The Unmentionables are mentioned!

Let's be honest ladies.  We all know what it's like.  After we have had our first adorable, delightful bundle of joy our bodies just aren't quite the same!  But what about when number 2, 3 or 4 comes along?  Our collagen and skin elasticity seems to be in rapid decline!  Everything is heading south for the winter without the northerly summer return!

Not only do we have the external imperfections to contend with, what about the internal imperfections?  Yes I AM talking about the unmentionable, the shocking and the plain unattractive.  I am talking about your pelvic floor!

I am seriously passionate about helping women improve their pelvic floor (kinda sounds weird doesn't it?!).  The main reason being that I have spoken to heaps of women recently, young, old, pregnant, post partum and in-between and most have some kind of pelvic floor issue.  Unfortunately there seems to be a misconception that once you have a dodgy pelvic floor due to childbirth or even injury then a 'little bit of leakage' and 'panty liners' are a normal part of life.

Well guess what?!  It doesn't have to be like that!

Dr Pauline Chiarelli is a bit of a pioneer in the area of women's health and the pelvic floor.  She states that "Leakage may be common, but it's never normal.  And, more importantly, incontinence is curable."  How many of us have been told (most often from our own mother's and grandmothers!) that it's all part of being a women, particularly if you have had children?

There are usually 3 main symptoms that indicate a bit of a break down in your pelvic floor.  They are:

• Stress incontinence - these are the leaks that happen when you jump, lunge, cough or sneeze
• Urgency - a really strong need to go to the toilet...right now!
• Frequency  - the need to go to the toilet quite often, including during the night

You may have just one of these symptoms or you may have all of these symptoms.  If you do, it is time to do something about it!

The bladder and the pelvic floor are inextricably linked.  The pelvic floor controls the filling and emptying sequence of your bladder.  The job of the muscles of your pelvic floor are to stop the leaks so it's easy to see how a weak or compromised pelvic floor can lead to a bit of leakage.

The best way to put a stop to the little leaks is to start training your pelvic floor. However in order to train your pelvic floor you need to be able to find your pelvic floor!

Next time you go to the toilet, try to stop the flow of urine mid flow (please don't do this frequently as it can interfere with normal bladder function).  Take note of this inner 'drawing up' sensation as that is your pelvic floor contracting.  It is this sensation that we will be focusing on over the next couple of months in order to help you regain control over your pelvic floor!

emit your life!