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Why Is Pregnancy and Early Motherhood a Good Time to Learn Mindfulness?
“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).”
– James Baraz
"When we stay in the present, we make wiser choices and take things less personally."
- Saki Santorelli
“There could not be a better time to learn mindfulness than during pregnancy and early motherhood. For one thing, this is a time when most people have a strong motivation to become the best person they can be in a relatively short period of time. When you realize the full enormity of the responsibility you have taken on by becoming a mom, the primary source of care for another whole human being, not to mention one that you love more than you thought you could ever love, there is a really high level of motivation to try your best to get yourself into the best mental and emotional shape possible. I've talked to so many pregnant women who have for the first time in their lives encountered within themselves a deep and very sweet drive to learn new ways of being-quick! They don't want to pass on negative patterns to their child, and want to do everything possible to transmit a healthy foundation for the rest of their child's life.
Also, this is a great time to learn mindfulness because you are already open and somewhat vulnerable. The downside of this can be feeling off-balance or a little exposed, needing more help from others than usual and being at the mercy of your body's functions and your baby's needs. The upside is that this state of being provides a sort of malleability-some of your defenses are down, you may be feeling more sensitive than usual, and this is a great time to learn new skills! It makes you open-minded in a way that perhaps you are not when you've got everything under control. Since mindfulness has a lot to do with being in touch with the sensations in your body, and being aware, new moms are in a prime state to learn it! In fact, pregnancy and early motherhood, nursing and sleep disturbance, weight gain and weight loss-these all in some way force you to be in your body. For those of us who live most of our lives above our necks, this can actually be a great blessing.
Let me tell you a bit more about how mindfulness transformed my experience of motherhood!
Several years ago, as I struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety, I began to read about mindfulness.
Of course! I thought, I just need to be more mindful! Thank goodness I read this book!
And then I tried to be mindful.
Without any of the meditating….
I didn’t want to waste my precious time sitting on a cushion doing nothing! I mean, I had all this parenting I had to do!
But I realized that mindfulness didn’t work if I just read about it and liked the idea of it.
Once I started meditating...
... my life started to change.
I discovered a peace and stillness at the core of my busy life.
I smiled more. I laughed more.
I found a new way of being and doing and mothering.
I realized I could respond much more skillfully to my children ~ even when they were driving me crazy!
I learned to be kind and compassionate to myself.
I knew that mindfulness had transformed me as a mother.
I knew I should start teaching this to others.” By Cassandra Vieten
Over the coming weeks we will share ways to practise mindfulness no matter what stage of motherhood you are at. (Pregnant, Breastfeeding, Postpartum, menopausal- we all deserve a bit of time out...) These practises should be short and not impact upon your day and be an extra chore to do...
Let’s Talk About DR...Baby
DR or better known as Diastasis Recti is quite common amongst Pregnant/Postpartum Mums and without the knowledge or bing assessed many don’t even know they have it. Some woman wonder why years after childbirth they still have the pouch even though they have done what they can through eating right and exercise.
Taryn Watson from FITRIGHT wrote a great blog last year on it. Recently we also attended an information session from @fit_triplet_mum
Here is some of Taryn‘s post:
Abdominal Muscle Separation During and After Pregnancy
It will never cease to amaze that a little human being can grow to full development for nine months in a woman’s belly. One of the inevitable consequences of this, however, is that there has to be a lot of shifting and stretching of the surrounding organs and tissues to allow this to happen!
The “six pack” muscle, or Rectus Abdominis muscle, is actually two muscle bellies with a line of connective tissue down the middle. From about 18 weeks of pregnancy, when the baby starts taking up more space above the pelvis, the midline tissue has to start stretching, and the six pack muscles move apart from each other.
This separation is called ‘Diastasis Recti’, or DR, and is helped by the fact that pregnant women have a hormone in their body called Relaxin, which allows connective tissue to be stretchier.
MYTH TO BUST – The abdominal muscles do not ‘tear’ or ‘split’, but the connective tissue between them does need to stretch and this is a very normal consequence of pregnancy.
In pregnancy, after the muscles have begun to stretch, it is highly recommended to minimize use of the six pack muscle. This means after approximately 16-20 weeks of pregnancy, avoid anything that causes ‘doming’ or triangling of the abdominal wall during exercise or daily activities. This may include:
- Crunches
- Planks
- Russian Twists
- Pull ups/chin ups/Muscle ups
- Getting up from the bed/bath/couch
Daily movements can usually be modified to avoid doming, by rolling completely onto your side to get up from a reclined position.
The Transition To Motherhood And Why So Many Struggle.
‘Motherhood is a period which one enters when she becomes a mother. A mother is a person who brings up a child/her offspring with care and affection.’
So why is it that so many woman struggle with the transition to motherhood. One minute they are leading the charge in a corporate office. Their lives revolves around scheduled meetings, intellectually conversations, email creation, dressing professionally, using their talents etc- the next they are dealing with vomit stained tracksuit pants because they were on the floor and the tiredness resulted in lack of energy to get chores done (and they were comfy), drinking cold coffee because their attention was taken off elsewhere, their schedule is now defined by someone else and this is unpredictable, their boobs are leaking milk at the most random times, the TV/social media becomes their best friend because it is just too hard to leave the house, human excretions become the norm and you become so oblivious to the fact you are cleaning up someone else's poo (where as before the office cubicles freaked you out due to lack of hygiene) a shopping trip is a half a day ordeal where as before the lunch time shopping trip was therapy and full of excitement as you bought items to cloth yourself (now every spare cent gets spent on the kids outfits and you are still wearing your hyper colour tshirt from the 80’s).
It is real and the transition to motherhood is tough. You spend 9 months of the pregnancy getting prepared for the pending arrival but do you really know what is about to hit you until the moment actually comes?
The lose of identity is one of the biggest factors in this transition to motherhood. Once upon a time they were defined by their career or being a scientist, teacher, nurse etc and now they are just a ‘mother’. This transition can be such a shift that it negatively effects the newborn experience. There is nothing wrong with feeling like that as the transition and shift is so great. There are huge physiological and psychosocial changes as she transitions into the motherhood role. She also has to reestablish relationships and works to meet the physical and emotional needs of her infant plus, herself and other family members. Woman are also vulnerable to health problems as well as the hormonal shift in the postpartum period.
Here are our top 10 tips to coping with this transition into your new journey as a mother:
- Identify positive coping strategies
- Establish a good social network- mother group, family or like minded Mums in a similar situation
- Set up realistic expectations- it is not the achievable to have a spotless house and care for a newborn, plus have a meal on the table every night etc etc. Realise what is achieveable- set the bar low and then the rest is a bonus.
- Have a good support crew that understands the demands of being a mum and can anticipate your needs and help to step in when needed.
- Avoid isolation- it becomes easy to spend extended periods of time alone with the baby inside the four walls of your house, it becomes easy to lose perspective and confidence. With more times that passes the social interactions become harder and you lose the ability to socialise.
- Have a sense of self beyond your children- this will allow you to feel half normal! By ostracising yourself and ceasing the activities you once enjoyed your well-being will suffer- even though you may think it is selfish to do something for you it is oh so important.
- Trust your gut- you are an expert of your own child. Develop confidence in your abilities. You are the one who spends 24/7 with the baby and know their cries/routines/habits etc.
- Accept that life is different now- pace of life, perception from others , ability to get stuff done etc will all turn on its head. Be okay with it and know it is just a phase.
- Establish a routine of some description. Human beings need some sort of routine- even those that say they don't have a routine actually do. At bedtime we have a routine, getting out of bed in the morning we have a routine etc so by setting up a loose schedule of times allows structure to be placed around the day. Changing things up from time to time also helps to break up monotony.
- Become an optimist- remember you can not control everything especially the needs of a baby so just because you want to sleep at 9:30 doesn't mean they want to- or that visit to Aunty GeeGee well it doesn't always go the way you may want it too so accept, laugh it off and know that tomorrow is a new day. (And you can not control everything!)
The transition is tough so be kind and gracious and reach out if you are struggling x
How Interval Training Can Increase Exercise Enjoyment During Pregnancy
How Interval Training Can Increase Exercise Enjoyment During Pregnancy
As research continues to support regular exercise in low risk, healthy pregnancies, the number of pregnant women engaging in moderate intensity exercise remains below recommended levels for health benefits.
Current guidelines recommend that healthy pregnant and postpartum women, perform at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., equivalent to brisk walking) [1]. However, statistics show more than 50 percent of pregnant women do not achieve this due to multiple barriers to exercise such as lack of time, child care issues, as well as life and work commitments [2-4].
With this problem in mind, I teamed up with fellow researchers at The University of Western Australia’s School of Human Science to conduct a small pilot study in an attempt to find out whether continuous or interval typed aerobic training provided greater exercise enjoyment in pregnant women.
Why Exercise Enjoyment?
You might be wondering why we chose to look at enjoyment. Research suggests that exercise enjoyment is a major predictor of attendance and adherence to exercise [5], and we all know the importance of encouraging consistency in exercise, whether during pregnancy or not.
Since interval training is known to provide superior health benefits, and enhance exercise enjoyment and adherence compared with moderate intensity continuous exercise in a non-pregnant population [6-9], we were intrigued to find out if interval exercise had a similar effect in the pregnant population. This was of importance: if interval training was not well tolerated and enjoyed by pregnant women, it would be pointless to prescribe interval training to pregnant women and put them off exercise totally.
