We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katie Bayer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Katie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

After having twins via Cesarean birth, and then a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), I was left feeling very lost and unsure of how to proceed in my physical recovery. I was already a physical therapist, so had a good understanding of the body in general, but even I had little to no knowledge about the pelvic floor, and what happens to the body in pregnancy and then postpartum. How could others with less knowledge expect to navigate this challenging time? My own experience lit a fire under me to learn more about the pelvic floor and overall physiologic changes during pregnancy and postpartum. I also learned how to best treat those who birth in order for them to return to their normal lives, without pain, leakage or other common postpartum dysfunctions.
Our mission at Transition Physical Therapy is to allow women, and all who birth, to have comfortable pregnancies, better births, and better outcomes in postpartum. No one should have to live in pain, or be unable to return to the activities they love simply because they had a baby.

Katie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a mom to three girls, two 13 year olds and a 9 year old and a pelvic floor physical therapist. My journey through pregnancies and postpartum recovery was what inspired me to learn how to help others going through the same journey have better experiences and outcomes. Too often women are told to “just relax” when they have pelvic pain, or that “it’s normal to leak” after having a baby. Those beliefs are simply not true, and pelvic floor physical therapists are trained to help with all pelvic issues, including anything along your perinatal journey. I opened Transition Physical Therapy in 2021 because I wanted to start a practice where people could come and feel safe, calm and supported. This is a judgment-free space where there are no “bad” questions, and no issue is “TMI”. We love talking about all things pelvic floor, including sex, poop, pee and everything in between.
We treat all pelvic pain issues, including vaginismus, scar pain, and vulvodynia. We treat urinary and fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse. We assist in your Cesarean birth recovery, including scar release. We also treat bowel issues like constipation and bloating. Whether you have just had a baby, never had a baby, or had a baby decades ago, you may benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy.
At Transition PT, gets a throughout evaluation, where your entire body is assessed and where you aren’t walking out after each session doing just “Kegels” (pelvic floor activations). We understand that your pelvic floor is not an island, and you won’t get better until all of your issues are addressed.

In 2023, I also founded Be Hive Wellness with Megan MacCutcheon (of Be Well Wellness, which focuses on maternal mental health therapy). This is a physical space that houses both of our businesses, along with other like-minded businesses supporting those who birth and their families. Right now, we have lactation consultants, massage therapists and couples therapists, in addition to group rooms to host workshops such as birth prep classes and postpartum support groups. We want to create a “one stop shop” for people to come to for trusted providers along their journey.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Despite marketing with doctors, and other providers in the area, our main source of new patients is referrals from current patients. When someone tells a friend about the wonderful care they received here, that is definitely our best advertising. We always encourage our patients to open up to their friends and family about their own pelvic floor struggles because often times other people are struggling as well, but are too embarrased to bring it up. It helps to know you’re not alone, and that there is someone who can help.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

Megan MacCutcheon and I founded Be Hive Wellness, which is the physical space that houses both of our businesses. While I started Transition Physical Therapy on my own, once I met Megan, I knew that we would be a part of something bigger together. We first met when I was about to open Transition in my search to network with local perinatal providers . Almost immediately, we both expressed how we had dreams to open a larger space that contained multiple perinatal support providers to make peoples journeys through pregnancy and postpartum easier. We started working together, getting first hand experience seeing the importance of incorporating both physical and mental therapy into recovery in order to fully heal.
It took us a few years to bring this dream to a reality, but we finally made it come true this past Fall.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.transitionphysicaltherapy.com
• Instagram: @transitionpelvicpt