Welcome to our MAMA Master Series. A place where we bring you advice, insight and tips from the best in the industry who focus on pre-conception, pregnancy and post-partum. We know there's a lot of information out there and its often hard to navigate, not to mention overwhelming. So we have sought out advice from the very best to bring you modern, unbiased, and quality information.
We would love to introduce Jess Kostos, the Pelvic Floor Guru, who has helped thousands of pregnant women and new mothers on their pregnancy and post-partum journey. We love Jess because she tells it how it is, she’s genuinely passionate about helping women, and like us, she is a firm believer that knowledge is power.
Commonly known as ‘The Mama Physio’, Jess comes with over 10 years’ experience as a women’s health practitioner specialising as Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, Clinical Pilates Instructor, and Course Educator. She is passionate about empowering women to take control of their health and well-being by providing them with high quality, evidence-based services.
We sat down with Jess who is currently expecting her first child, to find out a little bit more about her and what she does. Plus, she dispels one of the biggest myths in pregnancy around needing pee all the time. It’s got nothing to do with the baby on your bladder…say what?
Q: What are you most passionate about in supporting/helping modern mamas throughout their pregnancy Journey?
As a Women's Health Physiotherapist, who has worked with women along the lifespan for over 10 years, I see the power of education and knowledge in preventing and managing pelvic health issues. For this reason I am passionate about providing access to high-quality pelvic health information online so that women can feel empowered and confident along their pregnancy journey.
Q: What’s an interesting fact for our community about physical changes during pregnancy?
Did you know that increased need to urinate during early pregnancy has nothing to do with the baby sitting on your bladder? Within a few weeks of conception your kidneys start filtering at more than double the normal rate and this is why you may be running to the toilet and waking up multiple times per night to empty your bladder! It is only towards the end of pregnancy when the additional pressure of your growing baby also increases this even further.
Q: What’s a common misconception during pregnancy?
Poor relaxin seems to get a lot of blame for aches and pains in pregnancy. We now have a solid amount of evidence that relaxin does not make the pelvis unstable and cause pelvic or back pain. The postural and pelvis structural changes in pregnancy are normal, safe and necessary to support the growing demands of pregnancy and childbirth.
Q: What are the top 3 common concerns pregnant women are faced with? What do you see the most of?
The number one concern I treat in mamas-to-be is pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain. This is pain experienced anywhere around the pelvis - the front, back, and sides, and can sometimes shoot down the leg. Women tend to report pain when rolling in bed, getting in and out of cars, or off the couch, and when walking. It is pretty common but this doesn't mean you have to put up with it!
I have been referring my clients PURE MAMA Magnesium Body Rub to relieve some of these discomforts and the feedback is incredible. Clients are going from sleepless nights, suffering from restless legs and hip pain, to restful nights with little to no pain.
"In my 11 years of experience this is the best topical Magnesium product I have come across for pregnancy." Jess Kostos
The next two common concerns I see are bladder leakage and prolapse. These are both so common but sadly still a big taboo so many women don't seek help.
Q: What’s your best piece of advice for our community which are often overwhelmed by information…..
As someone with a decent amount of knowledge in pregnancy, I even feel pretty overwhelmed with the information now I am pregnant myself! Unfortunately there is still a lot of misinformation out there and it can be hard to know who to trust. My best advice would be to ask your midwife or obstetrician for their recommended/trusted pregnancy resources and stick to those. I know when I signed up with my obstetrician I was sent a resource pack with trusted social media handles, lactation consultants and childbirth education courses. The public hospital I work at has an online portal with similar information too. I also follow my trusted health care professionals on Instagram and love that I can get bite-sized tips without feeling overwhelmed. As always, take note of how you feel when you interact with certain pages. If you feel anxious after reading certain advice, unfollow and give yourself a break from this source.
You can find Jess and all of her helpful tips at @the.mama.physio or visit her website www.themamaphysio.com.au
