How the ‘Vagina Whisperer’ Built Her Brand

Plus more health news | Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Health Matters]( [You have pelvic-floor questions. The Vagina Whisperer has answers.]( By Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Sara Reardon’s friends have called her “the vagina whisperer” for years. When they started getting pregnant and having babies, they would email the pelvic-floor physical therapist with questions about perineal massage, the fact that they peed in their pants every time they laughed, and the fear of painful sex for the rest of their post-baby lives. “I thought, ‘I’m writing this email over and over again, let me just put it on Instagram,’” says Reardon. Now half a million people know Reardon as The Vagina Whisperer on Instagram where she posts funny, accessible videos to demystify the pelvic floor, the basket of muscles that affects essential functions like peeing, pooping, menstruation, and sexual health. Many women first learn about their pelvic floor during pregnancy, though pelvic-floor issues can affect any woman. Pelvic-floor therapy can help prepare women for birth or recover from problems afterward like diastasis recti (when the ab muscles separate) or pelvic organ prolapse (when internal organs collapse into the vagina). But women are often too embarrassed to talk about these issues or simply accept them as a normal sacrifice of becoming a mother and go undiagnosed. Here’s what you need to know about pelvic-floor issues that are so often ignored: - About one in four American women has a pelvic-floor disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health - Some 40% of women who give birth do not attend a postpartum visit with their doctor, which contributes to missed diagnoses of pelvic-floor problems - In France, pelvic floor therapy is covered for every new mother - The U.S. Congress has introduced a bipartisan bill that could help more women access pelvic-floor care after birth through Medicaid [READ MORE]( Share This Story What Else to Read [6 Ways to Tap Into Nostalgia—and Why You Should]( By Angela Haupt How to tap into nostalgia to feel more connected to other people, find meaning in life, and build self-esteem. [Read More »]( [Jimmy Carter’s Secret to Living to 99, According to His Grandson]( By Olivia B. Waxman As Jimmy Carter turns 99 on Oct. 1, his grandson shares what he believes is the secret to his grandfather’s long life. [Read More »]( [Why Don’t More Women Propose?]( By Belinda Luscombe Plenty of things about the process of getting married have remained stubbornly unchanged. [Read More »]( [Why Acupuncture Is Going Mainstream in Medicine]( By Elizabeth Millard Here's what research says about the complementary therapy. [Read More »]( [Why We Remember Music and Forget Everything Else]( By Nayantara Dutta Psychologists say it's no surprise that we can easily recall lyrics and melodies for years and years. [Read More »]( ONE LAST READ [A squabble over the nature of consciousness]( How do we understand awareness? What is the biological process that creates consciousness? These high-minded questions are the source of intense academic interest and a concept called "integrated information theory" proposes to answer them. But as Ross Andersen examines in the Atlantic, the theory has its detractors, and when one went public with his critiques, an ugly fight among scientists broke out. [Read More »]( If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, [click here](. Today's newsletter was written by Eliana Dockterman and Oliver Staley, and edited by Oliver. [Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.]( [Subscribe to TIME]( TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via [Facebook]( | [Twitter]( | [Newsletters]( [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS]( TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508 Questions? Contact health@time.com Copyright © 2023 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved.