. The definitions become important in these matters!)

So yeah, you could totally be seeing perimenopause changes in your late 30s. A lot of people are having babies in their late 30s and onwards. Which leads us to a big fucking gray area.

Let’s do this.

Okay I haven’t read and therefore cannot endorse this book. I just love a Roy Lichtenstein-inspired graphic. Sue me.

Here’s the tl;dr:

The pelvic health symptoms of perimenopause and postpartum can sometimes be identical. You deserve support no matter what.
Extra care is warranted if you’re feeling like “something isn’t right” literally at any time, but if you feel like “things haven’t been right since the baby” it’s worth digging a bit deeper.
Share

The Deep Dive:

One thing that makes me A N G R Y is when clients are shocked to learn that estrogen systemically plummets during breastfeeding. This means that people experience systemic symptoms, including vaginal dryness and tissue atrophy, albeit temporary (generally limited to the time that you remain breastfeeding).

This recently got a cute new name: Genitourinary syndrome of lactation (GSL). Does that sound familiar? Oh, because we also semi-recently named genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), too! And the symptoms are…. functionally the same.

They are:

Thinning of the vulvovaginal tissue (also known as tissue atrophy — sexy!), which creates increased opportunity for tissue damage with any kind of force-based contact. Like, idk, penetrative sex!?
Reduced lubrication, which adds to this fun little sitch of flyability in the tissue.
A shifted vaginal microbiome with decreased protective bacteria and a higher pH, making one more susceptible to UTIs.
Increased incidence of both painful sex (due to the pissy tissue) and urinary incontinence (due to hormonally induced reduction in pelvic floor muscle bulk).

It infuriates me that literally all postpartum people are not given a basic heads up about this. Reading the above symptoms, one might think that it would be cool to know ahead of time?

It also infuriates me that no one is doing research on the fact that there are more and more people having babies in their perimenopausal years, and there is a plausible phenomenon being discussed (on the message boards, obviously) that mothers who are both lactating and perimenopausal may have a more complex presentation of symptoms.

This is because while the symptoms of GSM and GSL are the same, the mechanism of action is not. GSL is caused by an increase in prolactin that inhibits estrogen, while GSM is caused by ovarian senescence (a cute way to say your ovaries are aging like beautiful fine wine and closing the shop).

source: Restore Hope Physical Therapy. IDK about you but this felt true to my experience.

GSL is transient and generally responsive to ending (or even reducing) breastfeeding; GSM is chronic and progressive over time when untreated.

Let’s linger on that last sentiment. If a 42 year old is experiencing GSL/GSM symptoms, ends breastfeeding at 15 months postpartum, and her gynecologist low-key brushes off symptoms as “postpartum”, that becomes a problem. That person is losing options for treatment that could be meaningful when we think about long term outcomes.

I want to pause to be clear on something for a moment: menopausal hormone therapy is not a panacea, nor is it appropriate for everyone. The brilliant wrote this excellent piece on the nuance of hormone replacement therapy and I can’t recommend it highly enough to cut through the noise.

With that caveat out of the way, I do think that options should be given. At a basic level, I cannot count the amount of times I’ve told both perimenopausal and lactating folks about the existence and efficacy of vaginal estrogen treatment for both GSL and GSM. While it is not the only option, it’s an effective and safe one for many folks!

(Psst — if the idea of hormonal replacement freaks you out, but you still want support with GSL or GSM symptoms, alternatives do exist! I wrote a whole list here but big shout out to my favorite vulvar moisturizer company, not spon con!)

Further, many folks in perimenopause may be supported by systemic hormonal replacement. Zooming out and away from the vulvovaginal tissue, many symptoms of perimenopause — musculoskeletal discomfort, brain fog, night sweats — can also be brushed off as “postpartum”.

And they may be. But I don’t think that we should assume that is the case when we have folks birthing into their 40s and beyond.

Here’s the take-home:

There is absolutely no correct time to have a baby, and having a baby in your late 30s or 40s (or 50s) does not mean you’re automatically fucked. As many have discussed ad nauseam, having a kid “later” can be kind of fucking awesome. I should also point out that GSL happens to all breastfeeding people to some degree.

And. Birthing people deserve better education on GSL and available treatments as a proactive conversation — not something that they need to bring to their provider’s attention once they are already in pain.

If you’re not sure whether there is a perimenopause element to your symptoms, speak to your provider! Theoretically, GSL symptoms should get better once your period resumes (i.e. once estrogen gets rockin’ and rollin’), so if that has not been your experience, that is definitely one thing to note as you advocate for further options and assessment.

I should also say that even in a low estrogen environment, pelvic floor therapy can absolutely improve outcomes related to urinary incontinence and painful sex (especially if there is another driver involved, like scar tissue and/or muscle tension). Look us up — we are nice!

As always, I am rooting for you. And I love hearing from you! Comment below or respond to this email to say hi. I respond to every one.

Adventures in Vaginas (and other parts) is my labor of love, dedicated to you.

If you want to support my work and mission to expand access to quality pelvic health education that is gender inclusive and shame-free, please consider sharing this post or becoming a paid subscriber.

To learn more about my 1:1 practice and request a free 15 minute consultation, click here.

Tidal Work is my therapeutic movement platform for body autonomy. Everyone is invited to dive in there.

Let the bellies go free!

Cait Van Damm — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:43:26 GMT

This year, I moved to a warmer climate. I have only ever lived in the Northeast, save for one questionable summer in the East Bay after college and a semester abroad in Ecuador. Anyway, the shift five hundred miles south of my OG home in New York is notable from a what-to-wear perspective.

Summer is hotter. (Also yeah, climate change!) People wear less clothing. People also basically live at the community swimming pool.

The bellies are out.

Or — are they? I’ve seen so many folks sucking it in, and even more clients and readers share this reality behind closed doors. One reader wrote:

You’ve mentioned sucking in your stomach is bad, but I’ve been doing it ever since middle school… how do I stop? Every time I try to stop, I unconsciously go back to sucking in!

I thanked this reader profusely for saying the quiet part out loud. Lots of cool kids subconsciously suck in our bellies, and even when we do our damndest to let it the fuck go, it can feel next to impossible.

I include myself in this narrative because I’ve been there, and I get it.

So let’s get into why this happens, why it’s important, and how to set the bellies free.

Here’s the tl;dr:

“Sucking in” can create tension in the abdominal wall, compensation patterns in the abdominal muscles, and a shitton of intra-abdominal pressure. None of these are great for your pelvic floor.
Because sucking in can be a trained movement and a guarding pattern that is subconscious, it’s indeed quite tough to quit the habit.
People respond to different interventions, but my experience is that focusing on supporting the body and allowing for safe breath expansion seems to be the winning move over time!
Share

The deep dive:

To be honest, I don’t think there’s enough discussion about the impact on diet culture and pelvic floor dysfunction. And of course, when I looked into the research, there is only mechanistic evidence for what I’m about to share, which is to say that there are no clinical research trials explicitly examining the relationship between sucking in and pelvic floor dysfunction.

There are, however, studies that show an increased incidence of pelvic floor dysfunction in people with eating disorders (EDs), including this excellent retrospective study, this one showing that pelvic floor dysfunction was predictive of bloating and GI distress in folks with EDs, and this one demonstrating an increase in urinary incontinence.

So, yeah. I’d say we’re really onto something here.

Obviously. Art by @devthepineapple

Here’s the well-established collective consensus among the pelvic health community: Sucking in and/or gripping the abdominal wall increases intra-abdominal pressure, and, shockingly, creates a lot of background tension in the abdominal muscles themselves, often the obliques and rectus abdominis. This creates an abundance of opportunity for the pelvic floor to respond in a way that is adaptive to these changes: incontinence, pain and tension, digestive discomfort, prolapse. The list goes on.

These behaviors also tend to come with a side of holding one’s breath. At the minimum, trying to make ourselves smaller doesn’t encourage an expansion of the rib cage and softening of the belly, which is literally the definition of a functional inhalation.

And then we’ve got clothing. Shout out to my skinny jean babies, shout out to my low rise friends. Extra love to my ultra-high waisted compressive leggings girlies (I’m writing this in electric blue leggings that fit those descriptors). Tight, compressive clothing is designed to literally hold the abdominal tissue and do the sucking in for you. Breathing becomes harder because you’d literally have to push against a forceful fabric in order to optimally expand. This creates a gnarly feedback loop.

Lastly, there’s pain. I heard from many readers with endo and adenomyosis who talked about the experience of reflexively tensing their abdominal wall because of pain. This makes sense — this is your body doing it’s best! — and, ironically, the chronic guarding creates more pain in the long term.

