Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Meg Henderson.
Hi Meg, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The short version of the story is I needed someone like me to help me rehab after having my first two sons. I was a DIII college athlete before graduating from Physical Therapy school in 2008 and then going on to practice as a general orthopedic PT for 9 years before making the leap to start my own practice. Going back to work after having my second son was extremely challenging. I realized quickly that I was very unhappy, even though I loved my work family. I didn’t’ have the passion for my job, I felt myself getting burned out quickly from lack of sleep and being stretched too thin. Looking back, I also struggled with mild postpartum anxiety that was probably undiagnosed. In addition to all of this, I started getting back into running to cope with the stress. Quickly I started to experience the symptoms of what I now know to be pelvic organ prolapse. I sought the help of a pelvic floor PT for an assessment and dove into continuing education. Through this journey and with the strong push of my friend, Yves Gege, I joined Made 2 Move PT to open a location for them in the fall of 2017. 4th Trimester actually evolved in 2019 after plenty of business coaching before finally feeling ready to fully launch my own practice fully dedicated to the care and support of moms.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Lawd, no! Actually, it has been anything but smooth! I rebranded in March of 2019 and fully launched 4th Trimester as an independent practice. At the same time, we found out I was pregnant with another baby! So, launching a business, moving locations, raising two other boys, and then having our 3rd son all in the first year of business was not exactly ideal. Louis was born in November of 2019 and I took the rest of the year off. I started seeing patients again on a very limited basis in January 2020 and just as I would have started to ramp up again, the pandemic started and we headed into quarantine with a 2nd grader, a 3-year-old, and a 4-month-old. Those were some of the hardest and also best days we had as a family, but just like every other mom out there who did similar things, it also solidified that I can probably do pretty much anything. Balancing breastfeeding, virtual school, my own physical health, and seeing patients virtually during naps was freaking hard! Since then, things have smoothed out, thankfully! I added Dr. Hannah Bangel to the practice in September of 2020 and it has been incredible to have such a like-minded PT to work alongside to help grow this business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about the 4th Trimester?
4th Trimester is the private-pay physical therapy and education initiative serving pregnant and postpartum women across the Greater Charleston Area at every stage of their physical healing and recovery. We offer physical therapy and wellness services for women experiencing any musculoskeletal issues during pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. This can range from sciatica or back pain during pregnancy to diastasis recti in the postpartum period. We are also pelvic floor physical therapists, meaning we also evaluate and treat symptoms such as leaking, pain with intercourse, pelvic pain, and anything concerning related to the pelvic floor muscles.
I am incredibly proud of our branding – which I of course did NOT do myself, but with the help of Mary Beth at Front and Center, came to create messaging that really speaks to moms, especially those during pregnancy and the early postpartum weeks.
I think one of the biggest things that set us apart from others is the time we spend listening to our patients and the relationships we build with them. Really sitting with women and hearing their stories is incredibly powerful in recovery from an injury – birth or otherwise, and plays a huge part in their mental health, even if they don’t immediately see that. These can be really sensitive topics that a patient might not share with anyone else, and we take that very seriously. When we can help guide a mom through a traumatic birth or overcome symptoms she has experienced for years and back to feeling more like herself again in the way she feels and moves, it’s incredibly rewarding for us.
During pregnancy, we see moms for wellness care (or any symptoms also!) once a trimester and then we encourage them to come in for our Birth Prep session at 35 weeks. During that last prenatal visit, we teach expecting moms exercises and breathing techniques they can do to help get their bodies ready for birth. We talk about postpartum recovery and what to expect in the early recovery period to help alleviate confusion and to make the transition into motherhood a bit easier. After birth, we see moms BEFORE 6 WEEKS, usually around the 2-week mark for a virtual consult to go over their birth, how they are feeling, and teach them ways to move and care for baby so that they can optimize their healing and start to rebuild a foundation of strength. They will then come into the office for a full postpartum assessment and we come up with a plan of care for them based on their goals and the level of support they desire.
Our practice is here to help moms physically heal, regain mobility, and, ultimately, move into motherhood prior to or following the months, or even years, after giving birth.
What are your plans for the future?
As of now, my plans for 4th Trimester are continuing to serve our community of women with the highest quality physical health and wellness care in Charleston. I also have 3 young boys (9, 5, and 2), so my plans probably look very different from someone without kids! I am carefully balancing growth in the business with making time for them and being present, while also setting aside time for my own self-care. Still, we continue to build relationships with other providers and organizations so that moms feel supported after their births, and not just left to “figure it out” with a google search after their 6-week follow-up visit. We hold regular workshops in the area that allow us to reach and educate more women on what’s normal in their bodies and ways they can feel their best. And we also have some exciting things happening this year that will help even more moms during pregnancy and postpartum. Details aren’t finalized, so I don’t want to say too much too soon. Stay tuned this fall… hopefully!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.4thtrimesterchs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4thtrimester.chs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4thtrimester.chs
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN-kFokFW223a69ZbPyNwzw
Image Credits
Alex Thornton Photography
