Category: Education

Can Collagen Help Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?

Post author By Melanie Platt
Post date April 9, 2021

Can Collagen help Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Did you know that Collagen is kind of like the glue that holds the cells in the body together?

Super important for helping the connective tissue within your pelvic floor anatomy be healthy and working well to treat and prevent pelvic floor dysfunction.

So what is Collagen?

Collagen is one of the most important components of how the connective tissue are linked together to maintain the support and function of the pelvic floor. It is the predominant, load-bearing protein of the pelvic floor connective tissues. Very important for keeping your pelvic floor anatomy healthy and working well.. Which we’d all love!

Now collagen is not new it’s just that some companies have started to produce collagen in an environmentally sustainable and effective way. We naturally produce collagen within our body daily but as we age it declines. You might be shocked to know this level declines after 25 years of age.

Best Types of Collagen to help with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction:

Collagen changes, including the structure of the collagen, the biomechanical changes and abnormalities of collagen breakdown, can destroy the supportive function of the pelvic floor and are closely related to the development of pelvic organ prolapse and dysfunction. Research on how these changes occur in the collagen is very limited, and so much more research is needed.

However, we do know that taking a high quality and effective collagen supplement can help your tissue be healthier and function better including your muscles and connective tissue Eg your Pelvic Floor.

Collagen I and III are 2 of the major subtypes of the pelvic tissue.

Now this is very important to know as different collagen types from powders to liquid contain different collagen types. Know your collagen first before you buy so you don’t waste your time and money.

What you need to know about collagen:

Type of collagen: Personally I’ve been taking an amazing liquid marine collagen from Isagenix which has just been listed in the top 6 inner beauty products with Marie Claire – it is predominantly type I collagen. Externally you will see the results with your skin however as you know Type I is one of the predominant types of collagen in pelvic tissue.

Type I – Skin, bone, tendon, connective tissue, hair, nails.
Type II – Cartilage – cushioning for joints.
Type III – especially important in providing elasticity, deeper layer of skin, blood vessels and deeper structures.

The correct dose Studies show the amount to take to be effective in your body is 5g/day, there is no point in taking one that doesn’t have this amount as it won’t be as effective!

Where is it sourced – Know where the collagen comes from – Is it bovine (beef) porcine (Pork), chicken or marine?Predominantly bovine and porcine collagens are type III with some of the type I and II which is more beneficial for joints and cartilage and you will probably find these as powder and bone broths.

Chicken collagen is predominantly type II, which is beneficial for joints and cartilage.

Liquid marine which is the superior form of collagen is a rich source of Type I. Superior because it provides the same type of collagen peptides that our bodies are, making it easier to be utilised and absorbed by the body. It is absorbed 1.5 times more effectively than other sources.

Remember collagen is just one part of the health puzzle, appropriate pelvic floor exercises and protein in general are also needed to feel amazing results!

Oh the one I love is also safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding and best consumed fasted in the morning.
* Added bonus – You might also notice a few of the lines around your eyes fading too..

Want to know more on collagen?
https://www.isagenixhealth.net/5-science-backed-benefits-of-collagen/

Want to start noticing the benefits of Collagen?

If you’re in Australia, New Zealand or the USA and love the idea of trialling the Liquid marine collagen like me with a 30 day money back guarantee and delivered to your door?

Beauty Booster Bundle – 4 X 10 pack of the Collagen Elixir (Type I). The fast start is with 2 collagen bottles/day for the first 10 days then 1/day after that.

Beauty Bundle – 3 X 10 packs of the Collagen Elixir (Type I) and 1 pack of the Bone Broth (bovine – Type III)

Want to know more about the Isagenix Liquid marine Collagen that I use?
https://www.isagenixhealth.net/5-steps-to-creating-collagen-elixir/

As Featured In

References:
Runqi Gong, Zhijun Xia, (2019) Collagen changes in pelvic support tissues in women with pelvic organ prolapse. European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology. Mar;234:185-189
Dani Catania – Dietician (B Nutr Diet)

Education Pregnancy

To Freeze or Not to Freeze – Part 3

Post author By Melanie Platt
Post date January 5, 2021

Collection Day!

“You want me to do what to myself??” was the thought running through my head…..

Inject 3 needles a day into my stomach that’s still sore and swollen from my laparoscopic surgery. Oh WOW! Once I calmed down from the initial shock, I found it really hard to make a choice to physically do that to myself without knowing how it might affect my mind and body. Would I feel out of control, emotional? Would I be able to hold it together enough to work? How would my body react? I had to really take a few days to sit in the uncertainty to be ok with my choice, knowing the end result would be worth it. Having the initial conversation with the nurse at the fertility centre really helped with this decision. Lots of information but they answered all of my questions and there was no pressure to make a quick decision. I started warning everyone at work joking that I would put a sign up on my door saying “Enter at your own risk” I didn’t think that would be a great advertisement for my physio clients. I had to take quite a few breaths before inserting the needle the first time just to psych myself up enough to stab my stomach

. I kept telling myself “ I can do this, I can do this” Flinching at the initial pain as the hormone went into my body, followed by an after pain lasting a few minutes. As the injections need to be done at the same time every day I made the decision to do it early and allow myself to be slow and take my time with my morning routine rather than rushing around like my usual self.

Rewind to the day before and I had my initial ultra sound and blood tests to determine day one of my cycle which allowed the timing for the rest of the cycle to be planned. The first 2 injections are to stimulate the follicles and the eggs for the 14 day cycle starting on day three of my cycle. Apart from some extra bruises adding to the war wounds on my stomach I felt great for the first few days. I actually felt clarity and focus which I wasn’t expecting. Then day 7 hit with a bang!

A new hormone introduced as the antagonist (which in itself just sounds dooming) to stop me from prematurely ovulating (to stop the egg from being released before the collection date). A red rash around the injection site, pain, dizziness and fatigue like I have never felt before. Thankfully those symptoms settled within an hour however the tears followed. It’s the weirdest feeling, crying for no reason and not being able to stop it, I was sitting at my computer checking in with myself “I’m not sad, I’m not angry but there are tears just flowing down my face”. This is when I had a few SOS calls to some friends to reassure me I was going to be ok. Feeling hot, clammy, a little dizzy and very nauseous while trying to get ready for work was a bit of a nightmare. Have you ever tried putting on makeup while you’re crying? It doesn’t really work. I gave up to avoid having racoon eyes that day. Just reminding myself it’s short term.

Also I wouldn’t recommend going on a first date the day you have to start hormone injections, feel bloated, swollen and trying not to be hormonal and blubber in front of the unsuspecting guy who has no idea what’s going on. Wasn’t a great look! Thankfully he was understanding and very sweet.

What followed was blood tests and ultrasounds to count the number of follicles which allowed the egg collection date to be determined and to make sure everything is on track. I had 14 follicles on the last ultrasound which I was very happy with. The IVF clinic were great, my nurse was available to chat whenever I needed it and I knew what I had to do at each step so it wasn’t as overwhelming as I thought it was going to be.

As the days went by I progressively got more and more swollen, bloated and nauseas. My brain felt like mush the whole time! I have never been so happy to inject the last hormone which was number 5 of that day

; the trigger injection which is to help release the egg from the wall of the follicle so they can be retracted but not before the eggs are released out of the ovary. This is very precise and 36 hours before egg collection. The following morning I had to do an ovulation test which just happened to find me at a doctors appointment at the time I was supposed to take it so chilling out in the public bathroom while I waited for the result felt absolutely ridiculous.

The morning of the egg collection was by far the worst. I felt like my insides were going to burst. Literally! Which happened to fall on day 14 of my cycle and 2 weeks before my 38th birthday! The Irony. There was a few moments just before I went in that I wondered to myself “What if there aren’t any eggs? what if this has all been for nothing”. Because at the end of the day it’s up to your body and how it responds to determine the result. I took a big breath and knew that I had done everything they asked of me and the rest was out of my control.

I woke up from surgery with everything attached to me to monitor my body (again i’m not great with anaesthetic, I tend to take my time to wake up, this was also my 3rd anaesthetic in 3 months) I wondered how many eggs they had taken. It was my first thought. Did it work? Then I heard the nurse telling the woman across from me that she had a number on her hand to tell her how many eggs they had collected.

Immediately I was excited and wondered if I had the same. I looked at my hand and there it was, the number 13 written in black marker on my palm. I actually cried happy tears. I was beyond relived that it worked, that I woke up and it was over.

That afternoon I received a call from the IVF scientist telling me that 12 of my eggs were mature enough to freeze and were stored in liquid nitrogen. Again I felt relief and so much gratitude to my body for what it had gone through. I was finished and could start the recovery process.

Which in itself is a different story. Everyone recovers differently. It took longer than I expected, the first 3 days are the worst nausea was my biggest problem followed by swelling and difficulty getting my bladder and bowel to work properly again. The follicles need to refill after the egg collection and this process can go up and down as I discovered on a midnight trip to the emergency department with unbearable pain that medication was not changing. However it does settle and normal life does resume. What I asked of my body was huge!! All I could give to it was kindness and rest when it needed it.

There are risks, there is pain, there is character growth when you inflict pain on yourself but overall there is a much bigger picture that is worth going through all of that for.
Time and the chance to be a mum one day.

Mel xx

Education

To Freeze or Not to Freeze – Part 2

Post author By Melanie Platt
Post date December 1, 2020

How many holes?
Waking up drowsy, feeling the blood pressure cuff on my arm, oxygen mask on my face, oxygen saturation recorder on my index finger, hearing the alarm for my heart rate going off beside me, the only question I had on my mind was “How many holes do I have in my stomach?”.

When I finally got to ask my caring wonderful nurse she replied “4 my love, you have endometriosis” My heart sank, I tried so hard not to cry.

Just hours earlier my fertility specialist had said to me “if you wake up with 2 holes in your abdomen you’re good, 3 or 4 holes and you have endometriosis”. I immediately wondered where the endometriosis was, how extensive and what this meant for my egg freezing process. Knowing my recovery was going to be slower and longer with more time off time than initially expected.

Laparoscopy is the gold standard for diagnosing and removing endometriosis. At this moment I was glad I opted to have the surgery and find out. Knowledge is power and I’m glad it was removed before it could get any worse and potentially affect my fertility.

During my recovery I had lots of time to research endometriosis and there really isn’t much information about who is at risk, how it occurs, how to prevent it or even how to treat it.
Studies suggest 1 in 10 women of reproductive age are affected with endometriosis. Women also present very differently with it, some don’t even know they have it. Some of the possible causes I found were long heavy periods, family history or low body weight. Some of the symptoms can be pain with menstruation, spotting prior to your menstruation, or bladder and bowel problems. There is no real proven link of lifestyle factors causing endometriosis. It was all so confusing with no real answers except for try and be as healthy as possible.

At my post-op appointment my fertility specialist looked me in the eye and said “did you have pain?” well I did, but I wouldn’t have said it was a huge amount of pain, it definitely had gotten worse over the past 15 months and I’d had irregular bleeding all of which prompted me to seek help in the first place. He let out a big sigh and said “women just accept pain when they shouldn’t and most of the doctors who told them to over the years were men who don’t have it, it’s not physiologically advantageous for a woman to be in pain every month”. Huh, so all these years doctors having been telling us it’s normal to have pain when really, biologically, it’s not. Interesting.

I held my breath while he told me where my endometriosis was, it was on my bladder, the ligament holding my uterus and a little on my uterus. I let out a big sigh thankful my fallopian tubes and ovaries were ok. That was my biggest concern!

One of the conversations I had with the fertility specialist previously was about women with endometriosis often having to freeze embryo’s rather than eggs if their ovaries had been affected. I had been having conversations around the complications of freezing embryos with many many questions arising. How to select the sperm while i’m single, how to ask someone and who? How to even come to a conclusion about who? How to select an anonymous donor? During covid where I might be restricted to QLD only? Can I even ask someone I know rather than a stranger? Will I know their medical history? Or just physical appearance? What sort of contract would need to be discussed, what sort of role would I want them to play in any future child’s life? How would my future partner feel if he had to use someone’s else’s sperm if we couldn’t conceiving naturally? Who would be ok with that? As you could imagine my head had been spinning with these questions.

Thankfully my AMH levels were 10.7 – slightly lower than he likes to do an egg freeze cycle (11-30) however, he thinks I can still try to freeze egg’s rather than embryo’s. To which I let out another big breath.

The information that followed from the IVF clinic for my fertility preservation journey was overwhelming. The hormones, the appointments, the schedule, the blood test, ultrasounds OMG! Have I done the right thing?

Education

To Freeze or Not to Freeze?

Post author By Melanie Platt
Post date November 5, 2020

Conversations of a single woman in her 30’s….

When asked by my gynaecologist “Do you want to have children”, my response was simple;
“Yes, at some point in the future.”

