In This Together

{for you}

I love all the places that welcome you so warmly. That see the hard work you’re doing. That support all the ways you’re growing.
It should always be that way.

{all of you}

Working with every part of who you are and how it changes for you. Because all of it matters. Because you matter.

.pelvic.pt with
・・・
It’s all about the physical AND the mental. They go together always.

{introductions. THIS IS MISSY!}

It’s Dr Missy! The OG pelvic floor of -your duo of professionals for your well mama visits. Dr. Missy Gallow is an orthopedic physical therapist who specializes in pelvic health.

Missy earned a Bachelor’s degree from OU in Exercise Physiology and a DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) from the University of Dayton, and works as a physical therapist specializing in postpartum and pelvic floor therapy. She is a wife and mama of 2-year-old twin girls, and understands firsthand how pregnancy can impact women. Her pregnancy and postpartum period spurred her mission to bridge the gap between pelvic health and the world of orthopedics for women in the childbearing years.

She is driven by her passion for educating and empowering women to feel their best.
She is clear and concise, knowledgeable and personable and we are so lucky she is part of our community. We all need her!

She is truly an asset. Every birthing and postpartum woman needs her in their corner and here she is! 👏🏼

{tools}

With the birth of my daughter Layla, I was blessed to receive a gift from a good friend of mine, an hour consult with a postpartum doula - that’s how I met April. It was an amazing experience and as a first time mom she helped me discover and trust my instincts.

Last week, 5 years after having my daughter I gave birth to my son Liam. I feel much more confident as a parent than when my daughter was born but even so nobody prepares you for the doubts and the feelings that come with having a new child. And when I came home from the hospital I felt a little lost and overwhelmed. I needed the space to validate my instincts, learn some new tools and figure out how to find my center with my son. And that’s exactly what April did. I sent her a message in the next day she was at my side, at my home, ready to listen and help me figure out what was best for me and my son.

I was specifically in need of help with breast-feeding. I left the hospital a little overwhelmed and maybe with some choices that I wasn’t confident on. April helped me rethink and come up with a new plan for what I would be comfortable doing. In a couple of days my son and I were in a good cadence that worked for both of us.

-Gabi, mother of two, repeat client, self proclaimed spokesperson 😉❤️

🌿I love this work and y’all.

{promoted}

Big brother. Big sister.

But they’re still your baby. They’ve gotten all your time and love and energy. You know their quirks and the special way they do all the things. They know how to melt you with a look. You’ve memorized the way their arms hold your neck.

Their name is engraved on your heart. ❤️

The excitement is there for this new stranger but there are questions too. What will this new life look like? How will there be enough of me? How do I know this child, the first one to call me mama, will be ok. How do I make sure they know they’re loved in the midst of such transition. Can I help them see this new person as a gift. Will they understand what it means to have more people but no less love?

One to two is by far the hardest transition. Your baby becomes a giant overnight. All elbows and somehow the volume got turned wayyyyy up.
This is how it goes and has gone.
Watching one grow while starting from then beginning again.

🌿 I see you. I know your hearts. There is so much room. You amaze me with the way you love and grow. And you were made for this.

{talk about this work? easy yes}

I love answering these questions about this work and what I do with y’all. I think it’s clear how I feel about all things related to you and your babies. This was fun to do and I appreciate the space to make what I do better known.

https://voyageohio.com/interview/life-work-with-april-kerwood-of-columbus/

“Is it always going to be like this?” 😩

Have you felt this sentiment as a mom? You were so excited to hold your baby for the first time but holy heck, no amount of reading books, talking to friends or watching IG Reels would prepare you for the intensity that is postpartum recovery!

I mean, those mesh underwear! 😳

And that’s if you had a va**nal delivery! What about the bandages and healing required for a c-section?!

Then you get home from the hospital, away from all of the medical support who had helped you in those first 24-48 hrs, and NOW WHAT? You’re just supposed to know what the heck you’re doing?? 🤷🏻‍♀️Like there was some sort of “How To. . . “ guide that your baby just handed you as they emerged from your uterus? 🤔I know I didn’t receive that!

How do I get out of bed to get my crying baby when I can’t even roll over without feeling like I’m tearing my stitches?

My va**na feels so weird! Will s*x ever feel good again?

I miss my friends at the gym and I feel so isolated at home. What can I do to start feeling stronger so I can get back safely?

Got you covered ❤️

.strong.pt with
・・・
“Is it always going to be like this?” 😩

Have you felt this sentiment as a mom? You were so excited to hold your baby for the first time but holy heck, no amount of reading books, talking to friends or watching IG Reels would prepare you for the intensity that is postpartum recovery!

I mean, those mesh underwear! 😳

And that’s if you had a va**nal delivery! What about the bandages and healing required for a c-section?!

