Who’s on Your Pelvic Health Team? A Clear Guide to Knowing Who Does What
If you’ve ever found yourself Googling pelvic floor symptoms and suddenly realizing there are a lot of different providers who talk about pelvic health… you’re not alone.
OB/GYNs, urogynecologists, pelvic floor therapists, midwives, doulas, chiropractors, personal trainers — the list is long, and each profession has a completely different role.
As a pelvic floor physical therapist, one of the biggest things I hear from new patients is:
“I had no idea who I was supposed to see for this.”
So let’s clear up the confusion.
My goal with this guide is to help you understand exactly who does what, what each provider can help you with, and when it’s time to bring them onto your pelvic health team. Because when you have the right team, your healing becomes clearer, faster, and so much more empowering.
01. OB/GYN
A medical doctor specializing in reproductive, pregnancy, and gynecological health.
What they CAN do:
Diagnose and medically manage gynecologic conditions (fibroids, endometriosis, prolapse)
Order imaging and labs
Prescribe medication
Perform surgeries
Manage pregnancy and postpartum medical care
Provide routine pelvic exams
What they CANNOT do:
Provide hands-on musculoskeletal rehab
Assess movement, strength, or pelvic floor coordination
Offer exercise-based treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction
When to see them:
For medical evaluation, medication, imaging, or routine reproductive/pelvic care.
02. Urogynecologist
An OB/GYN or urologist with advanced training in pelvic floor disorders.
What they CAN do:
Diagnose and treat pelvic organ prolapse
Manage urinary and fecal incontinence
Address pelvic pain medically or surgically
Perform specialized procedures (urodynamics, cystoscopy)
What they CANNOT do:
Provide movement-based rehab
Retrain pelvic floor coordination
Offer exercise-based treatment
When to see them:
When symptoms are complex, persistent, worsening, or require more advanced testing beyond your routine OB/GYN visit.
03. Pelvic Floor Physical or Occupational Therapist
A licensed rehab professional with advanced training in pelvic floor evaluation and treatment.
What they CAN do:
Assess pelvic floor muscle strength, tension, and coordination
Evaluate your whole body to understand why symptoms are happening
Treat incontinence, prolapse, pelvic pain, constipation, diastasis recti
Provide birth prep, labor strategies, and postpartum recovery guidance
Use exercise, neuromuscular retraining, manual techniques, and education
What they CANNOT do:
Diagnose medical conditions like endometriosis or infections
Prescribe medication
Perform surgery
When to see them:
For movement-based rehab, muscle tension/weakness, postpartum changes, pain, leakage, heaviness, or when you feel “off” and don’t know why.
04. Midwife
A provider specializing in pregnancy, birth, postpartum care, and reproductive wellness using a whole-person lens.
What they CAN do:
Provide prenatal and postpartum care
Screen for pelvic floor issues
Support birth prep
Guide early postpartum healing
What they CANNOT do:
Diagnose or surgically treat pelvic floor disorders
Provide structured pelvic floor rehabilitation
When to see them:
For holistic pregnancy and postpartum care, birth support, and early guidance on pelvic health.
05. Doula
A non-medical professional offering emotional, educational, and physical support during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.
What they CAN do:
Support your comfort and preferences during labor
Provide education on birth and postpartum healing
Offer positioning strategies and emotional support
What they CANNOT do:
Diagnose, give medical advice, or perform exams
Treat pelvic floor dysfunction
Prescribe exercises
When to see them:
For birth support, advocacy, guidance, coping strategies, and postpartum emotional support.
06. Chiropractor (Perinatal/Postpartum-Trained)
A provider specializing in alignment, biomechanics, and joint health with additional training in pregnancy/postpartum changes.
What they CAN do:
Address spinal, pelvic, ribcage, and sacral mobility
Treat low back, pelvic, and neck pain
Provide perinatal-safe adjustments to support comfort and baby positioning
What they CANNOT do:
Diagnose gynecologic conditions
Treat internal pelvic floor muscles
Provide medical or surgical care
When to see them:
For alignment issues, back or pelvic pain, or adjunct support during pregnancy and postpartum.
07. Personal Trainer
A fitness professional trained to create and coach exercise programs for strength, mobility, and overall fitness.
What they CAN do:
Design strengthening programs
Modify workouts for pregnancy/postpartum
Teach breathing and lifting mechanics
Provide external cueing for safe form
Support return-to-fitness after medical clearance
What they CANNOT do:
Diagnose pelvic floor dysfunction
Treat pain, incontinence, or prolapse
Prescribe pelvic floor-specific rehab exercises
Perform internal or external pelvic floor assessment
When to see them:
When you're ready to build overall strength, progress exercise, and integrate pelvic-safe fitness into your routine - ideally in collaboration with a pelvic floor therapist.
So… who should you see first?
If your symptoms involve leakage, heaviness, pelvic pressure, pain, constipation, or postpartum recovery, a pelvic floor therapist is almost always the most helpful starting point.
If you need medical testing, imaging, medication, or surgical evaluation, an OB/GYN or urogynecologist is essential.
And if you want support during birth, better pregnancy/postpartum care, or guidance returning to fitness once medically cleared, your midwife, doula, chiropractor, and trainer all play valuable roles.
No one profession replaces another - they strengthen each other.
And you deserve a team that works together to support your whole-body wellness.
Looking for a pelvic floor therapist in New Jersey?
At Catalyst Physical Therapy & Wellness, I help women navigate pelvic health challenges with clarity, compassion, and evidence-based care - so you don’t have to piece everything together alone.
If you’re ready to feel supported, understood, and empowered in your pelvic health journey, you can book a discovery call right on my website.
Whenever you’re ready - let’s get you feeling like you again.