Ashley said it best when she shared her story of anxiety and endometriosis: “It can be too tender to fully expand and takes me conscious effort. I feel like I still go back to it when I’m not thinking... It’s been a part of causing a lot of hip, pelvic, and back pain in my guess because it asked my core to kind of curl in on itself and helped create (alongside the endo) weak but overactive/tender pelvic muscles. Sometimes it’s like I physically CAN’T relax, it’s so interconnected.”

honestly the image searches for this piece were really intense so I chose to use images that bring my belly joy. This art is by @tara_lee_interior_design

So what in the good fuck do we do about it?

I took the time to lay out all the reasons why this happens because the first step to shifting this pattern is not being an asshole to yourself.

But seriously. You are a good person. And your body probably has a lot of very good reasons why it thinks sucking in and/or gripping the ever loving hell out of your belly is a great idea.

In my 1:1 coaching, I invite clients to reconsider their lens. Many people enter into the work thinking that they need to be fixed. This creates a pretty intense binary where, if one approach doesn’t work for their body and/or life, they feel like they’ve failed.

You have not failed.

Instead, I’d like to offer the lens of curiosity, kindness, and care.

This takes away the binary and shame, and that ultimately creates a lot more space for ease and productive work. Let’s use that as a way to break down an approach forward!

Curiosity:

At a macro level, consider why your body thought that sucking in was a good idea. Really get curious! And then, if/when it is happening on a day to day basis, that’s another opportunity to get curious — Is there something going on in your day that felt stressful? Are you having a pain spasm? This rolls right into…

Kindness:

Seriously. Your body is not a problem to be fixed. The more kindness we can have for ourselves, the more open we can be to radically shifting tough to change patterns, especially if they hold any emotional weight.

If this feels tough for you, consider working with a mental health therapist who specializes in eating disorders (as appropriate, and always the first line of care in acute ED status) or a coach or practitioner who specializes in somatics. Which brings us to…

Care:

How you care for yourself is going to depend on what’s going on for you. It may be as simple as wearing looser clothing that allows your belly to expand naturally. The fabulous reports that “I started paying more attention to making sure my clothes were giving my belly enough room to expand and relax, and that made a huge difference! I’m now so sensitive to it that I cannot bear things like Spanx or compression tights. I feel like they make me so uncomfortable and really mess with my digestion!”

I very much co-sign that loose clothing is a huge win, but I also want to say that if brightly colored spandex brings you joy (ahem, hi, it’s me) that’s okay! Be sure to make sure you’re not wearing it all day.

For many of us, breath patterns have been significantly disrupted and there are legit compensation patterns happening all over the body, so a wardrobe change or consistent reminder to take a breath isn’t going to cut it.

And if this is you, let me repeat: You’re not broken.

I find that giving the belly a consistent opportunity to expand, along with the whole rib cage both mobilizing and expanding, is the best long term strategy. Bodies are different, and different bodies will respond to different movement interventions, but here’s a classic one that I love:

I also LOVE breathing in a belly down position with a pillow under my chest. Imagine that your fave person ever has their hand on the back of your ribcage, and breathe into that imaginary hand as you inhale (exhalations are neutral and natural).

There is a lot to be said for the concept of safety here — your body needs to truly, deeply, madly believe that it is safe to soften and expand. So while I’ve offered prone and tabletop positions here, your personal bod may do better with something like a legs up the wall, for example. I encourage you to experiment, find a practice you LOVE, and try to integrate it into your day to day as a little movement/rest treat. (Psst — if you’re looking for ideas on movement that is body autonomy focused with a ton of options, I’ve got you covered at Tidal Work.)

There’s also a question that one reader asked around the push-pull of “good posture” and a relaxed belly, and this is hella real.

Here’s my hot take: Your core (and pelvic floor!) is designed to be reflexive. It should work when there are demands on it, and chill TF out when there are not.

Ideally, we would all walk and squat and hang and do more functional movement (see all of ’s work for more on this, highly recommended) and we wouldn’t need a ton of targeted exercise. But alas, we live in late stage capitalism, replete with diet culture, none of which is a personal failing on literally anyone’s part. Many of us have grippy abdominal walls, weak derrieres, and hunched, rigid thoracic spines. And we’re fucking good people.

we’re working on some real shit here

If you’re struggling with this, the first thing to know is that this is a full body operation. Simply doing one core exercise or release, or “pulling your shoulders back” (PSA, please don’t do this ever) is not gonna cut it. This is also a scenario where individualized care is ideal, because everyone’s drivers of dysfunction and compensation are going to be different!

I would recommend prioritizing release work first, then playing with deep core work, particularly in tabletop and high kneeling positions, because they do a great job working on the deep core in both the front and back. (And obvi, this isn’t medical advice!) Crawling is fun and a great way to begin! Try crawling with a tissue box, book, or yoga block on your back. I promise it’s a good time.

Here’s the take-home:

Okay, it feels appropriate to take a deep breath, right!? Let’s do that.

While diet culture and pelvic floor dysfunction’s effects are vast and varied, and the individual approaches may be different, here’s the big thing I want you to remember: You’re so not alone. The more I talked about this phenomenon, the more it felt ubiquitous.

Be curious, be kind, and take good care. As always, I am rooting for you.

Adventures in Vaginas (and other parts) is my labor of love, dedicated to you.

To learn more about my 1:1 practice and request a free 15 minute consultation, click here.

Tidal Work is my therapeutic movement platform for body autonomy. Everyone is invited to dive in there.

Strong butts that don't hurt: Here's the glute routine I wish everyone had.

Cait Van Damm — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:19:51 GMT

I like to say that I am a glute evangelist. I was also born in 1988 and have significantly older siblings, so I grew up singing this song (which like, wow, that video, so much to unpack here, discussion welcome in comments).

I do like big butts. Clinically. Because a strong butt is freaking critical to a healthy pelvic floor.

The maternal pain project

Cait Van Damm — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:27 GMT

I have to be real with you: This idea came to me as I was swimming laps.

I have been having some really delightful conversations with people in the maternal health space recently. Big shit is happening! And I have found myself, more than once, advocating for pain symptoms to get a little love when it comes to long term health assessments.

Thank fucking god, there is a lot going on in the discourse about maternal mental health. There are honestly too many great substacks to list here, but I highly recommend the aptly named The Maternal Stress Project, Matriarchy Report, and The Mother Lode.

What I do not see is a discussion about physical pain in motherhood.

We could have a multi-pronged conversation about this, and I want to. But I am particularly interested in folks who incurred an injury directly from pregnancy or birth, and how this experience shaped the immediate and indefinitely ongoing postpartum period.

Frequently, but not always, physical birth injury and birth trauma travel together, and the effects are compounded.

So that’s where I want to begin. Trust me, I see you chronic illness baddies — the ones who fought to get pregnant despite illness and/or pain, the ones whose illnesses cropped up or got so much worse in the postpartum period. I see you!

For now, I would like to focus on the concrete “I got hurt while a baby emerged in some way from my body and it has felt not-quite-right ever since.”

I have a lot of professional observations about birth injuries and pain postpartum. I can tell you that it’s common for these experiences to affect child-parent bonding, maternal physical short and long term health, maternal mental health in both the long and short terms, sexual health, future family planning, any athletic or movement goals, and — perhaps most importantly — body autonomy.

Just being in a body can feel deeply challenging after that type of an inury.

So today, I’d love to hear from you, if you’re up for it.

I want to be so incredibly clear: You do not owe me your story. You do not owe me your participation. This is not mandatory trauma dumping.

What I do want to create is a space to record that maternal pain happens, that its effects are deep and wide, and that it matters, a lot.

So! If you experience or experienced maternal pain, I’ve got a bunch of concrete questions for you. You are also welcome to either share more details via a reply email or comment. Everything is optional. Your responses are anonymous in Substack, and you can choose to remain anonymous if you contact me via email.

Please share as I would love to get as much data as possible! I do not know what this will become — maybe a post, maybe a series, maybe a book, IDK! But I do believe it’s really important, and I’d be honored to have your voice.

If you decide to answer these questions, know that they may feel tricky and challenging. Please be kind to yourself. Get yourself a treat afterwards. And you won’t offend me if you skip it!

If your pain is past-tense, feel free to answer these questions from your past-tense self — from the peak of discomfort and challenge.

Who’s ready for a treat!? GO GET YOURSELF A TREAT.

If you have more you’d like to share for this project, you can respond to this email. It goes straight to me. Please let me know if it is okay to quote your story in the future, and if so, how you’d like to be identified (anonymous is perfectly fine).

You can also leave a comment if you would like to speak publicly!