Then you get home from the hospital, away from all of the medical support who had helped you in those first 24-48 hrs, and NOW WHAT? You’re just supposed to know what the heck you’re doing?? 🤷🏻‍♀️Like there was some sort of “How To. . . “ guide that your baby just handed you as they emerged from your uterus? 🤔I know I didn’t receive that!

How do I get out of bed to get my crying baby when I can’t even roll over without feeling like I’m tearing my stitches?

My va**na feels so weird! Will s*x ever feel good again?

I miss my friends at the gym and I feel so isolated at home. What can I do to start feeling stronger so I can get back safely?

When will I feel like myself again?

All of these are sentiments I have heard from moms just like you and the answer is “Yes!” With the right support to help you reach your goals, you CAN do everything you want to do and NO, it DOESN’T have to be painful, isolating or scary!

At CSPT, we are here to help you in the most vulnerable part of your recovery. We will come to you and, through an individualized assessment and plan, help you feel strong, empowered and independent so that you can feel confident in your ability to know what’s “okay” to be doing. HINT: probably more than you think 🤫

Visit our website for more information regarding Thriving In the 4th! Postpartum Care Program and how you can become the super hero mom you always envisioned yourself to be! 🦸‍♀️

Introductions. THIS IS ALLISON!

She is the owner of .strong.pt and will impress you with her wealth of knowledge and ability to make you feel at ease. Throughout your treatment you can expect a wide variety of interventions through the use of education, manual therapy, dry needling, postural training/positional awareness, exercise and more. I believe in a holistic approach through physical therapy interventions, mindfulness and nutrition to develop a highly individualized plan of care to help you reach a maximal level of success with the goals you feel are important.

Covering all the bases for you! With love.

{knowledge}

So many things birth and babies come down to just not knowing.
I didn’t know that was available.
I didn’t even know that was a choice.
I would’ve needed that.
Why did no one tell me.

We need to demand better when it comes to our care. And we also need to share what we know to be true. Yes it’s available. Yes it can be better. Yes it’s a choice. Yes it works.

Find the resources. Get the help. Get real smart.
lays it all out for you and that’s why it works.

introductions!! THIS IS LINDSAY!
She is the woman behind
Themotherhoodproject clients can work with her starting in pregnancy and through postpartum.
She is knowledgeable and passionate. She makes the cutest videos that also teach you things. Look at us learn! She knows you deserve better care than our current system can provide and she’s excited to be exactly what you need. She’s perfect for you.

{time}

I dislike the saying “time is a thief.”
Even staring down another birthday that will put me closer to the mid century mark, I believe that time is a gift.

Time with our children does not steal from us. It stretches behind us leaving a beautiful path of all those days loved. A foundation of shared experiences and a messy, wonderful life.

We waited for them with hope and joy.

We were changed by them in the best ways.

We delight in the tiny ways they grow every day.

We see how they change the culture of our existing family with their particular brand of humanness.

We see the ways they are growing to be more like us.

And even better, how they become more themselves.

Time is not a thief. It is a gift. Every day with them is a gift. Not every moment is perfection. But each day, week and year that stretches forward means that we have loved them and grown and learned that much more.

{go mama}

We need to feed our babies. We need to live our lives. We need to enjoy time with our babies and without. Having a mode of feeding that suits you best is what matters most. For some of us that looks different than this picture in particular. What is the same across the board is the importance of having support to walk you through the choices, decisions, work, and ultimately arriving at peace. It doesn’t have to look the same for all of us. But what is the same is us arriving at a place of confidence and joy.
I am so proud of what you accomplish. Not the outcome per se but the peace I see on your face and in your eyes. You’re so beautiful.

{birth plan}

How you give birth matters so much less than how you feel about your birth. I work with you on the other side of this experience and I see what it can do to empower you, or leave you feeling defeated.

Birth is something we do not something that should be done to us.

Time and time again I hear women cautious about expressing their desires for their birth. They have been flooded by horror stories. Stories of good intentions not seen played out. Stories that belie a broken system not because of women but by inherent nature. We sit amongst other women we see their hurt and we think we cannot dare to dream for better or more.
but unless we do, unless we become educated, unless we demand better we will never arrive at what we deserve.

We are the consumers. We don’t have to know the ins and outs of all the things surrounding birth to know what it feels like to be informed. What it feels like to give consent. What it feels like to be a partner in share decision making.

We can do better. And we will. Birth plan prep as part of the new is bringing me life. You guys see the choices and you’re clear and concise on what fits you. We are not promised perfection, but we can arrive on the other side of welcoming our baby with confidence.

introductions!! THIS IS SAM!
She is one of the amazing pelvic floor therapists at .strong.pt.
motherhood project clients can work with her starting in pregnancy and through postpartum.
she is smart, passionate, knowledgeable, and so much fun. She makes talking about really hard things easy. And her love for her work is so apparent.

