Pelvic Health Matters

19/01/2021

Rehab reality with 2 little ones! Keep it functional!

05/01/2021

Interesting info.....although informal it still may offer some comfort and reassurance to many.

Remember you are enough and you are doing a great job.

I asked if your little one wakes and/or feeds at night and their age bracket.
This was an informal poll and is most definitely not scientific in any way! But did have nearly 10 thousand responses so will hopefully reassure you that you're not alone.

04/01/2021

Monday Motivation’......

‘Self care’ - Do you make time for self care? what do you regard as ‘self care?’

Why do so many of us struggle to set time aside for ‘self care?’

You have to care enough about yourself to take care of yourself.

2020 has been an interesting year - great for some, ok for some and truly awful for many.

As we move into 2021 let’s bring awareness to what we eat, drink, how we move, think, breathe and what we believe and perceive.

Let’s shift the focus to ‘life happens for you and not to you’

You have a responsibility emotionally and physically to reach your potential.

You have a choice....the choices you make today will impact how you feel, function and look today and your entire future.

Self care is a journey....make sure you aren’t so focused on the goals that you actually miss out on life!!!

22/12/2020

My Post natal rehab journey continues and at 10 months out I am running between 5-10km, 1-2x per week along with resistance training.

I continue to breastfeed.

Even with my knowledge I continue to experience a degree of back and hip pain which is impacting on my overall functional ability and mood.

I have been proactive with my own rehab but I have also commenced 1:1 sessions with a musculoskeletal physiotherapist for hands on manual therapy. 😄

Recovery is not a ‘quick fix’ thing.... we must think of it over the short and long term and recognise that it is not linear and it is a multi factorial journey.

So today I met Helen the Podiatrist @ the Loughbrickland Clinic (recommended by Morna my physio) who video analysed my gait in walking and running.

Immediately she was able to see my issues 🥴

Biomechanically I could be a whole lot better in a few areas....so I have decided to give Orthotics a go to see if they help support me into a better alignment and ease some of the stress on my hips and low back.

I will continue all my strength work as this is the bread and butter to rehab. Never forget the fundamentals....we must build a strong foundation from the inside outside if we are to be resilient mamas 😄

Be proactive in your own recovery - seek out professional advice from various therapists if needed.

It’s all about team work & systems working in unity over the long term.

And remember recovery @ 6 weeks postnatal is a load of 💩🤣

06/10/2020

*Calling all pregnant ladies*

Are you pregnant & meeting the daily exercise recommendation for during pregnancy?

Do you know what the current recommendations even are?

Many women are often afraid to exercise & don’t realise the importance of keeping active in order to improve their pregnancy journey, labour experience and postpartum recovery.

If you are keen to exercise under the guidance of a Specialist Pelvic Health Physiotherapist come join us at FitBumps

New 5 week block of Virtual classes commencing Tuesday 6th Oct @ 7:45pm

You will have access to live class & channel for replays.

Schedule your appointment online 360 Health

14/09/2020

September 2020 is the annual Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month in the US.

At Pelvic Health Matters (UK) we feel you can never be reminded too many times of how important it is to become more aware of cancers of the reproductive tract as early detection and prevention improves outcomes.

Gynaecological cancers are those that develop in the
womb, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal areas.

Unfortunately awareness levels of these cancers remains very low.

Each year in the UK, over 21,000 women are diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer.

This means 58 people receive this life-changing news each and every day & sadly, 21 of these women die pre day from their gynaecological cancer.

Significant amounts of information are available online & we encourage you to get informed & share your knowledge.

Lets start talking to each other & stop being embarrassed to talk about our 'bits' - it might just save your life!

We are delighted to announce that we will have Specialist Gynaecology Consultant Dr Mark McComiskey joining us for a webinar to share his top tips on the top 5 cancers, what to look out for and how to perform effective self examinations to encourage early detection.

https://eveappeal.org.uk/

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The UK’s Gynaecological Cancer Research Charity raising awareness & funding research into five gynae-cancers: Womb, Ovarian, Cervical, Vulval and Vaginal.

10/09/2020

*Sept 10th - WORLD SU***DE PREVENTION DAY*

Nearly 3000 people on average commit su***de daily, according to WHO.
For every person who completes a su***de, 20 or more may attempt to end their lives.

About one million people die by su***de each year.

In the UK, men are three times as likely to die by su***de than women.
In the Republic of Ireland, the rate is four times higher among men than women.

While there has been a reduction in the number of people completing su***de over the last ten years, the numbers are still worryingly high.

World Su***de Prevention Day aims to start the conversation about su***de and to show that recovery is possible.

Su***de is a major preventable cause of premature death which is influenced by psycho-social, cultural and environmental risk factors that can be prevented through worldwide responses that address these main risk factors.

There is strong evidence indicating that adequate prevention can reduce su***de rates.