Thank you for participating, thank you for sharing, and thanks for being a part of this rad community. Let’s help de-stigmatize what so many birthing folks experience and start helping folks get the wraparound care they need and deserve.

I am rooting for you.

Adventures in Vaginas (and other parts) is my labor of love, dedicated to you.

To learn more about my 1:1 practice and request a free 15 minute consultation, click here.

Tidal Work is my therapeutic movement platform for body autonomy. Everyone is invited to dive in there.

Humming into a better sex life.

Cait Van Damm — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:02:18 GMT

I got this message in the chat yesterday:

What’s with all these vagus nerve ads I keep getting? Is releasing my vagus nerve really the key to fixing anything that has ever ailed me? And do I need some kind of stretching program to fix it?

Let’s fucking goooooooooo I screamed inside as I read it with glee.

If you haven’t heard about the vagus nerve, you may have been living under a glorious rock. And I truly love that for you!

Today, we’re going to unpack my reader’s question and sort out what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s capitalist bullshit in wellness marketing clothing.

If you’re asking: Wtf does the vagus nerve have to do with pelvic health!? And what is the vagus nerve, and why does it matter!? you’re in luck. I went into depth on this in an article entitled Leaving Las Vagus where, yes, I include a link to Sheryl Crow’s video. And you know what, Imma do it here, too.

Like, honestly, you’re welcome.

The tl;dr is that the vagus nerve is a cranial nerve, which means it is special. (It really is, there are only twelve nerves that come directly from your brain and go to the rest of the body. The rest come out of your spinal cord!)

The vagus nerve is extra special because it’s kind of a vagabond who gets into everyone’s shit. Literally. Vagus means wanderer in Latin. It innervates the digestive system, the pelvic floor, and parts of the reproductive system, which again, you can learn more about here.

Subscribe now

But let’s talk about the sexy programs you’ve been sold on the internet.

I get ads for them all the time: The 21 day pelvic vagus nerve reset. I made that title up but I am pulling from actual memories of ads that have been pitched to me.

There are also vagal nerve stimulators, fancy little ear pieces that promise reduction of everything from depression to autoimmune disease.

I, as a person with multiple autoimmune diseases, would be very fucking pleased to clip on an earring and say farewell to them.

me, to my various body ishes. Note the huge clip on!

And I’ve looked into it. Extensively. In fact, my whole career path — from the time I was a baby 22 year old teaching yoga full time in the Hudson Valley — has been about navigating the benefits of “holistic” medicine and rooting into evidence based practice. I have always wanted to figure out what is actually wildly beneficial from “alternative” medicine and what’s total BS.

That is literally why I chose to get a clinical doctorate.

It’s tricky. Science shifts over time, and it certainly has re: vagus nerve theory. Like most things, there is some really cool truth and many un-truths.

Here’s the quick take: non-device techniques for “vagus nerve stimulation” can be both helpful and very, very over-sold.

Let’s get into it.

In doing my due diligence research on this, I threw a few things at Google Scholar. I wanted to know if there were any vagus nerve protocols that clinically reduced physical pain, mental health symptoms, and digestive disorders.

Here’s what I found:

Pelvic Venous Disorders: The wildly common pelvic pain syndrome you probs never heard of.

Cait Van Damm — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:01:38 GMT

Sometime about a year ago, I had three new patients coming in with the same complaint: Chronic pelvic pain that felt like an achey pressure. Worse in standing and after sex, much like a prolapse — but not responding to classic prolapse treatment.

One was diagnosed, but didn’t know what the fuck to do about it.

Do you treat pelvic congestion syndrome? she asked.

I didn’t. I panicked, and impulse-bought a course to further educate me on the matter.

That course was one of those experiences where you learn something, begin to see it in so many places you missed before, and just can’t unsee it: pelvic venous disorders (PeVD), the larger group of conditions including pelvic congestion, May-Thurner Syndrome, and Nutracker Syndrome.

Often, cases are not straightforward or have complex presentations, which is why the current recommendation is to refer to any and all symptoms as PeVD. It’s a cute umbrella term!

The medical weeds get thick quickly. So let’s dig in and figure out wtf PeVD is, who might be at risk, and what to do if you suspect you may have it. And obvi, this isn’t medical advice!

PeVD is incredibly common and under-diagnosed (fun!), and should be ruled out if you have either given birth and/or have any kind of chronic pelvic pain.
Primary symptoms of PeVD are pelvic pressure, painful sex, blood in urine, low back/flank pain, and leg swelling.
The gold standard treatment of PeVD involves vascular surgical approaches including stenting and embolization of affected vessels, and should always be tailored to the client.
Conservative therapy includes movement, breath work, and reducing compensation patterns to optimize blood flow within the affected vessels. This is a really solid option if you’re not ready for more invasive approaches and/or want to have a future pregnancy.
I fucking love an infographic. This is sourced from Carolinas Vein and Vascular

The deep dive:

Okay, let’s start with basics: What the fuck is PeVD, exactly? What’s happening anatomically?

Tbh, my head starts to spin getting into the specifics of vascular disorders. I am a muscle, bone, and fascia girl; vessels are not my jam. So let’s keep this hella simple and digestible!

image source: Pelvic Health and Rehabiliation

A few things can happen from a structural perspective to create a pelvic venous disorder:

A vein’s walls can become weakened in one location, creating an opportunity to for blood to pool.
A vein’s valve can malfunction, creating blood flow in the opposite direction of where it’s supposed to go. This is called reflux, and it’s the most common driver of PeVD symptoms. The blood pools with gravity, and the distended vein can create fascial discomfort and/or nerve irritation.
A vein can also become compressed due to a nearby artery pressing on it, creating an obstruction (like a kink in a hose or whatever tube analogy makes you happy).

Generally, the left side is more at risk for ishes due to structural anatomy reasons (a longer vein, a weirder angle) on the renal, iliac, and ovarian veins. Which brings me to symptoms!

PeVD is wildly common, and affects 15-20% of people assigned female at birth between the ages of 20-50. Read that again. Among those with chronic pelvic pain, the estimated incidence increases to 30-45%.

Common symptoms of PeVD include:

left flank pain (although this could happen on the right side, it’s just less likely!)
blood in urine
sudden urges to pee and/or painful urination
dull, achey pain and pressure in the pelvis and lower abdomen that is worse after being on your feet, exercise, or sex (again, think about blood pooling!)
increased dull pain during menstruation
pain gets worse throughout the day, and isn’t present when you wake up

Here’s another cute image. I like this one because it shows the direction of blood flow, and how this can go wrong. See that whole plexus of veins at the bottom of the pelvis? It would feel uncomfy if there were a lot of blood chilling out down there!

image source: Sydney Fibroid Clinic

Remember that venous blood should be flowing towards the heart, so in the abdomen and pelvis, that’s up, not down!

Okay, cool. So here’s the thing: these symptoms, while distinct, are vague and sneaky AF. Particularly if you don’t have blood in your urine (which many people do not), PeVD can cosplay as prolapse in postpartum people, and — shocker! — a huge risk factor for PeVD is pregnancy! It can also disguise itself as urge incontinence or interstitial cystitis (see: urinary urgency and painful peeing).

Other folks who tend to get PeVD? Those with Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and POTS (postural orthostatic hypertension syndrome) — there is thought to be a connection between the connective tissue dysfunction of the vessel walls, and it was recently hypothesized that PeVD may be a driver for POTS symptoms in some folks.

There are also associations with interstitial cystitis, long COVID, and dysautonomia, although these are generally case reports, and no solid research has been done on the mechanism of why this might be.

And — most interestingly to me, Jennifer Lanoff, WHNP-MSCP recently wrote this excellent article about her clinical observations of endo clients presenting with PeVD symptoms after endo excision surgery. She also wrote another very thorough follow up here connecting the dots from PeVD to vulvodynia, which I highly recommend!

Soooooo, yeah. It’s easy to miss. And not a lot of people treat it, or know how to diagnose it.

Here’s a quick and dirty way to further assess if you may have PeVD symptoms:

Try on your tightest pair of compression leggings for a few hours, assuming you have some laying around. Does this make your symptoms better?
Lay in some kind of inversion for 15ish minutes. This could be as simple as laying on the floor with your shins on a couch! Does this make your symptoms better?

If you answered yes to both of the above, it may be worth pursing further assessment. Look for an interventional radiologist, vascular surgeon, or urogynecologist specializing in PeVD. Yes, I know I gave you three specialties, and that’s confusing. But the realreal is that you want to find someone in one of these professions who really knows their shit, has referral partners in other departments, and loves to treat PeVD.

Depending on the type of symptoms or veins that are in question, you may need MR venography and/or a specialized intravaginal ultrasound to make an accurate diagnosis. You want to find a specialist who knows what to look for.

