Why Mums Don’t Jump

The gender health gap. It's a phrase we're hearing more and more and is relevant around the world. So what's it all about and what does it mean for those of us with pelvic floor dysfunction? 

Helen chats to the award-winning health journalist, Sarah Graham, founder of the Hysterical Women blog, which looks at inequalities in women's health, and author of a new book on the gender health gap, due out in 2023. They discuss the impact of living with a healthcare system designed 'by men, for men', and how women sharing their own stories is helping to force change.

You can find Sarah on Instagram and Twitter
More on the UK government's Women's Health Strategy here
More on the Scottish government's Women's Health Plan here
Further reading about the gender health gap here
RCOG report on long waits for gynaecology services here

This episode is sponsored by Modibodi, the  go-to brand for any of life’s leaks. They have very kindly given us a discount code! Use WMDJ15 for 15% off your first order excluding sale items, bundles, gift cards and Maxi-24hrs.

Crazy times at WMDJ HQ so no full episode this week, sorry! Instead, here's something to make you smile from a listener, psychotherapist and poet, Jacky Power (aka The Therapeutic Poet). Normal service resumes next week!

Jacky hosts The Therapeutic Poet podcast. Her first collection of poetry is available here.
 

Pelvic floor problems are surrounded by stigma and shame, but have you ever wondered why? Why do we find anything remotely related to our genitalia so embarrassing? And if we didn't, what difference would it make to how we feel?

Helen meets Dr Catherine Blackledge, a scientist, journalist, sex and fertility education advocate and author. In 2003 she published a book to celebrate everything about the vagina, Raising the Skirt: the Unsung Power of the Vagina (originally published as The Story of V).

In this episode, Helen and Catherine explore historical attitudes towards female genitalia and the importance of language, when even the words we use have a literal root in the Latin for ‘shame’. They look back to a time when the vulva was feared and revered and ask 'what changed?'.

You can find Catherine's website here 
You can find out more about Helen O'Connell's pioneering work into the anatomical study of the clitoris here
You can read more about Anasyrma here

This episode is sponsored by Modibodi, the  go-to brand for any of life’s leaks. They have very kindly given us a discount code! Use WMDJ15 for 15% off your first order excluding sale items, bundles, gift cards and Maxi-24hrs. 

Diastasis recti is where the muscles that run down the middle of your stomach separate during pregnancy. It's really common and usually goes back to normal within eight weeks of delivery, but sometimes it doesn't. And it can lead to back problems and hernia - both things that Niki Odogwu has been dealing with since her daughters were born, as well as stress urinary incontinence. 

In this episode, Niki tells Helen how her back troubles got to the point where she couldn't get out of bed and how a postpartum fitness programme changed everything - helping her to manage her back pain and strengthen her pelvic floor. They discuss how a lack of information leaves women in the dark about our own bodies and why we need to do better at postpartum care:

You can find more information about Diastasis Recti here and here

The postpartum fitness programme MUTU System* is here

*This is not an ad, Why Mums Don't Jump has no affiliation with MUTU System.

It's a big day in Helen's pessary saga! After a year-long wait to be fitted for a vaginal pessary, she's offered a private appointment with a specialist in London. 

In this episode, you'll hear what happens at a pessary fitting when Helen visits Tracey Matthews - a women's health physio, former British rower, strong woman, cross fitter and proud pessary wearer. She's passionate about the benefits of pessaries when it comes to helping women with pelvic organ prolapse or incontinence and walks Helen through an assessment. Helen leaves with a cube...but will her pelvic floor be up to the task?

Tracey talks about the shock of discovering her own prolapse after the birth of her first child, her decision to specialise in pessaries and why it's so important to end the stigma around them:

HUGE thanks to Tracey Matthews who is @prolapsestrength Instagram and part of the team at White Hart Clinic in London

For an easy guide to vaginal pessaries, read this blog

For more pessary chat listen to last seasons episode Vaginal Pessaries: A Deep Dive

Check out the new UK guidelines for patients and clinicians, which were mentioned in this episode

For more information about 3D printed pessaries of the future (!) go here

To see a video of a pessary fitting with Tracey go here

Helen is joined by Elaine Miller (aka Gusset Grippers) - a fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and award winning comedian who's on a mission to tackle your pelvic floor...whilst making you laugh, which sounds counterintuitive but actually makes perfect sense!