She turned her chair towards me and gave me the look, the motherly empathy with a hint of authority and some stern advice.
“See the fertility specialist about egg freezing NOW. A 37 year old egg is better than a 40 year old egg.”

She went on to describe her situation where she was rushing to have her eggs frozen 2 weeks before her 40th birthday so she could snag her last 39 year old eggs.

I was laughing because I could so see myself doing this. But then I had time to process and think it all through. And boy did the questions and frustrations come out. How does that even work? How much will it cost? Do I need time off work? Am I going to be crazy if I’m on hormones? Why is this even happening to me?
Why can’t I have just met someone when I was 25 and be married with kids by 30 like my perfect plan?

These are the questions or debates for women over 35 who are aware of what’s going on. For the ones who aren’t aware of their female anatomy and egg quality it might be too late.

Stage 1 – Anger
I went through stages – firstly there was anger. Anger that I had to even think about this as an option. Questioning why it just seems to work for some people and not for others.
Knowing that despite having lived my amazing life, the circumstances now meant I was 37 single and childless. I called a friend and was so mad and upset asking her why I couldn’t just have a penis and do whatever I wanted. To not have to think about it. What followed was many conversations with friends and a lot of research.

Stage 2 – Girl Power
After I calmed down a little, I remembered being a woman is fabulous! Yes we go through a lot in our lifetime but what our bodies are capable of is just so awe inspiring and miraculous. I should never speak badly of my body as it works tirelessly for me every day. The miracle of being able to have a healthy baby is in itself a wonder.

When you are born you have approx. 1-2 million eggs, by the time you are at puberty you have 400,000 remaining. Over the span of your reproductive years only 300-400 will be ovulated. Of which one egg will be developed and released from your ovaries during your menstrual cycle. ONE! Mind blowing.

Stage 3 – Getting informed
I went to see the fertility specialist about egg freezing, he calls fertility preservation.
Which I kinda like the sound of better. He gave me all the options,
1. Do nothing (could have very easily stopped here)
2. Test my AMH levels and decide if I go further
3. Check for endometriosis through a laparoscopy and/or go ahead with fertility preservation.

The egg time test ie a blood test of your AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) levels which is an indicator of your ovarian reserve level AKA how many egg’s you have left. If the levels are ok from a quantity point of view, the fertility specialist likes to do a laparoscopy surgery to check for endometriosis (it can potentially reduce the quality of the eggs) and remove if needed. Following this the fertility specialist can see where your endometriosis is and if it has potentially affected the quality of your eggs and therefore your ability to freeze eggs. If it has then you have the option of freezing embryo’s. This is where you have the sperm and egg combined prior to freezing.

At this point I was just getting all the information. And WOW was this a lot of info. I had many questions, especially this one:

“Would I be ok if I didn’t have children at some point in my life.”

I asked a few women in my life who haven’t had children to get their opinion on how they felt either not having had children or not being able to have them. Was there regret?

Not one of them regretted it but all said how amazing this technology was to give options for women. Options that weren’t around in their time.

I’m a thinker, so I thought a lot and I tried to think of this from every angle. My brain telling me it’s logical, the smart thing to do, it buys me time to meet a man without the pressure of having kids straight away. Feeling from my heart knowing that I’m not ready to give up on being a mum, and knowing that I’m not ready to rule out becoming a mother on my own. Knowing that I need more time. The biggest contemplation at the end of it all is why wouldn’t I do it? The technology is there, money shouldn’t even be a factor in the insurance of being able to have a child, and it puts my mind at ease knowing I have more time.

Make the choice yourself, it has to be yours, you have to own it.

I decided knowledge is power. So, I have decided to go through with fertility preservation aka “my insurance policy”. Whether I use it or not, I know they are there.

Starting with the AMH blood test and the laparoscopy to see what’s going on.

Do I regret any of the decisions that have led me to this point in my life? Absolutely not! I have loved and lived and travelled and explored and thoroughly enjoyed my life. But when I’m ready to become a mum I know I have a back-up plan if needed.

But hmmm having to potentially select a sperm donor if I have to freeze embryo’s, well that’s a whole other ball game………

To be continued.

Education Nutrition Pregnancy

Do You Need Pregnancy Vitamins & Minerals?

Post author By Melanie Platt
Post date October 13, 2020

Do you need Pregnancy Vitamins & Minerals?

What do vitamins and minerals actually do in the body?

What is their role and all the hype?

They are involved in 100’s of roles within the body from building healthy strong bones, to making hormones and even helping maintain your heart beat.
However the biggest role they have is the thousands of reactions within each cell of your body every second of the day to open the cell and receive the nutrients from your food so your body can utilise the food you are putting in.

The next question to ask yourself is do I need Vitamins and Minerals during my pregnancy?

The simple answer is yes. Vitamins and Minerals are involved in keeping you healthy and helping you grow the healthiest baby you can so why wouldn’t you want to do everything you can to build a strong and healthy baby.

It can be really confusing not knowing which ones to have, but here’s a run down of the must have vitamins and minerals during your pregnancy, and how you can find them naturally.

We should all aim to get the recommended quantities of vitamins and minerals through a balanced diet but that is not alway possible due to the quality of our foods and our time poor lifestyles. This is where supplementation is key and not all supplements are made equal.

Key Vitamins & Minerals

Iron: Is vital in the formation of blood cells and the transport of oxygen to your blood cells. Your body is producing a much larger blood volume to accomodate for the placenta, up to an extra 9L of blood in your body. Your absorption of Iron is enhanced by Vitamin C. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist (RANZCOG) recommend being tested for Iron before taking a supplement, however the daily dose required is 60mg .
Food: chicken, eggs, red meat, beans, tofu, legumes, pumpkin & sunflower seeds.
Folate: Is a B vitamin, when it is added to food or as a supplement is known as Folic acid. It’s vital in many metabolic processes of the body (breaking down food & repairing/rebuilding our cells & body). Not having enough folate in pregnancy has been linked to an increased risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. RANZCOG recommends 0.4mg/day one month prior to pregnancy and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Foods: kidney beans, cooked spinach, asparagus, broccoli, kale, tomato, avocado, walnuts, cabbage.
Iodine: A really important mineral that is essential for the development of your baby’s brain (IQ) and nervous system. It’s also very important in the role of your thyroid gland. Your thyroid gland takes Iodine and converts it into thyroid hormones. Your thyroid hormones determine your metabolic rate, the rate at which your body uses energy and it is vital for every cell in the body to function properly. RANZCOG recommend a dose of 150 micrograms/day. Food: seaweed, strawberries, eggs, seafood.
Zinc: Is essential for normal growth and development of the bones, brain and other parts of the body. It is known as a trace element and a catalyst for a number of enzymes in cell division and cell growth (which is what happened in the bones cells everyday rebuilding and regenerating). It’s also great for boosting your immune system. Foods: red meat, dairy products, beans, seeds.
Calcium: The RANZCOG recommend 1000mg/day for pregnant women 19 years and older. This can reduce the incidence of you having high blood pressure and having your baby early. Foods: Dairy, green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin D: Not something you would think could be low in Australia, however recent research is showing there is a deficiency emerging. Vitamin D helps the body absorb Calcium, it’s also vital in preventing osteoporosis for you later in life. Deficiency can also lead to an impaired skeletal development in your baby. You may get enough from the sunshine, however if you are unsure consult your doctor for a blood test and look into supplementation. Foods: Tuna, salmon, orange juice with fortified vitamin D, dairy & plant milks with fortified vitamin D.
Omega 3 fatty acids: Also know as Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Our bodies do not make this on it’s own we have to ingest it. Research has show only 10% of women of childbearing age meet the recommended dietary levels of DHA. This is essential for your baby’s neural, brain and eye development. There is huge concerns and confusing information around the safe intake of fish during pregnancy. The RANZCOG recommend 2-3 serves of fish/week (salmon, trout, sardines & mackrel) of 150g/serve. However achieving adequate amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids is difficult with food alone. There is research showing supplementation as a convenient and effective way to get the required daily dose to reduce the risk of having your baby early. Not all supplements are made equal or with quality, ensure you look for one with both DHA and EPA with at least 500mg of DHA and no more than 1000mg/day. Foods: Fish, seafood, nuts, seeds – chia, walnut, plant oils – flaxseed oil.
Vitamin B12: If you are vegetarian or vegan you will need to supplement your B12 as well. The RANZCOG recommended dose is 2.6mcg/day. Check with your doctor if you are unsure if you need a supplement. Foods: Fish, meat, eggs, yoghurt, nutritional yeast, tofu.

So all that may seem confusing, the simplest step would be to aim for a rainbow of colours and get your 5 cups of veggies and fruit in/day and look into supplementation especially for your Omega 3’s. Speak to your health practitioner with any concerns.

Reference: Vitamin and mineral supplementation in pregnancy (C-obs 25) RANZCO

Education Labour Pregnancy

How to Prepare for Birth & Labour

Post author By Melanie Platt
Post date July 30, 2020

How to Prepare for Birth & Labour

Let’s face it you are about to go through the marathon of your life! It’s no easy task but there are a few things you can do to help yourself get prepared and ease your stress.

There are many things you can do to prepare your mind, body and home for pregnancy, labour and a new born. Here are just a few practical tips.

1. Pelvic Floor muscle strength and endurance prior to delivery. You may only think you need to do this after birth when you have symptoms eg urinary leakage or to get your body back after birth. However the pelvic floor muscles also have this amazing ability to help guide your baby down into your birth canal Win Win! anything to help that process go more smoothly is a key!
You can also learn how to activate, strengthen, switch off and control these muscles to prevent said leakage from occurring. Your muscles have a memory pattern, so starting earlier makes it easier for the muscles to remember how to work after giving birth and can help improve your recovery. Helping you get back to your strength and coping with life as a new mum quicker and easier. Again winning! Get your Vagina Wink Guide here

2. Muscle Strength – Maintaining your body’s strength during pregnancy is vital to help with your labour and your recovery. Most important for labour will be your leg strength. Being able to move into different positions during labour and be able to sustain those positions will be very helpful for you. So having muscle endurance is the key. Another exercise I love for women who are pregnant without any pelvic pain is the wide leg squat – you can do it against the wall with a swiss ball for greater stability but it helps to open your hips and prepare for labour. You can also sit on the swiss ball and gently stretch your hips and inner thigh too. Upper body strength will serve you well when you are feeding and carrying around your little one and everything that goes with them. Our pregnancy pelvic floor exercise program incorporates both lower body and upper strength with a pelvic floor focus, along with stretching too.

3. Mental Health – music, breathing techniques, relaxation and meditation are all great to practice prior to giving birth for your well being while pregnant and so you can feel calmer when things that you can’t control pop up. You can also use these techniques if you want to during labour to feel as calm as you can and stay focused on something positive.

4. Food and Hydration – Depending on what restrictions are in place by your hospital or doctor this is something to consider. I don’t know about you but i’m hungry all the time so don’t think you won’t be during labour, because it could go for awhile. If you’re hungry and your hospital allows it you should eat, especially in early labour as you need to keep your energy levels up. Choose small snack portions of foods that are easily digested e.g. plain crackers, yoghurt, easy to eat fruits like sultanas, a wrap, a protein bar or veggies sticks. Recent data has suggested inadequate hydration can lead to a longer labour with your contractions slowing down, taking small sips of water during labour can help maintain your hydration and energy levels. Also keep in mind that your hydration stores need to be kept up, so maintaining hydration in the days leading up to labour is a must! Note: If you have a high risk pregnancy and may need a caesarian ask your OBGYN first.

5. Be mentally and emotionally prepared – This is probably the most important part of labour. Being prepared for what might happen, will happen and what choices you can make can help you feel slightly in control of a situation that is hard to comprehend. Talk to your friends, talk to your health professionals and talk to your partner. And at the end of all that research, take the time to think and feel for yourself and make decisions based on what you need and what’s best for you and your family. Then visualise that happening and work with positive thoughts.

Tags birth, labour, pregnancy, prepare for birth

Education Exercise Labour Pregnancy

Do Births Always Go to Plan?

Post author By Melanie Platt
Post date April 9, 2020

Rebecca Barr has recently joined our team at Perfect Pelvic Floor as our guest blogger. She has been a Physiotherapist for over 10 years with years of experience in pelvic floor retraining and incontinence. Here is her beautiful birth story and I just love her beautiful baby girls name Emmison.

After seeing those two lines appear, I knew I had to do another test just to make sure. This time the digital pregnancy stick which told me I was 1 – 2 weeks pregnant!

I had feelings of excitement and elation, which quickly turned to slightly frightened and nervous about the long nine months ahead. I was healthy and fit, what could possibly go wrong?! After the initial nerves, I did sail through most of my pregnancy without a worry. Even my obstetrician made a comment asking if I had done this before!! He had never seen a first time mum so relaxed. Each appointment he would ultrasound scan me and say yes baby is perfect, and measuring well.