Here’s the take-home: Movement you can do now

In her amazing course, Dr. Julie Baron recommends the following strategies for improving PeVD symptoms without surgical intervention:

improving breath patterns
improving thoracic expansion
improving pelvic outlet expansion

For my clinician pals, I seriously recommend this course, and no, I’m not getting paid to say that!

Wtf does this mean? If you’re concerned about PeVD symptoms, simply beginning by improving your breath mechanics and pelvic range of motion can do a lot.

My fan fave way to do this is to lay over a pillow, like so:

Access the full video here on Tidal Work

From this position, imagine your favorite person in the world has their hand on the back of your rib cage and pelvis, and breathe into that person’s hands.

You can also expand the pelvic outlet by doing a “rock back” from a lateral knee down lunge position, like this:

omg it’s my butt. Watch the full video here on Tidal Work.

From this position, inhale as you allow your body to shift back in space while keeping your sit bones wide apart (hence the butt shot), the exhale back to the start position shown here. You may not go very far, and that’s cool!

TBH, these two practices are some of my faves for most folks, so honestly, you can’t go wrong!

Deep breath, friend. PeVD can feel overwhelming, and to be real, we barely touched the surface here. In crazy news, I recommend reaching out to your local pelvic floor clinician (we are nice!) if you would like more movement and biomechnical-based support with PeVD symptoms.

As always, I am rooting for you. And I love hearing from you! Leave a comment below or respond to this email. I respond to every one.

Adventures in Vaginas (and other parts) is my labor of love, dedicated to you.

Tidal Work is accessible movement built for body autonomy and pelvic health. If you would like to change your relationship to movement, you can begin your free trial here!

To learn more about my 1:1 practice and request a free 15 minute consultation, click here.

A different way to mobilize & strengthen.

Cait Van Damm — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:02:13 GMT

Hello from Miami, again!

Miami is hothothot and the air is like soup and I love it.

Cutting straight to the point: I feel a bit evangelical these days around body trust. For some reason, I’ve had a new influx of clients coming in with more biomechanical cases (prolapse, tough to treat incontinence, back pain) and wanting THE ANSWER. They want the perfect biomechanical routine.

And I fucking love biomechanics. I spout off about them all the time. (In case you need inspo, there is an entire biomechanics section on the home page of this newsletter.)

I believe in biomechanics, anatomy, and the power of loaded movement. And micro movements! I love it all!

Biomechanics matter. Neurology matters more.

Here’s what I believe in above all: Body trust. Autonomy. Learning that you are the ultimate authority on your body. Building embodied safety through movement.

It’s movement, without rigidity and diet culture.

In Tidal Work, I began teaching a weekly Open Practice class — a space explicitly for building that body trust muscle via movement.

So here’s a tiny peek into that work. This specific class explores spinal, thoracic, and hip mobility, and honestly, just feels so fucking good. All while practicing deep listening of body sensations.

I promise that AinV will not become an ongoing ad for Tidal Work! Pinky swear! But I also genuinely believe that this is the secret sauce to, I don’t know, being in a body?

If you are a paid subscriber and want to try it out, you get a reduced monthly rate! Code below. You could get a free trial and cancel, but you’re not like that, right!?

Does perineal massage even matter?

Cait Van Damm — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 23:35:38 GMT

Hi friends! Greetings from Miami, where I am on a vacation with my fam (what even is a vacation in this weird era of work?!).

Please enjoy this re-print of an article that’s been coming up soooo much in my world lately. And if you’re thinking, I had a c-section, this isn’t relevant, or I gave birth a while back and could really use some help with my scars, see the related reading section! I’ve got you covered.

If you know a preggo person who would love this information, please share it!

About four years ago, I was pregnant with my now raucous, almost-big-kid twins. By that point, I had been a pelvic floor therapist for several years, and I was determined to do everything right — isn’t everyone?

My pregnancy was a shit show. To top it off, both babies flipped from breech to vertex at around 34 weeks, meaning that the c-section I had planned for would now become an attempted vaginal delivery, and could happen “any day”. (I/they held out until 36 weeks.)

I panicked. I was unprepared.

Among the many things I slapped together in my eleventh-hour prep, perineal massage was one. And of course it was — every single one of my pregnant clients asks me about it, all under the same haze of doing their “good mom” duty.

But does it even work? Is it a massive waste of your time?

Here’s the tl;dr:

Research says a hard “yes” to perineal massage, for a lot of reasons. It’s good! Go for it!
There’s totally a right and a wrong way to do perineal massage. Before you panic, know that the “right” way is the way that doesn’t feel like shit. Other than that, there are many variations on a productive massage strategy!
Perineal massage isn’t an end-all-be-all in terms of vaginal birth outcomes. Prepping things like internal hip rotation, birth positions, and nervous system regulation are all huge factors!
Perhaps most importantly, you can influence birth, but you can’t change it. I will definitely repeat this point.

The deep dive:

I feel like it’s appropriate to begin with the question most well-intentioned, well-informed pregnant people ask me: What actually is perineal massage?

It’s a fair question, so let’s start with some anatomy review. Your perineum (also known as the perineal body) is the connective tissue between the vaginal opening and the anal sphincter. If you’re going for a vaginal delivery, the perineum is a hot bed of attention, because this is the structure that often tears during delivery (catch my primer on this here).

Let’s talk about why this might be worth your time. I found a recent meta-analysis that included 11 randomized control trials and a total of over 3,000 study participants. Here were the hella-impressive outcomes:

Reduced perineal tearing, especially reduced incidence of third and fourth degree tears (which include injury to the external and internal anal sphincters, respectively).
Reduced need for episiotomies.
Reduced perineal pain postpartum and “better wound healing” (I’m not sure how this was determined, but I’m guessing self-report).
Reduced second stage of labor (aka pushing time).
Interestingly, improved Apgar scores of baby’s wellbeing at the 1 and 5 minute markers, which nicely illustrates how a breezier birth supports baby’s health, too.

So we’re in, right? Oops, one question — what, pray tell, actually is a perineal massage? Here are the elements of a good one:

Begin with lighter touch, and slowly increase pressure. Any body work, much less anything involving one’s nether regions, should always lead with physical feelings of safety. Jabbing a finger on the perineum and rubbing out a big circle is not going to be a recipe for success. Instead, slowly introduce touch (this can work on yourself or with a clinician or a partner supporting you), noting and communicating how things are feeling. If you’re giving perineal massage, imagine your finger sinking into cold butter. Slowly add pressure as you feel the tissue begin to release, then drag the tissue in multiple directions, feeling for the ease of which the tissue moves in different planes. For example, you might be able to move the perineal body gently and easily to the left, but you might feel significant tension to the right.
Your goal is to effortlessly move the perineal body in all directions. Think of a clock, and assess and support movement of the perineal body going to every number. Which leads me to…
Don’t avoid spots of tension; respect them and give them the time they deserve. Pause where you begin to feel tension (this shouldn’t be painful for the receiver), and see if you can slowly begin to continue to move with more ease into the tough spot (again, with minimal or no pain).
Begin with external work, and progress to include an internal component if that’s comfortable for the receiver. If a person has a history of pelvic pain, trauma, is currently experiencing pain, or just doesn’t want anyone in their vag, external work is going to super helpful. I love working on the ischiorectal fossa, which is a fancy way to say the space to either side of the anal opening, for basically everyone. It’s a great way to externally access the pelvic floor and support its release as birth prep. If (and only if) a person is up for internal work, you can add to perineal massage by inserting an index finger about one or two knuckles deep, with the pad of the index finger facing back, towards the anus. Keep your thumb on the perineal body and gently slide the tissue in between your fingers. (Use lube! Here’s the one I use in my clinic.)

One last caveat: the benefits of perineal massage do not outweigh the trauma inflicted by any lack of consent. Under no circumstances should a provider perform perineal massage without your explicit and enthusiastic knowledge and agreement. Remember that all manual therapy is simply an interaction with your nervous system, so if you find perineal massage awful for any reason (it hurts, it freaks you out, you didn’t sign up for this shit) — it’s not going to be helpful. Advocate for yourself.

Here are other things I think are critical to supporting optimal vaginal delivery outcomes:

Train positions with internal rotation: While I still can’t find great research for this, I consider this prep absolutely critical to the work I do for pregnant folks. Here’s why: We want to optimize the shape of the pelvis during birth, which opens the most with internal rotation of the femur. Incidentally, many, many people are restricted in this direction just because modern society and life and sitting, etc. The best way to prep for upright positions (like side-lying or hands and knees, which do reduce tearing) that support internal rotation is, well, doing them while you’re pregnant, so that it’s not totally weird to try it out for the first time during labor, and so that you have the strength to support yourself in say, a squat, or a tabletop position.
Warm compress on the perineum in addition to perineal massage during labor: This has pretty solid research behind it, so if it feels good, so go for it!