They discuss the long-standing evidence behind kegels for stress incontinence (and for prolapse), why pelvic floor problems are a feminist issue and how using humour really can change lives.

Elaine is @gusset_grippers on Instagram

Tickets for Elaine's show at the Edinburgh Fringe are available here
You can find a 60 second pelvic floor squeeze-along here

Returning to running postpartum is one thing. Then add pelvic floor problems to the mix. Now imagine you're an ultra-runner who likes to do 100-plus mile races. This is Sophie Power.

Since a photo of her breastfeeding her baby mid-race went viral, Sophie has been working to empower more women to get active. Then she made a film about her postpartum return to running only to discover - on camera - that she has pelvic organ prolapse.

Helen talks to Sophie about pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence and her journey back to fitness after childbirth - despite being told she may never run again - and how important it is that mums are helped to reach their goals, whatever they are. 

Sophie Power is @ultra_sophie on Instagram
You can watch 'Sophie Power - The Journey from Pregnancy to Performance' here
Find out more about Squeezy App here
For help with your pelvic floor exercises read this
For great advice and info follow physio Emma Brockwell on Instagram
Sophie campaigns for the charity, Women in Sport, which you can find here
Sophie mentioned EVB shorts - find out more here

Helen talks about NHS England's plans to improve pelvic health by 2024, in part by making specialists clinics available to all. You can read more here 

Surgical treatments for pelvic floor problems are many and varied, but with the vaginal mesh scandal fresh in our minds, it's easy to feel lost and unsure. Which specialist should you be referred to? What sorts of conversations might you have? What should your options and expectations look like?

In part one of this two part series, we focus on Colorectal services - where you might be referred if your symptoms affect the bowel - eg faecal incontinence, constipation or rectal prolapse.

Helen speaks to the Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, Julie Cornish, about the kinds of cases she sees and some of the lifestyle changes and treatments that might help. They discuss a lack of knowledge amongst medical professionals, a postcode lottery for care and why we should stop using the loo as a sanctuary.

Julie Cornish is @jules_cornish on Twitter

You can find more about the Bowelle app here

You can find more about the Headspace app here

The Masic Foundation can be found at www.masic.org.uk

Helen is joined by Sara Duckett, a listener and a mum-of-two. Sara has struggled with urinary and bowel incontinence, as well as prolapse, since the birth of her first child in 2016, but says a non-surgical treatment (PTNS) has been life changing . They discuss the mental health impact of pelvic floor problems, the stigma that surrounds them and the importance of never giving up .  

You can find more information about Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS) here

You can listen to the Pelvic Floor Gadgets (Vadgets) episode here

This episode is sponsored by EVB Sport who make engineered clothing which supports women with prolapse or incontinence. They have very kindly given us a discount code! Use whymumsdon'tjump to get yourself 10% off.

Menopause is having a moment, with celebrities, books and TV programmes taking on the taboo that has surrounded it for so long. But what does menopause (and perimenopause) mean for those of us with pelvic floor problems? Helen chats to a self-described ‘pelvic health nerd’ - the physiotherapist Michelle Lyons - about what’s going on, why knowledge is power and how best to manage your symptoms:

Michelle Lyons Website
Michelle Lyons Instagram

This episode is sponsored by Modibodi, the original period and leak-proof underwear brand. They have very kindly given us a discount code! Use WMDJ15 to get yourself 15% off (excluding sale items, bundles, maxi-24hrs and gift cards).

You can find Helen @whymumsdontjump on Instagram and Twitter or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

Helen is joined by Carina White - broadcaster, cultural commentator and co-host of the podcast Black Mums Upfront. Carina shares her experience of incontinence after childbirth and her long journey towards finding help. She talks with passion about how it's affected her socially, how she's found strength in sisterhood and why she wants to speak out. 

Carina White is @_carinawh on Instagram
Black Mums Upfront is @blackmumsupfront on Instagram

This episode is sponsored by Modibodi, the original period and leak-proof underwear brand. They have very kindly given us a discount code! Use WMDJ15 to get yourself 15% off (excluding sale items, bundles, maxi-24hrs and gift cards).

You can find Helen @whymumsdontjump on Instagram and Twitter or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

If you're anything like me and you know you're supposed to be doing your pelvic floor exercises but...(insert excuse here)...fear not! Here's a sixty second squeeze-along to help you get it done!