At 37 weeks when I went in for another routine check, the obstetrician wasn’t so quick to say what I had been hearing from him at every other appointment. Instead he said he would like me to have a different scan to measure size and weight more accurately. Off I went to have this scan and returned to him telling me I had low amniotic fluid levels. Not too low to have anything done right away, but low enough to be closely monitored to ensure my baby was still growing.

Over the next two weeks I was a lot more aware of my precious little bubs movements. There used to be a lot of kicks when I would drink a cold glass of water, and as soon as I would get into bed to relax after a long day on my feet, I would usually feel the summersaults inside me. This had certainly started to reduce and I was quite anxious about what bub was doing in there!! The hospital were fantastic when I rang to say I felt there was reduced movement. I was told I could go in as much as I want and have a CTG whenever I felt I needed reassurance. A CTG is a Cardiotocography which monitors both the foetal heart rate and the contractions of the uterus.

My obstetrician decided at 39 weeks that I would be induced, which was a relief to be honest, as everyday I felt like I was overanalysing my baby’s movements or lack there of!

So the induction day came around quickly and it was lucky I was super organised and had my bags packed ready to go! My husband and I went in to hospital and I was first given the gel which helps to bring on contractions and soften the cervix. My waters would then be broken the next morning if nothing happened spontaneously. Overnight I felt mild contractions at no regular intervals, surprisingly I did get a good nights sleep! The midwives were in getting me up early and took me around to the birthing suite where I was to have my waters broken and then get comfortable for a long day ahead of me.

Once my waters were broken the contractions started almost immediately. What I thought were contractions overnight were measly little cramps, this was the real deal! I was able to walk around and there was a fitball in the room which I could use to hug and lean forwards onto during the strong contractions. My husband was very supportive and was following me around the room helping to massage my back but it got to the point where nothing I or he could do would help the intense pain! I then opted for an epidural and alas, I was able to function again!!

Having an epidural was great, I could lie down and relax after all those exhausting contractions. It did however prolong the active labour, although the obstetrician was in regularly checking my progress. I got to 8cm dilation when the obstetrician said my baby had turned posterior. Bummer! I was so close. He organised a theatre room and said we could try turning baby with forceps or vacuum. I was not keen on either of these methods as I had done my research and knew particularly forceps was quite damaging to my baby and my pelvic floor muscles. I had discussed this with the obstetrician during a previous appointment and he knew I did not want this method in my birthing plan. So I then consented to an emergency caesarean.

Within 10 minutes I was down being prepped in the theatre room. I could see on the monitor that baby’s heart rate was dropping, however all the staff seemed so relaxed and positive for me. The caesarean section was the quickest part of the whole experience, I just remember seeing my beautiful baby girl passed over the drape so that I could cuddle her straight away. My husband then cut her umbilical cord and seeing her being held in his arms I knew we had unconditional love for her.

Rebecca Bar has been a Physiotherapist for over 10 years and has post graduate qualifications in Women’s & Men’s Health and lives in Victoria Australia.
She has a keen interest in helping people improve their quality of life and loves spending her time playing tennis, hanging out by the beach and spending time with her beautiful daughter.

Education Exercise Post Natal Pregnancy

Pelvic Floor Facts You Need to Know!

Post author By Melanie Platt
Post date February 3, 2020

When talking about your pelvic floor muscles what are the essentials you need to know?
These small and sometimes seemingly insignificant muscles do a whole lot that you probably don’t even know about and wouldn’t even realise.

Reality is you can thank these muscles for pleasure and avoiding embarrassment!These important muscles form a sling like support system at the base of your pelvis. They work on some level without you even knowing it which is why sometimes they stop working as well as they should. Hence we need as strengthening program to get the working well but also learn to switch them off when needed.