Here’s the take-home:

The fantastic ladies on the sadly defunct podcast Birth Kweens had a saying I love and stand by: You can do a lot of things to influence birth, but you can’t change it. Babies sometimes have their own plans.

I think about this so, so much when working with pregnant folks. We do have research to support pelvic floor therapy having positive outcomes on reducing pushing time and improving overall birth outcomes, and I’ve seen this time and time again in my practice. But let’s be real: sometimes, shit happens. It’s no one’s fault.

The best and only parenting advice I have (beginning in pregnancy) is the following: Do what works for you, your partner (if you have one), and your kid(s). Fuck everyone else. This advice holds for matters of birth prep. If a technique or strategy or intervention resonates with you — do it! If not — don’t! It’s really that simple. At the end of the day, it’s your body, your kid(s), your birth experience, and any provider worth their salt should be supporting your vision for that, full stop.

I love hearing from you You can always contact me at cait@ritualpelvichealth.com.

In my googles: Fibroid care, proactive pregnancy prep and fisting, oh my!

Cait Van Damm — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:01:13 GMT

Wowowow, what a freaking week it has been!

On Tuesday, I launched Tidal Work, my movement platform. If you’re looking for therapeutic and accessible movement that center body autonomy above all, Tidal Work is your space!

Later that day, I interviewed the fabulous (writer of Movement Colored Glasses) to discuss diastasis recti which was a complete fever dream for me. I gushed about it fully here, and tbh you don’t want to miss it.

My incredible friend (creator of How to Move universe) then published a super fun recording of me virtually treating her cranky back. It was a delight, Anna is so great, and if you’d like to know what it’s like to work with me, you can watch it here!

How to Move

Spy on my session with a pain specialist to fix my back

It Happened To Me: A few weeks ago, I tweaked my back while lifting…

Listen now

a month ago · 11 likes · 9 comments · Anna Maltby and Cait Van Damm

But life continues, our pelvic floors still exist, and y’all have questions!

Here’s what we are digging into today:

How does pelvic floor work impact pregnancy? Do women/birthing people need to prioritize this before getting pregnant?
Is there anything to know about preventing pelvic floor disorders while living with fibroids during perimenopause?
Vaginal fisting: Is it evil for your pelvic floor? Will it fuck you up forever?

Got a question? Ask it here!

Related (and pretty juicy, IMO) reading:

Fibroids, WOAH. One of my oldest posts on the need-to-know info about fibroids and conservative management. Also, A love poem to all the belly scars for my myomectomy pals!
On butt sex and your pelvic floor. Is it evil? It might be complicated? Also, Hemorrhoids, the fuckers and Are your butt muscles the problem? are highly relevant here!
The pregnancy game plan. This goes into what I think every pregnant person should get to experience in great depth!

Let’s dig the fuck in!

How does pelvic floor work impact pregnancy? Do women/birthing people need to prioritize this before getting pregnant?

When I read this question, I think about the work of both Katy Bowman and Gail Tully, founder of Spinning Babies. I have a lot to say about Spinning Babies that I will save for another day/private conversations (dm me if you want my unfiltered feelings, I guess?), but let’s just say I think that there are some excellent biomechanical points and a lot of rhetoric I don’t love. Anyway.

I once heard Gail say [on a podcast] that much birth prep happens before conception. I have to say that I low-key agree (but I have caveats). Here’s why:

In my clinical experience, the things I want to prioritize in pregnancy are maximizing room for baby/babies, both in the torso and in the pelvis. So if someone is coming in with a hella tight psoas and abdominal wall and hip complex, that gets very tricky to unwind during pregnancy because now we have all of these new factors inherent to a pregnancy.

With that said, I find it really icky to put a so much responsibility on pregnant people/people trying to conceive — like, don’t we have enough stress already!? Isn’t the world fucking hard enough? Most of the reasons why peoples’ bodies are not in ideal shape has to do with capitalism and is more or less out of our control.

Just like all other times in life, the pelvic floor begins to get out of whack when the whole system — the kinetic chains above and below it — begin to break down such that the pelvic floor experiences an undue amount of stress that it cannot effectively manage. I think it is far more effective to think about a full body prep approach (if you have the time/energy/financial resources to do so, AND IT IS NOT A VALUE STATEMENT IF YOU DON’T).

You may need to support the pelvic floor specifically as needed, but I will die on the full body as primary pelvic floor care approach hill!

Here’s what I would recommend, pre-pregnancy:

Katy Bowman! Diastasis!

Cait Van Damm — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 01:33:31 GMT

Hi everyone! Who’s in the mood for a treat!?

I reached out to about a month ago in a cold DM. I have followed Katy’s work since… I’m not really sure? At least fifteen years — it was pre-graduate school days. She is a huge professional influence of mine, and the force behind Nutritious Movement. In short, Nutritious Movement is the concept that we want diverse movement input — both micro and macro.

The is the OG first cover of Diastasis Recti and I find it wildly badass.

If you are not familiar with Katy’s work, I’d highly recommend starting at Move Your DNA for the basics of her conceptual framework. It makes so much stinking sense! You’ll see the world and movement in a totally new way! Katy is one of the few people in this world whose work I feel wildly evangelical about, clearly.

Anyway. Katy is celebrating the ten year anniversary of her aptly named book Diastasis Recti, and it seemed like the absolute perfect thing to discuss. I had read this book years ago and loved it, but when I re-read it in preparation for this interview, I was genuinely astounded. Like, why don’t all preggo and postpartum people have this book? Honestly, why don’t all people with pelvic floor dysfunction have this book?

Because it is seriously all connected, and no one articulates these concepts better than Katy.

I learned so much in this conversation, and I am hyped for everyone to get to experience Katy’s absolute brilliance and wisdom.

If you’re hungry for more, Katy has an awesome virtual workshop (co-taught with the amazing Jill Miller) here!

Let’s start with anatomy and defining terms! How do you define diastasis recti, and what’s actually driving the dysfunction of diastasis development?

One of my favorite things about how you speak and teach about the body is the way it all breaks down into physics: levers, forces, load, etc. To that end, can you tell us what some of the major forces are that affect the core, and the relationship between those forces and the pelvic floor?

SO many pelvic floor therapists (and rehab-instagram) are obsessed with working the TA. Can you tell us about why it’s important to work the rectus abdominis in the context of creating a more functional core system?

Reader question: Can diastasis “resolve”? If so, how? Or do you just learn to function better with the diastasis?

Reader question: Has perimenopause affected how you move in any way? Are there any symptoms that have been directly alleviated by movement?
More of Katy being awesome and finding movement everywhere. source: Shut Up and Yoga

Welcome to Tidal Work.

Cait Van Damm — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:21:29 GMT

When I was still working at an in-network PT gym, a client of mine decorated my office door like a spider web. In the center, she posted a cute circular sign in sharpie that read It’s all connected!

It was cute. And it’s fucking true.

source: The Watershed Project. The sign my client made me was not as beautiful.

I have been treating pelvic floor disorders for ten years now. In that time, I’ve become radicalized around the concept that the pelvic floor is a whole body-mind job. Everything matters: your feet, your thoracic spine, your jaw, and definitely your nervous system. I could go on about sitting, walking, and running patterns, but the point is: It all matters! Your bod is a system, not component parts you can spot treat!

People started asking to work with me from all over. My work is a privilege: every moment I get to spend with someone in a vulnerable space of a complex pelvic health challenge is a freaking gift.

And. I wanted to create something bigger. Something more accessible. Something that encompassed the precision biomechanical movement I believe in while prioritizing body autonomy and self trust over all. Without diet culture. Delivering value for everyone from the hypermobile person who struggles with every day movement to the postpartum mom with a cranky back to the marathon runner who wants to go faster without wet leggings.

I made Tidal Work.

Tidal Work is about the deep, cyclical work it is to be in a body. It’s not a fitness platform — we have enough of those!

Tidal Work is a safe space for movement. A place where you get to inhabit and take up space.

There are short practices focused on specific therapeutic movements for folks on a rehabilitation journey, nervous system somatic movement to help us all calm the fuck down, longer creative flow sequences for mobility and therapeutic strength.

I wanted to center you and your own autonomy in your body rather than my own authority. That’s the crux of Tidal Work: That at the end of the day, we go home in our own bodies, so the real work is building body trust. Every practice in Tidal Work is taught with the idea that you can turn the volume up or down on any movement. Open Practice is a weekly offering dedicated to that intention: That in fact, you get to decide how you want to move and respond to your body’s dynamic needs

Like, what even is this movement!? I’m not sure, but it felt right and responsive to my body at the time, and that’s the point of Open Practice.

