What happens at my first visit?
Your first visit can feel intimidating, especially if you’re not sure what to expect. That’s totally normal!
At Terra Pelvic Health, your first session is about making you feel heard, understanding your body better, and leaving with a plan to start healing your pelvic health.
Before you arrive
Please complete your intake paper work at least 48 hours before your visit - this helps us prioritize what matters most to you.
Otherwise, there’s nothing you need to do to prepare. Wear clothes you’re comfortable moving in and come exactly as you are.
Step 1: learn more about you
We’ll start your session with talking about what brings you in, your health history, symptoms, and goals. Dr. Emma will also discuss what the pelvic floor is and how it might be playing a role in your symptoms. This is a great time for you to ask questions or share any concerns.
Step 2: assessment
Based on our conversation, we’ll prioritize what information will be most helpful to look at first. The “big picture” part of the assessment will look at things like your posture, how you move, your breathing, and the mobility and strength of your hips, back, and abdomen.
If it’s appropriate and only with your consent, we may also do an internal pelvic floor assessment. This allows us to assess the tension, strength, and coordination of the pelvic floor muscles. An internal assessment is one of the best ways to understand what’s happening in the pelvic floor, but it is never required. You can always change your mind. Consenting one day does not mean you have to consent in future sessions. There are always alternative assessment and treatment options.
Everything will be explained before and during your treatment. You are always in control and can say no or ask to stop at any time.
Step 3: starting treatment
Depending on your symptoms and goals, your first session may include hands-on work, breathing strategies, guided movement, or exercises for home.
At the end of your visit, we will recap what we found and how pelvic floor therapy can help. You will leave with a clearer understanding of your body and a grounded path forward.
After your visit
It’s completely normal to feel mild soreness or emotionally tired after your visit. This is temporary and we can always adjust our approach at future visits based on your experience.
Your first visit can feel like a lot of information to digest. Please write down any questions you may have so that we can review anything that was unclear at your next visit.
Final Thoughts
Your safety and comfort always come first. You are the expert at living in your body. If your mind, body, or gut are telling you that we need to change our approach, we will always listen to that.
Healing isn’t linear. You should see steady improvements throughout your plan of care, but it’s normal to have ups and downs along the way.
You are not alone. Pelvic floor issues are incredibly common but can feel very isolating. There’s no topic or question off-limits in our sessions.