As professionals & individuals it is essential that we raise awareness that su***de is preventable. We must improve education & information about su***de awareness and most importantly we must decrease stigmatisation regarding su***de.

www.rethink.org

www.iasp.info/wspd2020/

09/09/2020

ARE YOUR PREGNANT & NEW TO EXERCISE?

Are you feeling confused re: what you 'should and should not do?'

Pregnancy can be a challenging time yet also be an incredible opportunity for women to kick start a new journey towards healthy living which will hopefully extend well beyond the pregnant period.

Statistically very few women, around 15% to be exact actually meet the recommended guidelines for exercise in pregnancy.

There can be many barriers to exercise in pregnancy - fatigue, morning sickness, family & work demands, lack of motivation and musculoskeletal pain.

But for women with no contraindications, the benefits of exercise in pregnancy are so substantial that they fair out weigh the risks.
In an uncomplicated pregnancy, all women should be encouraged to exercise regularly - even if they haven't done much exercise prior to pregnancy.

Some of the benefits include:
- improved / maintained cardiovascular fitness
- reduced risk of excessive weight gain
- improved quality of life scores
- potentially improved sleep quality
- reduced lower limb oedema & low back pain
- improved self-esteem / self image

As professionals we must support pregnant mums through this special time and guide them appropriately. When it comes to exercise in pregnancy, there is no 'perfect exercise' that suits everyone.

If you are pregnant and keen to start exercising contact us at Pelvic Health Matters to discuss your needs and goals in more detail.
When you are happy and able we can get you started either on a 1 to 1 basis or in a group setting via are collaboration with FitBumps&Beyond at 360 Health Physiotherapy Clinic Lisburn.

www.360healthni.co.uk
info@360healthni.co.uk
02892660620

360 Health Physiotherapy and Pilates Clinic Lisburn provides Physiotherapy and a range of specialised Pilates classes to maintain and improve both physical...

24/07/2020

Anyone know any mums who’d like to get involved with this 😄

💥 LAST CHANCE TO BE A PART OF HISTORY! 💥

I would love to get 3 women to take part in this with me, for me to document as part of this global documentary named “Life In A Day 2020” which takes place tomorrow (full 24-hours)

▪️ A model release must be signed, which gives me permission to capture you BUT also to for the opportunity for “Life In A Day 2020” to share your video IF it gets produced
▪️ Must take place within the 24-hour period on Saturday
▪️ I will not be entering houses or hospitals so please keep this in mind if you want to take part
▪️ Must be within 1 hour of Lisburn

I am looking for...
▪️ A mum in labour at home or preparing to get ready for baby (labour might be difficult, I will not be there for the birth)
▪️ Baby coming home from the hospital and arriving at home
▪️ Family meeting baby for the first time (eg family members who’ve been shielding, meeting your baby for the first time)

I will be with you for up to 30 minutes. It’s a short video snippet and you will get the footage to have.

If you’d be interested, please PM or send me an email at info@rebekahcollinsphotographer.com

Please remember, this is ONLY for the 24hrs of Saturday 🥰

23/07/2020

26/06/2020

Interesting fact - Did you know that breastfeeding women have oestrogen levels similar to that of a menopausal women? 🧐

All women have low levels of estrogen for the first couple of months after giving birth. Continued breastfeeding extends this period for at least six months and for some women the lower levels may last as long as they are breastfeeding.

Exclusive breastfeeding is associated with high levels of prolactin. These high levels of prolactin prevent your ovaries from ovulating or releasing eggs.

So what do low estrogen levels mean for mum - low levels may cause vaginal dryness, tightness and tenderness.

Again vaginal dryness is something women do not like to talk about whether they are postnatal or peri-post menopausal.

Changes in vaginal lubrication secondary to low estrogen levels may lead to dryness, irritation, difficulty sitting, wearing tight clothing, discomfort on sexual in*******se leading to avoidance.

Women and professionals should be more aware of this problem, which may too often be minimized and ignored.

So what can be done about it?
For the postnatal mum appropriate treatment can include vaginal oestrogen cream so if you feel you are having issues do not ignore it and request an appointment with your GP to discuss starting oestrogen during your post natal journey.

If you have any questions please get in touch.

18/06/2020

Did you know it’s World Continence week?

Incontinence is a huge issue.
Yes we are getting better at talking about it but there is still such lack of understanding and an ongoing attitude of ‘oh I’ll just put up with it!’

Yes it is extremely common but it is not normal!
Women should not accept it as something that happens after having a baby or when they hit menopause.

Incontinence impacts women, men and children. It strips people of their confidence and ability to perform their normal day to day activities.
Instead fear, anxiety and inactivity can take over.

As a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist I strive to help educate and empower people. The more we talk about such issues and normalise them the more likely sufferers are to get help.

So ask yourself - how’s your bladder control? How’s your pelvic floor functioning?

Do you reach for the TENA pad or Always panty liner to catch that ‘little leak’
Whether it’s a little leak or a bigger leak, a leak is a leak and it should not be happening!

If you would like to chat more about potential issues please drop me a message and we can arrange a chat 😀