.I went through a Beta testing period and I’ll be real with you, it kicked my ass. I came out every day thinking, How can I make this better? How can I make this ridiculously valuable and easy and accessible? Without making it weird and prescriptive?

It pushed me — hard — and I’m so grateful.

Sharing is caring! If you know someone who might be into Tidal Work, please share or restack this post.

A daily check in that will serve you a practice based on your needs that day and the amount of time you have. Exhibit A:
Deep Dives that invite you into my thinking around common challenges — incontinence, prolapse, pain, postpartum, surgical care, etc. Unlike other programs that take a more linear approach, Deep Dives are broad, full body inquiries. They provide an opportunity to work progressively towards a goal while focusing more on the process of being full with oneself (instead of using a checklist to dissociate!). I’ll be honest, I’m really proud of the way these turned out! Here’s a little preview:

Here are the other features that I fucking love, created as a love letter from me to you:

You can take notes on what’s working for you (and what you’d like to leave behind) in every video. “Notes to self” are just for you, and are never seen on my end.
You can build your own personalized playlists. Make it work for you!
If you’re looking for something specific, the Browse tab can help you filter for focus area, props, and time. Fuck yes, I have a Hypermobility Stabilization focus lens, as a cute little example.
Share

If you’re into this, here’s what you need to know:

Unlimited Membership is $40/month, and for paid subscribers, it’s $30/month. Does this make financial sense for me? Not really! Do I love you just that much? YES! Scroll down for the code.
A Personalized Support tier is available if you are wanting more TLC. (Cost is $95/month, less than half the cost of most pelvic floor 1:1 sessions.) This isn’t medical advice, but rather an opportunity to receive personalized movement recommendations from yours truly every week along with twice a week live form check ins and discussion.
If you’re a licensed provider of any kind and want to share this work, please reach out to become a part of my provider referral program! I want as many folks as possible to benefit from Tidal Work without being icky.
check it out here

Thank you — yes, you — for making this amazing project possible. Every single reader has pushed me towards this project of accessibility and widening the lens of support.

Love, hearts, and sparkles,

Cait

PS! If you’d like to become a paying subscriber to get your discount, you can do that here. You could do a free trial, get the discount and unsubscribe, but you’re not like that, right!? Yearly is def the best value but do you!

make magic happen

A little sequence for those of us who avoid the trampoline parks

Cait Van Damm — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:36:49 GMT

Hello! Greetings from the inside of a launch.

I know I’ve been teasing! I am about to launch Tidal Work — a site that invites all bodies, including those with much complexity, into a relationship with movement. Trust, you’ll be hearing from me!

Launches are… wild. I built Tidal Work from the ground up, and I’m so deeply proud of it. And I’m tired, too! I think I was due for an “In my Googles” but quite frankly, those are some of the most time-heavy lifts (I legit do my research for y’all!), so that will be waiting for next week. You can ask me a question here, I would love it!

ask me anything!

In the meanwhile, I thought I’d keep everyone happy with a jumping progression! It felt like the right call in light of the recent trampoline post and associated hullabaloo. Turns out, people have big feelings about jumping.

And it makes sense, because in my experience, jumping is one of those childhood joys that gets stripped away via pelvic floor dysfunction. It feels superficial, like we could live without it, but it’s actually a really big fucking bummer.

Subscribe now

In Tidal Work, I have these playlists of sorts called Deep Dives, where you get a peek into my clinical reasoning. Here’s a screenshot of one called “Prepare for Impact!”

There are actually more you can’t see here — you can horizontally scroll each line! Whee!

This video hops (ha!) right in to a progression I love around jumping jacks. Jumping jacks! The final frontier for so many people!

If you’re thinking, No fucking way, I invite you to give yourself an opportunity to get curious around what might be possible for you.

You might be surprised.

And — as always, I am rooting for you.

“I pee myself every time I sneeze!” All about stress urinary incontinence and why it can happen!
The many stripes of peeing your pants. SUI isn’t the only player in town! You can pee yourself in so many different ways!
Is running evil for your pelvic floor? Since we’re talking about high impact activities today, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about running! This is my hallmark article, but I’ve written about how to make running suck less and associated movement tutorials a bunch.
My intention in writing Adventures in vaginas (and other parts) is to create more accessible and shame free pelvic health education. If you’re into that mission, please consider sharing or liking this article, or becoming a paid subscriber!

Poop maxxing.

Cait Van Damm — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:01:00 GMT

Greetings from the Acela and a delightful ride from Boston to Baltimore! I’m a newly minted train convert/evangelist!

I spent the weekend at my old stomping grounds in Boston seeing a few clients. It was goddamned delightful. I hadn’t treated folks IRL in a good while, and it was a nice change of pace. Plus, alone time as a parent is pure gold: IFYKYK.

I’m working hard AF to launch what’s been a bit of a not-secret-secret this week: A movement platform dedicated to body autonomy and therapeutic movement. For all bodies and neurotypes. Short, focused practices that give you lots of options for making the work your own. It’s called Tidal Work.

This is the first platform that offers weight neutral, whole body pelvic floor and nervous system support with room for continuous evolution.

It’s effective movement without fitness culture.

It’s a big deal. I can’t wait to tell you more.

Until then, I’m… swamped.

So! Let’s briefly discuss Poopmaxxing.

I did not invent this term, in case you were concerned. I came across it on Instagram, obviously.

A lot of “poopmaxxing influencers” are…. influencers in every problematic way. Lacking qualifications, making claims that are in no way evidence based.

This is harmful and a really big fucking problem.

So Imma do my best to stay in my lane here and be really clear about what is and is not in my domain.

Many people are constipated and have no idea. One of my favorite clients told me yesterday that she wasn’t constipated because she “still goes” but sometimes not very much and she has hemorrhoids and it takes a while. That’s a blinking red light for constipation, boo boo.
Constipation is def not helping anyone’s incontinence or prolapse symptoms, I’ll tell you that.
IBS and endo (and adenomyosis, and sometimes even fibroids) all come with a side of constipation and — guess what!? — it increased abdominal and pelvic floor tension and therefore, pelvic pain. BOO.
Pooping feels good.

Have I convinced you yet!?

The deep dive:

Okay! Let’s discuss a plan.

I interact with poop from a muscular perspective. If your butt muscles are tight, you have outlet constipation — and yes, it is the clinical term for being a tightass. (If this is you, here is a lovely little sequence to help release them!)

Here’s what we need from a muscular perspective to poopmaxx:

butt muscles that move
consistent pooping (i.e. you need a poop plan)
a solid breath strategy for the event itself

What the fuck do you mean, Cait, a breath strategy for pooping!?

You’re welcome:

But what if you also have inlet constipation? That’s the one that folks are more familiar with: constipation driven by slow intestinal motility, diet, etc.

Movement matters a lot for inlet constipation, as does that poop routine listed above. But a lot of inlet constipation has to do with your actual gut. Your microbiome, if you will.

I am not a dietician nor a nutritionist, and unlike many influencers, I will not pretend to be one.

Many poopmaxxers are interested in — duh — maximizing the size and frequency of your poop.

I’m here to tell you that pooping is really fucking important to pelvic health. (See the million constipation articles listed above). While I don’t love laxatives long term, they serve a time and place, and at the end of the day, a short term course of them to get to the end goal of a dookie is going to be worth it. And long term use is appropriate under some medical circumstances.

Outside of the laxative convo, it’s not my domain to tell you what to eat. I would happily refer you to a nutritionist or dietician that meets your unique needs.

However. Here is my go-to list of recs for clients with constipation. I’m going to include personal anecdotes and professional observations, but this isn’t medical advice, k?

I think of this stuff as the low hanging fruit:

Electrolytes. Extra important if you’re hypermobile or breast feeding. I like the chocolate salt from LMNT (despite the company not aligning with my values, but I fucking love chocolate, sorry) but Buoy does a good job of flavor free. I drink Good On Ya daily and am genuinely obsessed.
Water. I like electrolyes because they maximize hydration, but you know what else you can do? Water. Or tea.
Fiber. Yes, fiber. No, it’s not a panacea, but yes, it’s important. And listen, this is a personal anecdote, but my poop life changed dramatically when I began eating a good amount of beans every day. I do have nutritionist sources that say 45-55 g is ideal (which is double the US recommendation, so this is a controversial source opinion!). IMO, fiber is something to consider. If you’re struggling, acacia fiber is very well tolerated by a lot of my clients. (Talk to your doctor/provider/nutritionist!)
Squatty potty. Obviously. Get whatever you’ll like and use! Here is a ridiculous video extolling its virtues.
Magnesium. Generally speaking, many folks benefit from magnesium supplementation. I’ve seen both glycinate (my personal preference) and citrate work wonders. You can use pills, powders, gummies, whatever works! Again, talk to your provider.
Walking. Again, movement. It’s the unsexy stuff, dude.
Share

Other things that sometimes work, and sometimes do not, are the social media stuff. Ground chia and flax, flaxseed oil, two cups of beans a day. I’m not suggesting you should do this stuff. I’m saying that it’s helpful to get the unsexy stuff down first in a way that you can live with, and if that isn’t moving the needle, it’s worth reaching out to a professional for further in-depth support.

