The Pelvic Floor Project
Embarrassing symptoms deserve better conversations.
Whether you're dealing with bladder leaks, prolapse, pelvic pain, painful sex, erectile dysfunction, constipation, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, or simply wondering if what you're experiencing is normal—you're not alone.
Hosted by pelvic floor physiotherapist Melissa Dessaulles, this podcast helps you understand how your body works and why symptoms happen. Through conversations with leading researchers, physicians, surgeons, sex therapists, midwives, psychologists, and other experts, we translate the latest evidence into practical information you can actually use.
No myths. No shame. No confusing medical jargon.
Just honest conversations that connect the dots—so you can feel informed, confident, and empowered to make decisions about your health.
The Pelvic Floor Project
45. Pelvic floor education before birth: The evidence with Kimberley Johnson
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode, I sit down with Kimberley Johnson, a PhD student doing fabulous research in psychology with a specific focus on perinatal and pelvic health to discuss:
- Birth related pelvic floor trauma and the association with higher rates of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
- Kimberley’s personal experience that led to her research questions
- The study hypothesis -Lack of pelvic floor focused education may be associated with greater distress following pelvic floor trauma and its sequelae
- The staggering results that demonstrate the lack of information perinatal women are provided and the impact this has on them.
- Reasons why this information is not being shared by health care providers
- How we as clients, clinicians and care providers can start to implement this information
Kimberley Johnson, M.S., is an advanced doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Utah with an emphasis in perinatal and pelvic health. Her current research is centered on factors that facilitate adjustment and wellbeing during the postpartum transition period, particularly in the context of birth-related injuries. She has published in the Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy and Journal of Health Psychology and has contributed to postpartum rehabilitation and wellness courses. Outside of her academic and clinical work, she is also a mother of two (to a 3-year-old girl and expecting a baby boy this summer) and loves xc skiing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, and just being outside with her family.
Instagram - @wildmatrescence
Email - kimberley.johnson@psych.utah.edu
Links mentioned in episode:
Kimberley’s research:
The Importance of Information: Prenatal Education Surrounding Birth-Related Pelvic Floor Trauma Mitigates Symptom Related Distress https://journals.lww.com/jwhpt/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=9000&issue=00000&article=99940&type=Abstract
Episode 29- Perineal tears with a urogynecologist
Thanks for joining me!
Here is where you can find more:
my online course to walk you through pregnancy, birth prep and postpartum recovery: https://mommyberries.com
Want more details on the small groups?
Small Groups
Follow me on: