Your guide to understanding & healing your post natal body
Thank you so much purchasing this education and fitness package. I love being able to educate mum’s on what’s going on with their bodies and why its important to look after them.
The videos below are the result of hours and hours of hard work and study to bring all the information I could get my hands on to one place - so please do not share this page with anyone else. It’s just for you!
Please watch the information videos in the order they are listed below. I really hope the education will help you understand the importance of recovery and your pelvic health post-natally, and that the exercises are fun and fabulous. At the bottom of this page is a feedback form. Please take a moment to fill it in and let me know your thoughts on this information.
You can make an appointment below if you need to, or get in touch with me via email
Thank you so much again, and may your pelvic floor be fabulous :-)
Disclaimer - please watch first
Video Series: The Pelvic FLoor & the core
It’s time to learn all about this seriously awesome muscle! You will learn about the anatomy of the pelvis, what the actual core is (it’s NOT your 6-pack!) and most importantly how to switch it on.
In the early post-natal period, some women find it really hard to contract their pelvic floor without switching on other muscles or breath holding. If you can’t feel a contraction, DON’T PANIC! Your brain might just not know where your pelvic floor is, and needs a bit of help from me to find it :-)
The only way I can be 100% sure you are getting your core, pelvic floor and breathing all working correctly is to do an assessment. If your not keen on a check up or internal exam, these videos are the next best thing.
I often get asked about “Pelvic Floor Exercises” and “what’s the best exercise for your pelvic floor?”. I also see other educational sessions and exercise classes saying “do these exercises to restore your core & pelvic floor”/ “these exercises are pelvic floor exercises” and the reality is there is no pelvic floor exercise.
The pelvic floor muscle contracts and relaxes. A kegal = contraction of the pelvic floor, and then it relaxes. That’s it.
There is not a list of exercises that if you do them, your pelvic floor will magically turn on or off and work perfectly. How I wish that was true!
The trick to getting your core and pelvic floor working properly is to:
Check that you are contracting the pelvic floor and diaphragmatic breathing (not holding your breath or sucking in your tummy or bearing down).
Check if you have any dysfunction like leakage, prolapse, tummy separation or pain and get a treatment plan if needed.
Check if you first need to:
strengthen your pelvic floor?
just learn and practice switching it on?
learn not to hold your breath
learn to relax the pelvic floor first before strengthen - The general information given out about pelvic floor exercises is just to contract it. The number of educational talks and online stuff I see and hear about are only teaching you to contract your pelvic floor, meaning too many women think they have no contraction because they cant feel it. BUT their pelvic floor is already so switched on and over working it cant contract any more therefore they cant feel it. A muscle that cant relax will cause pain and usually makes leaking and prolapse and pain worse another reason why individual assessment is so important.
learn to use your pelvic floor with movement and exercise - this is where the fitness below and MamaFit™ classes come in.
Learning to use your core and pelvic floor during an exercise or movement is another individual thing. Some women want to breathe in during a movement when others breathe out - it depends on so so many factors. I hope you will understand this more as we go through the circuits each week
tummy muscle separation
It’s normal.
It has to happen during pregnancy, we ALL have it.
Here you will learn what a tummy separation is and how to check it.
This video will help to explain how to use your breathing and pelvic floor during movement. I use Pilates leg lifts and hip twists as simple examples because they are the easiest exercises to teach this. And we will go over all this during our first few classes. You can literally apply these principles to any movement or exercise you want, but it can take some brain training to get the hang of it!
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction showcase
No matter your signs and symptoms, pelvic floor physiotherapy can help.
Let’s get stuck into some learning about the common signs of pelvic floor dysfunction, and what you can do about them
Warning signs
The link below will take you to a pelvic floor screening questionnaire I made for anyone to check if they have signs and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction or if they could be at risk. Please take a few minutes to have a read
If you develop any of the following symptoms during classes, or even afterwards, please get them checked out. It will be worth the check!
Healing after Birth
Those first few hours, days and weeks fly by in a blur of feeding, naps, nappies and snuggles. I don’t think I knew what day of the week it was until about a month later!
These videos are just some advice and tips for the early days after both a vaginal and C-section delivery.
Return to fitness
This is the part you have been waiting on I’m sure. This video summarizes the general guidelines for recovery during the post-natal period.
I know I say this a lot, but the guidelines are for a non-complicated vaginal delivery with no pain or signs of pelvic floor dysfunction. If you had a C-section please give yourself an extra 3-6 weeks to start the programme until your scar has healed and you are pain free, and if you have any signs of pelvic floor dysfunction I strongly recommend getting them checked out before you start.
This video has chapters so you can quickly view the information for the time frame you are looking for.
Return to fitness
MamaFit™: Restore
Let’s get movin’!!!
Firstly there is a pdf file to view with the breakdown of exercises for each week and how many reps and sets to complete.
