OPT for pelvic health, OPTimize your Birth, OPT in

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OPT for pelvic health, OPTimize your Birth, OPT in |

Virtual Pelvic Floor & Infant Development Support

to empower your pregnancy & postpartum experience.

We Can Help.

Pregnancy

  • We can help relieve common pregnancy related conditions such as lower back pain, hip pain, pelvic pain like pubic symphysis dysfunction or round ligament pain, sciatica, rib pain, carpal tunnel, foot pain, or upper back/neck pain.

  • We can provide you exercises and techniques to perform ahead of birth to reduce your risk of tearing and ease your postpartum recovery.

  • Many women do not know how to push going into birth. This can lead to a greater risk of tearing and a slower labor. We can teach you how to effectively push to spare your pelvic floor and help with the progression of labor.

  • We can provide a customized exercise program for each trimester to help relieve pain, prepare your body for birth and prepare your foundational core strength for an easier postpartum recovery.

  • Contrary to popular belief, birthing on your back is not your only option. There are many alternat birthing positions that can relieve pressure on your pelvic floor to reduce risk of tearing and help with labor progression.

  • Learn what perineal massage is, why you should implement it into your routine at 34 weeks and how to do it.

Postpartum

  • From nipple and perineal pain to low back or neck pain. We can provide you various exercises, self-massage techniques and product recommendations to get you relief ASAP. We can also if you are experiencing pain with sex.

  • We can help you kickstart your postpartum recovery before your 6 week checkup to ensure you are getting a head start and preventing common postpartum issues like pain and excessive adhesions around your vaginal or cesarean scar, scar sensitivity, diastasis recti, incontinence, hemorrhoids, or prolapse.

  • We can help with all the bladder and bowel issues like leakage, vaginal or rectal heaviness, constipation, and frequent/urgent urination.

  • You can learn how to re-build your foundational pelvic floor and core strength to ensure your muscles are working properly for day to day activities like lifting your baby and before you return to sex and exercise.

  • We can provide you a gradual progression of diastasis recti (abdominal separation) core exercises and teach you pressure management strategies to both facilitate healing and prevent worsening of your separation.

  • We will help you reconnect to your muscles and help bridge the gap from where you are at to where you want to be. We can also proivde guidance around your specific exercise goals.

Infants

  • The bond between new parents and their infants takes time to cultivate. We help you foster this relationship by building your confidence as you learn what to do with your newborn and helping you implement strategies such as infant massage and handling techniques that will further your bond.

  • We specialize in advancing your littles early motor milestones: rolling, sitting, crawling, standing, and walking. Movement builds the brain and mastery of all early motor milestones lays the foundation for future cognitive development.

  • If your little does not tolerate Tummy Time, we get to the root of the issue (reflux, sensory regulation, torticollis, body tension, etc.) and then help you implement practical strategies to bolster success.

  • We walk you through a customized exercise plan to treat torticollis and optimize neck and body range of motion. Our whole body approach prevents further complications such as delayed milestone attainment, permanently tightened muscles, asymmetry in the face and skull, or scoliosis. By preventing “flat head syndrome”, aka plagiocephaly, from developing we keep your little out of a helmet!

  • Introducing solids is exciting and also nerve-racking. Our consult guides you through the process, including a screen for readiness, highchair and positioning recommendations, how to implement strategies to prevent picky eating before it starts, and how to facilitate fine motor skills for self-feeding success.

  • Each day is filled with micro opportunities to build your baby’s brain. We teach you strategies that can be implemented during wake windows, diaper changes, feedings, bath time, and your sleep routine to foster development. In addition, we guide you through the do’s and dont’s of baby toys and “container” usage.

What We Offer: Pelvic Health

  • Online, self-paced courses for both pregnancy and postpartum support

  • Virtual one on one consults that you can conveniently access from the comfort of your own home

  • Virtual group classes: “Restore your Core Postpartum”

Amanda, our Pelvic Floor Therapist, sees clients during any stage of pregnancy or postpartum. She strongly encourages you to schedule a consult during pregnancy so you can receive pregnancy-specific exercises, support for any pregnancy-related pains and prepare for birth. She also provides postpartum support and helps you return to exercise, sex and day to day function - centered around optimal pelvic floor recovery.

She treats any general pelvic floor concerns ranging from teenage years to menopause outside of the pregnancy/postpartum period.

We will schedule with your individualized needs in mind and work with your busy schedule to make this aspect of your self-care as seamless as possible.

What We Offer: Infant Development

  • Online, self-paced courses for both parenting prep and infant development support

  • Virtual one on one consults that you can conveniently access from the comfort of

    your own home

  • Virtual group classes: “Spill the Tea in Tummy Time” for ages 10 weeks to crawling

Rachel, our Pediatric Occupational Therapist, offers virtual one on one support for mothers with their babies from 2 weeks through the walking milestone.

She will help make sure you and your baby start off on the right track by teaching your customized stretches and developmental activities to incorporate into play time, feeding, diaper changes and your sleep routine. She also helps with milestone attainment, tummy time troubles, conditions such as torticollis or plagiocephally and provides expert guidance on transitioning to solids, infant sleep routines, developmental toys/containers and swaddling.

We will schedule with your individualized needs in mind and work with your busy schedule to make this aspect as seamless as possible.

Amanda

& Rachel

The co-owners and therapists at OPT for Mama — driven to educate you about pelvic health and infant development.

Amanda is a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist specializing in perinatal care and pelvic health. She received her bachelor’s in Exercise and Sport Science with a minor in Chemistry from Oregon State University. Then received her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Regis University and has undergone additional pelvic health training through the Herman & Wallace Institute with a focus on best practices for pregnancy and postpartum rehabilitation, pelvic pain disorders and bowel and bladder dysfunctions.

Rachel is a mother and a Pediatric Occupational Therapist trained in infant development. She received her bachelor’s in both Human Physiology and Psychology from the University of Oregon. Then received her master’s in Occupational Therapy from Boston University and has undergone additional training in oral motor skills, torticollis, and is certified in the TummyTime!™ Method.

We are both passionate about women's health and have personally experienced these gaps in healthcare. We are on a mission to increase access to pelvic health and infant development support while providing evidence based care in a convenient virtual platform.

We firmly believe that every mom should have access to pelvic floor therapy both before and after birth and that every child can benefit from an individualized developmental plan – these supports are simply not built into the world we live in. We hope to bridge that gap by providing accessible support with an emphasis on prevention and holistic well-being. 

Molly R., consulted with Dr. Amanda

“Amanda gave me such great insight that you can't get from an OB provider and touched on topics I would not have thought to look into such as perineal massage and diastasis recti. I truly felt more prepared physically, emotionally and mentally.”

Leigh D., took OPTimize Birth Course

“It was a huge part of my birth story and helped me feel prepared and less anxious as the due date approached, particularly with labor positions and breathing techniques. I highly recommend for anyone preparing for labor or postpartum.”

Recky., consulted with Rachel

“Before Rachel showed me easy steps to do tummy time, my baby only tolerated a few min of tummy time once a day. After my session with her, my baby loves tummy time and can stay longer and we do it 3-4 times a day now. She also taught me stretches to relieve tense muscles to help tummy time. My baby is a happier baby now b/c we have fun during tummy time!”

Jessica A., took OPTimize Birth Course

"I definitely learned new things. I appreciated that it challenged me to think critically about my mental, social, and emotional health. It's very evident that every aspect of the course was supported by experience and research."