Hard Core : Strengthen your Pelvic Floor
Why you might benefit from a vagina coach
I never thought I would have an issue with my pelvic floor, I exercise almost daily, and I consider myself to be in pretty good shape. After giving birth to my second baby, I went for my regular check up with my osteopath. At the end of the check up he asked me if I was planning on doing physio for my pelvic floor. At that point in time I don’t think I had even ever heard of a physiotherapist who specializes in pelvic floor health. He informed me that it was regular practice in France; post birth all women were given a referral to see a pelvic floor physiotherapist. I remember him saying “If you broke your ankle, you would do physio to help recover. Post birth, your vagina has just been through a trauma, so why wouldn’t you do physio?”. His comment made sense, I had already noticed a difference in my body after my first baby. My second baby was breech, during pregnancy there was a lot of pressure on my pelvic floor, and post birth I knew my pelvic floor was not as strong as it used to be.
The more I talked about it with friends, the more I realized almost every mom was dealing with a weaker pelvic floor, and even friends who hadn’t had kids were noticing a difference with age. Somehow it seems like a taboo subject since everyone was a bit embarrassed about it. Many people can’t hold their bladder, or leak when they run, jump, sneeze or laugh. But somehow it was just accepted that that’s what happens with birth, and the main options to fix it were either surgery or medication.
I followed my osteopath's advice and booked an appointment with a pelvic floor physiotherapist. I was a bit nervous, and it definitely was a little bit uncomfortable at first, but I had such a good physiotherapist that she made it feel less awkward than it needed to be. During most of the appointments you’re lying on your back naked from the waist down. The physiotherapist puts her finger inside your vagina to gauge how strong your muscles are, and which muscles you’re engaging. She was able to figure out which muscles I need to work, and give me specific exercises to fit my needs. Doing exercises on my own was not quite the same. Having a physiotherapist is like having a vagina coach who encourages you to go further than you think you can, and to continually practice. I’ve learned so much from her, I want to share that with other people.
My goal is to make this topic a little less uncomfortable and to help people feel strong and confident! I’m excited to be hosting a special Pelvic Floor Workshop with my physio, Elisa Donato, this Saturday. See below for details. If you missed the workshop, you can reach Elisa at https://centremeraki.com/team/elisa-donato/
- Jenn*