In this bonus episode you'll hear the dulcet tones of comedian and fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Elaine Miller. You can follow along as many times as you like!

Have a listen and it will all make sense, I think! I plan to have it bookmarked on my laptop and squeeze along at my desk.

If you're not sure HOW to do a pelvic floor exercise, watch this video.

Elaine is @gusset_grippers on Instagram.

You can find Helen on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

Ring, Gellhorn, Donut, Cube, Shaatz, Gehrung. They might sound like Trolls' characters, but they are, in fact, types of vaginal pessaries. A pessary is a plastic or silicone device which can be inserted into the vagina to help support the pelvic organs after prolapse or to help with incontinence. They've been around since time began (almost) and come in so many different shapes and sizes it can put your head in a spin.

In this episode, Helen speaks to the pessary expert and 'Pelvic Angel', Gaynor Morgan for an overview of what's available, how to try one and the incredible story of how she came to invent her own. Gaynor, who also teaches Pfilates (pelvic floor pilates), says for some women, the right pessary can make a huge difference: 

Gaynor reveals how incontinence affected her mum's mental health, her impactful legacy and why pessaries won't work for everyone.

Gaynor is @pelvicangel on Instagram. You can find her website here.

For a written guide to vaginal pessaries, read this fantastic blog. 

Check out the new UK guidelines for patients and clinicians, which were mentioned in this episode.

You can find Helen on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

Pop Club is back! Helen catches up with 'Skye' and 'Jess' -- friends with pelvic organ prolapse who keep each other smiling. There's a new baby, talk of surgery and reflections on birth trauma, mental health...and a ban on mirrors.

The previous Pop Club! episode led to unofficial Pop Clubs forming in the UK and around the world. If you'd like to know more, read this.

For more on having another baby after prolapse listen to this

The fitness trainer Jess mentions in this episode is Dana Landgren

And if you'd like to know more about getting back to fitness with pelvic floor dysfunction listen to this

You can find Helen on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

Wands. Cones. Probes. Biofeedback. Stimulators. Shorts. Apps. Weights. Chairs. Video Games?! Pelvic floor tech can be confusing but fear not! In this episode, Helen speaks to the pelvic health physiotherapist and self-confessed gadget nerd, Amanda Savage, for an overview. 

Helen and Amanda run through the differences between stimulation devices, biofeedback, weights, tracker apps and more. They discuss what they're for, how they work, how to use them and why it's not a great idea to do the big shop at the same time.

Amanda is @supportedmums on Instagram. You can find more detail about pelvic floor gadgets on her website here.

You can find Helen on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

Helen chats to Dr Jan Russell, a listener with a prolapse, a coach, a grandmother, an author and, in her own words, 'a feisty old crone'. Jan talks about pelvic organ prolapse after menopause and the shock of finding out the day before her 60th birthday cruise:

Helen and Jan talk about getting past the blame and the shame, learning how to manage it all with good humour and advocating for our own health:

Jan is @drjanrussell on Instagram

Jan mentioned working with the personal trainer, Lisa Gimenez-Codd, from OptiMum Health. You can find her here

You can find Helen on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

Having another baby when you have pelvic organ prolapse is a big one. There are just so many unknowns. Will pregnancy make your prolapse worse? Would it be better to have a caesarian? Can you do anything to protect yourself? Helen speaks to the pelvic health physio Clare Bourne who opens up about her experience of prolapse:

Clare has gone on to have a second child and tells Helen about her experience of birth, healing and doing it all again. They talk about how to approach pregnancy the next time around, the importance of staying active and about re-writing the narrative around prolapse:

Clare is @clarebournephysio on Instagram

Holistic Core Restore is the pelvic-floor-safe fitness programme mentioned in this episode.

You can support Why Mums Don't Jump on Buy Me A Coffee

You can find Helen on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

Helen is joined by Peace Bailey, a mother of two who lives in Spain and blogs about moving there from the UK. She shares posts on Instagram about motherhood, race and faith. But she's also chosen to speak out about nighttime urinary incontinence, or bed wetting, which she experienced after childbirth. 

Helen and Peace discuss the stigma around pelvic floor dysfunction, how hard it is to access good information, and how mums owe it to themselves to get help.

