When Postpartum Care Ends Too Soon

The postpartum period is supposed to be a time of healing.
Instead, for far too many women, it becomes a season of silent struggle.

Bodies that carried and birthed life are expected to “bounce back.” Pain is dismissed. Leaks are normalized. Scar discomfort is minimized. And the physical recovery a woman needs to fully reclaim her body is often treated as optional — or worse, unavailable.

For women covered by Medicaid and CHIP, this gap is even wider.

Pelvic health physical therapy — care that can prevent lifelong issues like incontinence, pelvic pain, and unresolved scar complications — is frequently out of reach. Not because it isn’t effective. But because the system hasn’t made room for it.

That is the injustice the Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act (H.R. 2480) is working to change.

Why Pelvic Health Care Is Not “Extra” — It’s Essential

Pelvic health physical therapy is not a luxury.
It is not an add-on.
It is a critical part of postpartum recovery.

Whether a woman gives birth vaginally or by cesarean, the pelvic floor, core, connective tissues, and nervous system experience profound change. Without proper assessment and care, those changes can turn into chronic conditions that affect daily life for years — sometimes decades.

Pelvic health physical therapists address issues such as:

• Pelvic and abdominal pain
• Urinary and bowel dysfunction
• Scar tissue mobility after birth or surgery
• Core and pelvic floor weakness
• Posture, breathing, and movement strategies needed for real-life demands

This care restores function, confidence, and dignity. It helps women return not just to movement — but to living fully in their bodies again.

And yet, too many women are never told this care exists.

A Step Toward Equity: What H.R. 2480 Does

Introduced by Representatives Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), with strong support from the American Physical Therapy Association, the Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act recognizes a long-ignored truth:

Access determines outcomes.

This legislation directs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to help states better support postpartum pelvic health care by:

• Issuing guidance on best practices for postpartum pelvic health services
• Identifying financing options to support coverage through Medicaid and CHIP
• Providing technical assistance to encourage screenings and referrals
• Commissioning a GAO study to identify gaps in postpartum pelvic health access

Just as importantly, the bill emphasizes educating providers — ensuring clinicians know when pelvic health therapy is needed and how to connect women to care.

This is how systems begin to change.

Addressing Maternal Health Disparities at the Root

Maternal health disparities are not accidental.
They are the result of who is believed, who is resourced, and who is given access.

Women in underserved communities — particularly women of color and low-income women — are disproportionately affected by inadequate postpartum care. When pelvic health services are excluded or overlooked, the consequences compound over time.

H.R. 2480 moves us closer to a future where postpartum care is not determined by zip code or insurance type — but by what women actually need to heal.

The Role of Physical Therapists in Postpartum Healing

Pelvic health physical therapists bring expertise, time, and individualized care into a healthcare system that often rushes women through recovery.

They assess the whole person — movement, strength, pain, function, and lived experience — and create care plans that support long-term health, not just short-term survival.

When integrated into postpartum care, physical therapy becomes a powerful act of prevention, empowerment, and restoration.

This is the kind of care InspireHer exists to protect and expand.

Why This Matters to InspireHer

At InspireHer: A Global Women’s Health Initiative, we believe postpartum healing should never be optional.

We believe pelvic health physical therapy belongs in every woman’s recovery plan — not just for those who know to ask or can afford to pay out of pocket.

The Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act represents progress. It affirms that women’s bodies deserve care that is proactive, informed, and equitable.

And it brings us one step closer to a world where no woman has to say:

“I didn’t know help existed.”

Take Action

Policy change happens when people care — and when voices are raised together.

Support legislation that expands access to postpartum pelvic health care.
Advocate for provider education.
Invest in systems that restore dignity to women’s healing.

Join us in building a future where postpartum care truly supports the whole woman.

👉 Support the mission at gwhi.org/donations