And if you’re certain you’ve maxxed out all the nutrition/intake strategies, maybe it’s time to reconsider your pelvic floor as the driver of dysfunction!

As always, I am rooting for you. See you on Thursday — I can’t wait to tell you more about Tidal Work!

Subscribe now

Adventures in Vaginas (and other parts) is my labor of love, dedicated to you.

To learn more about my 1:1 practice and request a free 15 minute consultation, click here.

A single sided hinge is a secret sauce to pelvic salvation

Cait Van Damm — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:01:28 GMT

I am trying (trying!) to be good about being a person on the internet. I’m like, not really great at it. My instagram hasn’t been updated in months. My LinkedIn just got a cover photo. You get it.

But I post on Notes most days. This week, I posted this:

This was one of those moments in life that something you take completely for granted is apparently a revelation for many folks not in your field of expertise.

I had the same experience when I posted about thoracic rotation being critical to pelvic floor health:

I began the hinging conversation here. Today, I want to pick it up on the advanced level: Single sided hinging for pelvic health! And more! We’ll cover:

A replay of the basic hinge and how to get it “right”
Single sided hinge work in standing, kneeling, and tabletop and why each variation matters
Integrating hip rotation for pelvic floor pain and constipation
Rock back work for hip dysfunction and deep pelvic floor injuries

I’m going to break my general form and include seven (!!) tiny tutorials of each movement!

This is a movement that I assess on almost everyone, whether they are presenting with incontinence, chronic or acute pain, constipation/bowel pain, prolapse, or any other condition. It’s just that important. So let’s talk about why it’s a magical serum in a movement, common mistakes, and how to use it for constipation, pain, and tension-driven incontinence.

We love a hinge! The OG post and the basics are here!
Why give a sh*t about internal rotation!? Uh, because it matters so much more than you might think!
I hate clamshells. Maybe you do, too? On why there are so many other [potentially better] ways to strengthen your glutes!

Okay, let’s get into it!

As previously discussed, the basic hinge is magical. Yet many people don’t know how to do it — they move from their spine, not their pelvis and femurs. Here’s a quick way to know that you’re doing it “right”:

Moving on! Let’s talk about my favorite assessment and treatment rollup, the single sided hinge!

The trampoline question.

Cait Van Damm — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:01:17 GMT

Pelvic floors and trampolines have a storied, torrid history.

SO many personal stress incontinence origin stories begin with “I was at a birthday party at a trampoline park…” You know the end of this story.

We pelvic floor therapists also love to compare the pelvic floor itself to a trampoline, and I think it’s worth starting here: A good trampoline (read: a functional pelvic floor) is both strong and resilient. If it’s too stiff, i.e. made out of wood, it’s a bad trampoline. A silken trampoline is also not going to work. Both are the cause of stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and a wooden trampoline can also get you to urge incontinence (UUI) and pelvic pain, too.

The object in question in a very bougie setting. Mine lives in a basement space strewn with LEGOs.

In the wellness space, there are a million grifters trying to sell you their proprietary methods to “heal your pelvic floor”. This is bullshit, of course. Bodies are different. Brains are different. While there are some universal things that matter, how this manifests will never be in a direct, “take as directed” protocol of any stripe.

Rebounders, or mini trampolines, are one such claim. But that doesn’t make them bad.

So today, we’re going to figure out if mini trampolines (I’m going to use the terms interchangeably) are absolute gold or trash, as well as give some no-equipment tips on how to work on jumping/impact-induced incontinence.

In the literature, there is a huge difference between the performance athletics of a big trampoline and at-home mini trampolines.
Clinically, I’ve seen rebounders be a great way to train for shock distribution in higher level activity (e.g. running, jumping, etc.).
Jumping related SUI can be supported through a series of good old fashioned single leg strength and — importantly — training the pelvic floor to reflexively respond to impact.
THE analogy. Source: Maria Montessori Schule

The deep dive:

Let’s begin with the obvious: If you are one of the many people who experienced the seemingly postpartum and/or postmenopausal (and sometimes neither!) rite of passage of going to a trampoline park, jumping with joy, and spontaneously pissing your pants only to swear off trampolines, you are not alone.

My favorite aunt excitedly sent me a picture of the famous Why Mums Don’t Jump a few years back when visiting Ireland. I sent her a thumbs up. A ban on maternal jumping is in the culture, for sure.

The literature supports this: research on professional trampolinists (yes, this is a thing) show that about 80% of those studied have significant urinary stress incontinence. This is because, despite excellent pelvic floor strength(!) the demand of the jump was more than the athletes could counter.

This point holds when looking at gymnasts, too: one review found that gymnasts who specialize in “artistic” gymnastics and trampoline formats leak about 95% of the time during training. Ninety five percent is not an anomaly!

I’ve treated professional gymnasts and circus artists and can attest that those have been some of the most severe incontinence cases I have ever seen.

While most of us are not professional athletes bounding at incredible speeds, the through line of exceptional (perhaps too much?) demand for high volume, high speed jumps holds to most of us lay folk. The demand of repetitive, high stress impact is too high for most of use mortals, and increases risk and incidence for stress urinary incontinence.

And listen, bodies are different. If you love being on a big-ass trampoline for eight hours a day, who am I to tell you how to live your life? But we do know that it is a legitimate risk for the pelvic floor because of aforementioned astronomical mechanical demands. We’re just not designed to jump ten feet in the air for hours on end from an evolutionary perspective, so it makes good sense to me that our pelvic floors collectively lift a middle finger to the idea.

source: Pelvic Exercises Physiotherapy. I’m guessing this is like, not most of us? Not me, for sure.

Which brings us to the mini trampoline.

Rebounders/mini trampolines are not Olympic gymnastics, nor are they the gigantic trampolines at your kid’s sixth birthday party. These are small-ish things that could theoretically, if not conspicuously, reside in your living room. You simply can’t jump as high on them, and therefore the force anyone generates is significantly lower.

The small amount of literature on rebounders for pelvic health is relatively positive, albeit scant. This study in postmenopausal women found that regular rebounding reduced SUI rates and this study found that in “healthy” assigned female at birth folks who don’t experience SUI, mini trampolining elicited reflexive pelvic floor sEMG muscle activation, similar to that of regular-degular jumping.

The important take away here, IMO, is that the pelvic floor needs to reflexively respond to a jump, no matter how it happens, in order to stay continent. Personally, I have found that the best way to train for jumping is to… jump. Gradually. Progressively. Supporting deep core and pelvic floor reflexive activation. And the rebounder is just as good a way as any other. Maybe a little flashier and fun, if you’re into that kind of thing?

It’s not a lot of evidence, tbh. I personally own and like my rebounder (and I strongly recommend getting them used!). They make me feel like a 90s group exercise queen, and reduce my Ritalin-induced 4 pm rage in ten minutes with incredible efficacy.

I genuinely like training folks with SUI on mini trampolines because I find that lots of folks are hella rigid in their abdominal canister due to a general lack of movement, tough breath mechanics, and overall bracing for the world.

When we land with a rigid canister, it’s like that wooden trampoline — we leak!

The rebounder, then, is an opportunity to train shock distribution in different joints (i.e. land softly with bent knees and ankles — it’ll change your life) while eliciting that necessary reflexive pelvic floor muscle recruitment.

The nice thing is that you can keep your feet on the surface of the rebounder the whole time in the beginning, therefore making it super accessible and progressive. You can then work up to tiny jumps, big jumps, single sided jumps, jumping jacks, running, the works!

Here’s the take-home:

Do you need a rebounder to resolve SUI? That’s a hard no.

Like everything else, a mini trampoline is a tool. It’s a fun tool, a toy, if you will, and I am personally a sucker for toys. I think rebounders have true therapeutic value, and there are also some studies showing promise for bone density. But you do not need one. Not by a long shot.