Here are some must know Pelvic Floor facts:

The pelvic floor muscles are made up of Pubococcygeus, Iliococcygeus, Coccygeus & Puborectalis. They sound really long and complicated but make up our superficial and deep layers of the muscles.
Pelvic floor exercises are the same as “doing your Kegels” ( kegels is just the American term. You have no idea how many times i’m asked this)
When pelvic floor muscles are tightened or contracted you get a closing and a lifting sensation of the vaginal walls.
They are important to us throughout our whole life especially as a woman. During pregnancy, the post partum period and onwards.
The muscles play a role in starting and stopping the flow of urine based on a contraction of the detrusor muscles. For more see our bladder blog
Men have pelvic floor muscles too. Surprise, surprise They are important for avoiding the post urinating drip. They can also have issues when the prostate becomes enlarged and presses on the nerves innovating the pelvic floor muscles.
They provide support your pelvic organs from below. Vital for any kind of exercise especially jumping & running. Also anything that causes an increase in intra abdominal pressure Eg coughing, sneezing & laughing.
They play a role with sexual sensation. The pelvic floor muscles help the clitoris become enlarged with contraction and can increase the sensation of an orgasm when contracted at the same time.
Assist in baby delivery. The pelvic floor muscles help guide the baby’s head into the birthing canal when the time is ready.
They are just like any other muscles in the body. They have blood flow, you can strengthen them, relax them and they can become tight and cause other issues.
Slow twitch and fast twitch fibres. Which work like any other muscles, slow to perform endurance type activities and fast to stop the flow of urine quickly.
Pain and swelling can inhibit your muscle control. The same as a lot of muscles in the body when we have pain and swelling it can interfere with the function of your muscles.

So many reasons to be thankful for these muscles! And if you don’t think you know how to activate them or wondering how strong you are? Take our Pelvic Floor Quiz below and find out.

Education Exercise Labour Post Natal

5 Essentials for New Mums

Post author By Melanie Platt
Post date December 12, 2019

As a new mum, you generally forget about yourself and look after everyone else. Hands down it’s about survival. However, I’m here to remind you the 1st 8 weeks are by far the best time for your body to recover!
Research has shown the best recovery gains in your stomach muscle separation and function are within the 1st 8 weeks. Don’t freak out, there are very easy and gentle exercises that you can do at home within this time frame, none of which put your body at risk.
Read on for 5 easy things to do:

1. Work on your pelvic floor from day one! This is so vital and important. Make sure your pelvic floor muscles are working, strong and able to hold everything in. You can start activating your pelvic floor muscles 24 hours after giving birth, regardless of the way you gave birth. Remember you may not be able to feel much happening down there and it may hurt. Keep going slowly and start to connect the pathway from your brain to your muscles by trying daily.

2. Have your abdominal separation checked and go slow. Don’t even think about an abdominal crunch until your separation has been checked multiple times by health professionals and you feel strong within your pelvic floor. You have a window of 8 weeks post baby to really work on getting your separation as close together as it will go. See someone early and start gentle exercises early.

3. Start gentle lower tummy exercises. Transversus abdominis especially, this is a great muscle providing lower back, pelvis and stomach support. Start gently by lying on your back and trying to slowing draw your belly button to your spine without tilting/moving your bottom/pelvis or spine. This is a great one to help activate those deeper muscles to help with your abdominal separation. If you have a separation add gentle compressions with your hands to close the muscles together.

4. If you are keen to get back into running, surfing or more high impact exercise build up to it once your pelvic floor and deep stomach muscles are strong. You need to start by by building a base and this can be done with general walking. Move onto pilates, yoga and more dynamic exercises as you feel stronger, again ensuring your pelvic floor is working during your other exercises. Your hormones are still changing which means your muscles can’t possible be at their maximum strength until 3 months post baby so don’t even think about running or any high impact exercise before this time.

5. I’m all for women getting back into exercise and sport and reaching some kick arse goals but that takes time. This is the time to focus on strength, not weight loss or pre baby body etc. There is no such thing! Your body has gone through something amazing and is like nothing else you will ever go through. You can’t possible expect your body to be like it was. That’s way too much pressure on yourself. Relax, be kind to yourself and take away the pressure. Aim for strength and posture. The weight loss will come later.

I have seen some clients feel good and think their pelvic floor is strong and go back to the gym at 6 weeks post partum and end up with a prolapse. The inside takes time to recover and heal. Focus on healthy choices and gentle movement. My general rule is no running until you can hold your pelvic floor on for 10 full breaths while walking and even then not before 3 months post partum.

Hot tip: TAKE YOUR TIME! Your body needs nutrients to support you and your baby. Be healthy, eat good nutritious food and go slow getting back into exercise. Remember it can take a year to recover from pregnancy and labour. Be patient and kind to yourself, you’re a mum now.

There is help! Join our new mum recovery program and get all the exercises you need for your 1st 12 weeks.

10 exercises/week that are super gentle and don’t take up much of your precious time.

New Mum Recovery Program