Peace is @baileysinspain on Instagram

You can find Helen @whymumsdontjump on Instagram and Twitter or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

Sex with pelvic floor problems. We're going there! Intimacy after childbirth can be difficult at the best of times. How do you even begin to navigate that if you then have incontinence or prolapse or pelvic pain? Helen and the pelvic health physiotherapist Jilly Bond discuss postnatal sex and the issues women with pelvic floor dysfunction can face, both physically and mentally: 

Jilly and Helen talk about the process of getting back to where you'd like to be and how you can access the help you need to get there.

Jilly Bond is a pelvic health physiotherapist based in Wales, with a specialist interest in pelvic pain. She's on maternity leave until Summer 2021. She is @jillybondphysio on Instagram and @jilly_bond on Twitter.

NHS information about sex therapy, including finding a psychosexual counsellor or therapist can be found here

The charity, Relate, can also provide relationship support

For a list of pelvic physios near to you, check out the Squeezy Directory here

For more about Jamie McCartney's Great Wall of Vagina go here

And to get involved with the UK Government's consultation on the gender health gap go here

You can find Helen @whymumsdontjump on Instagram and Twitter or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

(TW: birth injury, forceps, trauma, surgery)

Bowel incontinence after childbirth. It's a taboo within a taboo. But it's not uncommon. The charity, MASIC (Mothers with Anal Sphincter Injuries in Childbirth) says 1 in 10 women who have a vaginal delivery will have problems holding either poo or wind.

In this episode, Helen meets up with Chantelle, a mum from Manchester who is charting her journey with birth injury and bowel or faecal incontinence on Instagram as @tears_from_tearing. They discuss a difficult birth, treatment, supporting other mums and how we shouldn't be ashamed to talk about it:

Chantelle is @tears_from_tearing on Instagram

The charity MASIC can be found here

The Birth Trauma Association website is here

Find Helen @whymumsdontjump on Instagram and Twitter or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

If I gave you a diagram of the female pelvic anatomy, would you know where to find a labia, clitoris or urethra? Don’t feel bad if the answer is no. I mean, it’s just not something we were really ever taught. But maybe we should have been?

In this episode, Helen catches up with the pelvic physio Tiffany Sequeira (@gynaegirl) who's on a mission to educate! Sex, fannies, willies, wee and lots, lots more... is how she describes what she does. 

Helen and Tiffany discuss a pelvic floor curriculum, how pelvic health could be more inclusive, the pitfalls of talking sex on social...and how to move beyond euphemisms.

Tiffany Sequiera is @gynaegirl on Instagram
Ellie Jack Illustrations is @elliejackillustrations on Instagram and the graphics mentioned in this episode can be found here.

You can find Helen @whymumsdontjump on Instagram and Twitter or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

A hypertonic pelvic floor is where the muscles are so tight they can’t relax. It can happen after childbirth. It can be incredibly painful. And we can add it to a long list of things we’ve never heard of but probably should.

In this episode, Helen is joined by the award-winning broadcaster and journalist Emma Barnett who says a hypertonic pelvic floor is one of the ‘most upsetting’ things she’s ever been through. Emma’s not afraid to smash stigmas. She's literally written the book on periods and spoken openly about living with endometriosis. But a tight pelvic floor? She’d just never come across it.

Helen and Emma talk about awareness, a need for research and how ‘women’s issues’ don’t always get the platform they deserve.

Emma presents Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 in the UK and is a regular on BBC 2's Newsnight
You can find Emma's book 'It's About Bloody Time. Period.' here
She's @emmabarnett on Instagram and @Emmabarnett on Twitter

For more information on hypertonic pelvic floor listen to:

• Pelvic Floor Problems 101  
• Sarah's Story

Find Helen @whymumsdontjump on Instagram and Twitter or at www.whymumsdontjump.com

To find a pelvic health physiotherapist in the UK, Emma mentioned Mummy MOT or you could try the Squeezy Directory

For more information and support about Endometriosis, go to Endometriosis UK

You thought it was all over. It is now! Helen rounds off the series with Rachel Horne, News Presenter for The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio. Rachel gives an honest and moving account of traumatic birth, facing up to her urinary incontinence, marathon training...and screaming in the woods.

'Having incontinence issues because you've had children is part of the story, but you've got to get to the next chapter where you fix it!'

Rachel's instagram: @rachelhornerainbow

www.whymumsdontjump.com
Instagram: @whymumsdontjump

Helen catches up with her 'Pop Club' - three friends with pelvic organ prolapse who keep each other smiling. There's talk of difficult births, pelvic pain, surgery and pessaries...and bonding over broken vaginas at a local coffee shop.