Here are some simple strategies to build shock distribution and reflexive pelvic floor engagement with minimal equipment (okay, you’ll need a wall):

Stand in front of a wall a little more than an arm’s length away, and place your hands on the wall at shoulder height (so you’re falling into the wall, basically). Bend your knees and hinge your hips back, then exhale and press into the wall. Did you feel your belly engage? If so, you’re on the road, boo boo!
- From here, lift your heels and quickly drop them down. When you drop, allow your knees and ankles to bend generously — that’s shock distribution. You’re landing in a bouncy squat, basically. Be sure not to hold your breath!
- Add speed, reps, or make it more challenging by actually jumping (first straight up and down, then in a tiny jumping jack, progressively going wider and wider apart). When you jump, do your best to land softly and as silently as possible (once again, bend knees and ankles generously).
- You can also play with pushing into the wall more to support and encourage reflexive deep core engagement — your pelvic floor will come along for the ride!
- You can also move away from the wall and hold a light weight about six inches in front of your belly button to progressively work into a world of jumping without walls!
Want to make this both harder and reduce the likelihood of leaking while working on this? Lucky for you, I made this five minute down dog jumping sequence that kicked my ass! Normally I reserve video content for paid subscribers, so if you like this one, consider it a taste test!
Get more content like this!

I also wrote a more intensive set of training options here that build on what I’ve mentioned above!

If these strategies feel overwhelming to your system, it might be worth looking into intra-abdominal pressure management, glute and lower body strength, and deep core connection.

As always, I am rooting for you. Drop a comment below or feel free to respond to this email. I love hearing from you!

Adventures in Vaginas (and other parts) is my labor of love, dedicated to you.

To learn more about my 1:1 practice and request a free 15 minute consultation, click here.

How can we actually connect to the pelvic floor?

Cait Van Damm — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:12:21 GMT

If you are reading this, I hope you know that I am neither pro nor anti kegel.

I am anti illegal kegels, aka the idea that folks are just kegeling away with abandon, not knowing how to actually do them. Additionally, many folks have no business doing kegels — even (and especially!) those with incontinence and/or urgency, as this is often driven by tension. We all sit too much, creating a shorter, less resilient pelvic floor, so I truly stand by the fact that kegels are often not the answer.

But! Everything has a time and a place. I think about kegels like medication; absolutely wonderful and effective when appropriately taken as prescribed.

Let’s begin with THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE AND I DON’T KNOW YOUR BODY’S NEEDS. Okay? Okay. I’m not your “prescriber” of kegels. Contact a pelvic floor therapist if you have questions! We are nice!

Many folks have been prescribed kegels and know that they’re appropriate. AND. These are the same folks that frequently struggle to actually feel what the ever loving fuck is happening down there — it’s not like you learn this in fifth grade health class!

When this happens in clinical practice, I find it deeply boring for both me and my client to practice kegels ad nauseum. It also tends to not work.

Instead, I like to play with different strategies to connect the deep core to the pelvic floor, and that’s what we’re going to do here!

This is a quickie nine minute tutorial on how to connect to your pelvic floor and deep core in different therapeutic positions. The deep core is neurologically connected to the anterior pelvic floor, so it’s a great way to begin getting the body working on pelvic floor engagement.

You’ll need a pillow or a bolster for this one — that’s it! (Unless, as mentioned in the video, you want some intra-vaginal feedback, like an insertable toy or weight, which is 10/10 optional.)

This video is all about options and seeing what resonates best in your body. Try both options to begin and know that nothing is for everyone!

What’s good with kegels? The good, the bad, the ugly!
The many stripes of peeing your pants. So much variety!
When are kegels legit the *right* call? Because sometimes, they are!
My mission in writing Adventures in Vaginas (and other parts) is to create accessible, gender-inclusive, and shame free pelvic health education. If that’s something you want to be a part of, please consider becoming a paid subscriber, sharing, or liking this post!

A movement-based approach to painful sex, also known as, I don't think manual therapy is as clutch as I once thought.

Cait Van Damm — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 01:30:09 GMT

Let’s start with a secret: Manual therapy is easy for me. It’s fun. I gossip with people most of the time. Sometimes it is serious and quiet and that is also a different kind of fun for me, the kind where I have the deep honor of holding space for the vulnerability of a person’s body.

It is a privilege to do pelvic floor therapy, no matter how you do it…

Monthly Mobility: Connecting the jaw, cervical and thoracic spine to the pelvis.

Cait Van Damm — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:02:09 GMT

Hey friends! Happy Thursday!

Filming mobility work is honestly one of my favorite things to do. While I am deeply committed to a strength as a cause (and as a hypermobile person myself, I’ll say it changed my body and relationship with my joints dramatically), mobility is still my favorite. It feels GOOD. And for me personally, it supports my nervous system in a way that strength — while helpful — doesn’t touch.

We can, of course, marry strength and mobility, as I often do, but it’s also really stinking nice to just move your body in ways it might need!

So. I designed this one at readers’ request, linking full spinal mobility, including jaw and facial muscle release, upper back and neck work, and thoracic mobility (my darling, my favorite).

Then we put it together with some pelvic mobility to feel the connection!

This is a standing/seated sequence, no floor work required, so you can easily do it at your office if that’s what floats your boat.

Tell me how it went in the comments — I’d love to hear from you!

The big {jaw to vagina} clench. On the clinical and possibly embryological (!) connection of these disparate parts of the body.
Thoracic rotation, your pelvic floor’s savior. I said what I said and I meant what I said!
But it hurts AND I’m peeing myself! What do you mean the problem is my neck!? On the interconnectedness of the whole dang body.
My mission is to create a shame free and gender inclusive space for pelvic health education. If you’d like to support my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber, liking, or sharing this post!

Adventures in vaginas (and other parts)

What's good with your IBS?

Here’s the tl;dr:

Related reading:

The deep dive:

The take-home:

So, if this is you, consider the following:

The secret mobility trick to lower back pain.

Related reading:

Is it postpartum or perimenopause chillin’ in your vagina?

Here’s the tl;dr:

Related reading:

The Deep Dive:

Here’s the take-home:

Let the bellies go free!

Here’s the tl;dr:

Related reading:

The deep dive:

So what in the good fuck do we do about it?

Instead, I’d like to offer the lens of curiosity, kindness, and care.

Here’s the take-home:

Strong butts that don't hurt: Here's the glute routine I wish everyone had.

Related reading:

The maternal pain project

Related reading:

What I do not see is a discussion about physical pain in motherhood.

What I do want to create is a space to record that maternal pain happens, that its effects are deep and wide, and that it matters, a lot.

Humming into a better sex life.

Today, we’re going to unpack my reader’s question and sort out what’s real, what’s hype, and what’s capitalist bullshit in wellness marketing clothing.

But let’s talk about the sexy programs you’ve been sold on the internet.

Let’s get into it.

Pelvic Venous Disorders: The wildly common pelvic pain syndrome you probs never heard of.

Here’s the tl;dr:

Related Reading:

The deep dive:

A few things can happen from a structural perspective to create a pelvic venous disorder:

Common symptoms of PeVD include:

Here’s a quick and dirty way to further assess if you may have PeVD symptoms:

Here’s the take-home: Movement you can do now

A different way to mobilize & strengthen.

Biomechanics matter. Neurology matters more.

Does perineal massage even matter?

Here’s the tl;dr:

Related reading:

The deep dive:

Here’s the take-home:

In my googles: Fibroid care, proactive pregnancy prep and fisting, oh my!

But life continues, our pelvic floors still exist, and y’all have questions!

Related (and pretty juicy, IMO) reading:

Let’s dig the fuck in!

Here’s what I would recommend, pre-pregnancy:

Katy Bowman! Diastasis!

Here’s what we covered:

Related reading:

Welcome to Tidal Work.

I made Tidal Work.

Tidal Work is a safe space for movement. A place where you get to inhabit and take up space.

Here’s what I created to make it all work for the folks who need zero decision fatigue:

Here are the other features that I fucking love, created as a love letter from me to you:

If you’re into this, here’s what you need to know:

A little sequence for those of us who avoid the trampoline parks

Related reading:

Poop maxxing.

So! Let’s briefly discuss Poopmaxxing.

But first, let’s discuss why, yes, poopmaxxing is a great idea:

Related reading:

The deep dive:

I think of this stuff as the low hanging fruit:

A single sided hinge is a secret sauce to pelvic salvation

Related reading:

Okay, let’s get into it!

The trampoline question.

Here’s the tl;dr:

Related reading:

The deep dive:

Which brings us to the mini trampoline.

Here’s the take-home:

How can we *actually* connect to the pelvic floor?

Related reading:

A movement-based approach to painful sex, also known as, I don't think manual therapy is as clutch as I once thought.

How can we actually connect to the pelvic floor?