Equipment you will need:
Yoga
Yoga mat or towel
Thick blanket
Yoga block - or a shoe box/tissue box
Couple of pillows
Strap or a belt
Resistance bands
Return to exercise plan
Yoga weeks 1-2: Vaginal Delivery
Yoga weeks 1-2: C-Section
Exercise plan: Weeks 3-4
Yoga weeks 3-8: Vaginal Delivery
Yoga weeks 3-8: C-Section
Exercise plan: weeks 5-6
Exercise plan: weeks 7-10
Yoga weeks 8-12
Post Natal Pilates Class
And finally a 45 minute Pilates class suitable from 6 weeks post-natal. If you have any dysfunction or pain or recovering for a C section, you may need to wait a few extra weeks to start this.
Equipment I use in the class:
mat
resistance band (can use a rolled up towel or a belt)
swiss ball (a chair will do too)
optional: foam roller (this makes some exercises harder, you can hire them from the clinic here)
Post natal pilates class
I would love to invite you to join this amazing support group. We really are super mums, and do it all. But our minds sometimes don’t like us thinking that we are. For me, it’s anxiety and my goodness it is consuming sometimes! Post natal depression and anxiety have so much stupid stigma around them and I see too many mums suffer. Well I see you, I hear and I am you.
This amazing support group is the brainchild of my fabulous mate Brenda. She is working hard to change the pretty mush non-existing support for mums. Here is a little bit from her…
The concept for this Support group was developed after I went thru a very difficult battle with Post Natal Depression after my 4rd child. I found myself alone with no support, struggling to do everything and keep everything together for our family of 5. My 4rd child is my Rainbow baby so the trauma from my loss clouded my pregnancy and birth, and the feelings of failure and worthlessness followed me thru the journey and sent me down a path of indescribable pain and suffering that almost cost me my life.
This group is the culmination of my journey, my story and struggles allowing others to realise motherhood is tough, and no matter what we think – we are NEVER alone. Together we are stronger, the struggles can be lighter, we vent, we laugh, we take the micky out of ourselves and situations but most importantly it is a safe space that you can be completely honest and if you need extra help then I am only a message away. We have also started having group catchups. This is a face-to-face aspect of our support group, a chance to meet other mums who know how real the struggle really is, the chance to voice any issues or frustrations and allow others to share and we also go thru aspects of PND, Anxiety and motherhood, signs symptoms, ways to manage how were feeling, self-care and more.
We all know going into parenting how hard it is, or we think we know. Its not until we are in the thick of it and all the congratulatory visits are finished, people go back to their lives and we are left alone, with a baby that may or may not sleep, other kids to manage, the long and sleepless nights – and our wandering minds and that’s when we really start to wonder what is going on. The hormones, the baby blues, the husbands and partners that don’t understand, that makes us feel more alone. You are NOT ALONE!! We are all in this together, and together we can ease the burden, ease the expectations that we are expected to do it all on our own, break down the stigma that is Mental Health and Post Natal depression and allow mothers to heal physically and mentally from one of the best things we will ever do – become a mother, but lets not forget ourselves in the process.
You are worthy!! Of time, of patience, of love, and we would love to have you as part of our community of mothers and woman supporting each other.
Take care, we are here for you xx
Brenda
Join our I Am Worthy Facebook Group
join the essential physio facebook group…Lets talk about all things pelvic health
I get heaps of the same questions on pelvic health, pregnancy and post-natal health. Instead of just replying to those questions individually, I thought if anyone had any questions to ask them in a Facebook group where everyone can see the answers and hopefully learn something new every day! Invite your friends, mums, cousins, aunts, mummy groups pals…anyone with a vagina is welcome!
And finally…FREEBIES and DISCOUNTS!!
Thank you thank you, from the bottom of my heart…thank you. So much work, study, late nights and love has gone into this programme and I hope you have enjoyed it. To say thanks please enjoy:
FREE MamaFit™ Mum & Baby Yoga Class
Book your class here…use code: MUM&BUB21
To claim this free class, please go to the class you want to book and select a casual class
$10 off a Physiotherapy Post-Natal WOF
Book it here…in the note section let me know you are a MamaFit™: Restore super mum!
$10 off your first MamaFit™ class pass
Book your class here…use code: RESTORE21
Thank you again
You have done an AMAZING job getting to the end of this fitness and education package. Hopefully your feeling stronger and more confident in your incredible post natal body. If you are interested in my MamaFit™ Classes, you can read more about them here. The classes are live and recorded for you to do at home if you want!
I really want to tell every woman who will listen about how important their Pelvic Health is. The more online presence i can get the better. If you really enjoyed this package, I’ve made some links to my Facebook and Google reviews to share the love and let people know about the content :-)
Facebook Review
Google review - please scroll down the page and click on Write a review