Find more: www.whymumsdontjump.com
Instagram: @whymumsdontjump

Helen meets the freelance writer, Sarah Haselwood, who's lived with pelvic pain since the birth of her first son 7 years ago. Sarah talks about her traumatic birth, her long journey to diagnose a tight pelvic floor and the jaw-dropping treatment which gave her back her life.

Sarah is @corporatetokids on Instagram and @CorporatetoKids on Twitter
Sarah's website is: https://corporatetokids.com/

Find more: www.whymumsdontjump.com
Instagram: @whymumsdontjump

How do you find a new path to fitness when prolapse or incontinence is holding you back? How do you get past The Fear and learn to move again? How do you break a sweat without losing your insides? Helen meets Emma Brockwell, a specialist women's health physio, co-writer of the first guidelines for postnatal women returning to running and co-founder of the pelvic health campaign, Pelvic Roar.

'You need to move. You can move. You possibly just need a bit of guidance as to how to start.'

Website: www.whymumsdontjump.com
Instagram: @whymumsdontjump

Emma Brockwell, Physiomum website is here
Emma's instagram: @physiomumuk

Other links from episode 6:

Returning to running postnatal - guideline for medical, health and fitness professionals managing this population

Pelvic Roar

PopUp (Hayley Shevener)

Squeezy App

Holistic Core Restore

Elaine Miller (aka Gusset Grippers) is @gusset_grippers on Instagram

Helen meets the London author, Luce Brett, who became incontinent after the birth of her first son. Luce talks about dealing with the shock and embarrassment of urinary incontinence and prolapse at the age of 30. She shares her journey through physio and surgery, her thoughts on turning the stigma on its head...and measuring wee in a takeaway cup.

'Stigma can't bear it, if you name it'.

Luce's book 'PMSL: Or How I Literally Pissed Myself Laughing and Survived the Last Taboo to Tell the Tale' is available on pre-order here and released on June 25, 2020.

Half of women over 50 have pelvic organ prolapse
One in three women over the age of 25 have symptoms of prolapse or incontinence

Website: www.whymumsdontjump.com
Instagram: @whymumsdontjump

What are the mental health implications of pelvic floor dysfunction? How do you get your head around the emotional impact of conditions like prolapse, incontinence or pelvic pain and find a new happy? Helen meets Dr Rebecca Moore, a perinatal psychiatrist and co-founder of the campaign Make Birth Better.

'We don't give women the time and space to talk about these injuries, which I think is crazy.'

Website: www.whymumsdontjump.com/useful-links
Instagram: @whymumsdontjump

Dr Rebecca Moore Website: www.doctorrebeccamoore.com
Instagram: @drrebeccamoore

Make Birth Better: www.makebirthbetter.org 

The Masic Foundation: www.masic.org.uk

The Manchester actress, Ainsley Howard, invites Helen over to her house for this week's episode of Why Mums Don't Jump. You may know her as the voice of Fizzy in the animated TV series, Digby Dragon. She's also a mum to a pre-schooler with a second baby on the way and she explains why she's not afraid to talk about her experience of incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

'I'm 36. I don't want to wear a pad in case I sneeze or cough. I don't feel ready for that yet!'

Website: www.whymumsdontjump.com
Instagram: @whymumsdontjump

If you're new to leaks and lumps, this is the place to start! Helen and the Manchester-based women’s health physio, Katie Syrett, romp through some of the most common pelvic floor problems. They go back to basics on incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and pelvic pain, as well as discussing what really happens during a physio assessment and what we can expect from (shhh) menopause.

Website: www.whymumsdontjump.com
Instagram: @whymumsdontjump
Katie's website: www.knsphysiotherapy.co.uk

Far too many women are suffering in silence with pelvic floor dysfunction, too embarrassed to seek help for prolapse, incontinence or pelvic pain. Helen shares her experience with her best friend, Cath. She’s ready to laugh, cry and cringe her way to recovery or acceptance. She just needs some help to get started.

Website: www.whymumsdontjump.com
Instagram: @whymumsdontjump

Honest chat about incontinence, prolapse and pelvic pain. Not a trampoline in sight. Helen Ledwick meets other mums who are struggling with pelvic floor dysfunction and hears from the health professionals who live and breathe pelvic floors.