So proud to be a part of the house community. Their genuine love is a beautiful thing. You are loved there.

.house with
・・・
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, EVERY DAY 💖

All bodies are welcome at the House, but we know moms need extra love. Introducing a package for the selfless, perfect mom bods that make our world go round. With up to $375 in savings, the MOM BOD PACKAGE includes..

- monthly discount for both new & existing clients during any stage of your pregnancy/postpartum journey
- private session with a House instructor focusing on the essential moves and modifications for YOUR body, wherever you’re at
- discounted package for your partner

THAT’S NOT ALL. We want to help you connect the dots throughout this journey. As a part of this package, you’ll also receive a consultation with at a reduced rate exclusive to our Mom Bod clients. Every growing family deserves support created to meet their specific needs--she will do just that and beyond!

Email us at [email protected] to get the details and sign up.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Each of these cards felt like a privilege to write. Each one represents a woman I sat beside as she transitioned to motherhood for the first time or maybe for the third. We talked about all the things that are never too much. All the things no one ever tells you. The innermost thoughts. The doubts. The success. The laughs. The tears. The immense love for her new human.

I couldn’t be more in love with the women you are. You teach me more every day and your trust and faith are never lost on me.
You are good and kind and so smart.
You are strong and learning.
You are fierce and vulnerable.
You’re falling apart and you are growth.
You are amazing.

I love you.
Happy Mother’s Day. ❤️ 💐

{baby hog}

The holidays are not the only time this is an issue. Spring and summer are full of gatherings and events and can be chock full of passive aggressive comments about baby passing. Quiet judgments about your choices or snide comments about boundaries. Even well-meaning loved ones who just want a chance to huff a little tiny delicious smelling baby can leave us feeling a way.

The simple truth is you don’t owe anyone time with your baby. Your baby is not a prize to be shared.

Your baby is a human that needs connection, responsiveness, and attachment. And developmentally that is most often with their mother. It’s biology. It’s not you being greedy. Or a baby hog. It’s literally how humans grow.

There is nothing wrong with you wanting to be close to your baby and your baby wanting to be close to you. In fact, it’s optimal.

So walk confidently into the new season knowing that those needs are normal, and the firmer you are in your commitment to meeting those needs, the better you’ll feel about following through on the boundaries that you’ve set.

🌿You know what’s best. The rest is noise.

{growing}

One little person that grows every day. How could it possibly get any better? He taught you all the new ways you are patient, exhausted, exuberant and worried.
His firsts were your firsts.
His falls were your falls.
His milestones were your milestones.

How do you repeat that?
Is that even a thing?
How does it work when all your time and energy and love has gone toward this face.
How do you love more than that?

It’s the grow. The way growth just happens in the little moments that you might not even see. Every day your heart is readying itself for the new one. The expansion is physical, mental and your heart has so much room.

The grow. For all of you. It’s so so good.

{equipped}

I had an amazing conversation with a client the other day. She is new and thoughtful. We were talking about the emotional burden, the mental work of motherhood. It’s constant and sometimes hard to explain. The inability to shut it off. It can wear on you.

In our humanity we tend to think the worst of ourselves. Those are the easiest things to believe aren’t they? That we’re not doing enough, that we’re not good enough, that someone is doing it better, that were failing. The mental weight of motherhood can convince us of those things as well.

The reality is that all the ways that you keep everything straight is what makes you amazing.
Yes, it’s heavy.
But we can say that that mental work is how we know we are a success. We are constantly considering their needs, we know their little nuances, we are the keeper of the favorites, the milestones, and the best way to make them giggle.

We can choose to let it tell us that we are doing a good job. That we are the best for our babies. And that if we keep bringing ourselves to the work, we will keep learning and we will keep growing and love will cover the rest.

{babywearing}

So you can get s**t done. Babies belong close to the people who love the most. They crave touch and it grows their brains. They protest somewhat loudly when we try to convince them otherwise. So when we are capable, let’s not even try. Keep them close. Go about your life. Get their touch quota in. Feel productive.

Studies have shown that the close physical contact promotes attachment and bonding. Parents who practice babywearing are more responsive to their baby’s needs. And babywearing promote language development by keeping babies close to the action.

After a certain point in recovery babywearing is an absolute must. I still remember having a little babies and being struck when I saw another mother babywearing. Now it is everywhere. I love that you can go into target and see different carriers. I love that Amazon has a selection. I love that it is easier for you to find ways to live life with your baby. I am all for it 👏🏼

Every single one of my consults this week included babywearing assessments and help. I couldn’t be happier watching you hold your babies close and smile like this. Love y’all.