Stationary cycling was chosen as the mode of exercise as it is a recommended for pregnant women without obstetric complications [10]. This mode of exercise facilitates a higher self-paced intensity as it supports the increasing body mass of pregnant women. This allowed women to expend more energy in the same amount of time compared to walking and thus a greater reduction in postprandial (post-meal) glucose concentration, which may have an implication to women with gestational diabetes [11].
Furthermore, a program of regular home-based stationary cycling also appears to have favorable effects on maternal fitness and glucose tolerance in previously inactive obese pregnant women [12]. Cycling on the stationary bike also encouraged adherence to the cycling training program as it can be performed indoors and not subjected to weather. Comparing the cost of exercise equipment, a stationary bike is also more affordable than most treadmills.
The Study
In our study published in BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth [13], twelve healthy pregnant women in their third trimesters visited the laboratory on two occasions within a two-week period and were scheduled at least two days apart to minimize any effects from the previous session. In a counterbalanced order, these women performed either:
- 30 minutes of continuous cycling exercise at an intensity of 65 percent of their age-predicted maximum heart rate, or
- An equivalent period of interval cycling consisting of continuous cycling at the same power output as continuous cycling, with the addition of six 15-second self-paced higher intensity efforts throughout, performed at regular intervals.
We measured the relevant physiological parameters (i.e., power output, oxygen consumption, heart rate and rate of perceived exertion) as well as assessed exercise enjoyment using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) immediately following each trial [14]. The women were also ask to provided written responses to the questions such as:
- Did you prefer the continuous cycling session or the interval cycling session? Why?
- If you had to perform a cycling program for three months during pregnancy, would you choose continuous cycling or interval cycling? Why?
Interesting Findings
Mean cycling power output, heart rate, oxygen consumption and energy expenditure were higher during interval cycling compared with continuous cycling, but there was no difference in mean rate of perceived exertion between the two. This is surprising and exciting at the same time because:
- The mere addition of six 15-second (90 seconds in total) higher-intensity intervals to continuous moderate intensity exercise had effectively increased energy expenditure by 28 percent. In other words, women in the study worked hard during the interval cycling but found the overall rate of perceived exertion to be similar to continuous cycling.
- This potentially means that there is a possibility of creating exercise programs for pregnant women that maximises energy expenditure for a given time without making them feel like they are exerting more.
- Enjoyment of exercise was also higher with interval cycling compared to continuous cycling even though they expended more energy during interval cycling.
From the written responses provided by the participants, all women preferred the interval cycling over continuous cycling, citing it was “interesting,” “challenging,” provided a “better workout” and made time “go faster” because the exercise was “broken up” as the reasons of preference. One woman had “expected to prefer the continuous cycling” but found that interval cycling gave her a “sense of accomplishment and better understanding of her exercise capacity.”
When asked which type of exercise women would prefer if it was a three-month, thrice weekly cycling program, the majority preferred an interval cycling or mixture of both training types. A mixture of continuous and interval cycling may be ideal given that no two days are the same for a pregnant woman in terms of the physically symptoms she experiences daily.
This was a very promising finding for us, to see that interval cycling not only was allowing pregnant women in the third trimester to expend more energy without compromising and instead elevating enjoyment of exercise in the twelve participating women.
Important Note When Interpreting Research Findings
When we interpret research findings, it is imperative to be aware of each research studies’ limitations. Of note, the findings in this featured study are specific to recreationally active women, and do not make it a blanket clinical recommendation for all pregnant women. While the outcome of this study prompts for more research more larger group of pregnant women, it is definitely not the end of this story.
But the implications of this small study do suggest the potential of using interval exercise, with caution, to promote exercise enjoyment in a group of women who may not have time or enjoy exercise.
Coaches’ Corner
When we are working with unconditioned and previously sedentary pregnant women, it might not be ideal to just put them on a program of continuous vigorous intensity as this level of exercise intensity would require more regular prenatal monitoring for maternal and fetal well-being [15]. However, the use of interval bouts of self-paced effort could be a way to incorporate some vigorous intensity into their exercise program as it allows for a higher intensity training stimulus with partial recovery between efforts, keeping the overall intensity of an exercise session within safe limits.
The addition of brief higher intensity intervals to continuous exercise at moderate intensity can also be an opportunity to safely optimize health and fitness benefits for pregnant women by increasing the energy expenditure of an exercise session, at the same time as maximising enjoyment.
Remember that it is highly advisable to work closely with your pregnant client’s obstetrician if you decided to utilize some interval cycling in her training and the extent of higher intensity should always be determined by the pregnant women and not the trainer.
As exercise professionals who work with pregnant women, the most important lesson to teach other clients is how to listen to their bodies and take their training to where their bodies and pregnancies want to go. Our physiology is very clever at sending us messages to reduce intensity or stop exercise during pregnancy. We just need educate our clients on how to pick up those messages.
References
- Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Committee Opinion No. 650. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2015;126:e135–42
- de Jersey, S. J., Nicholson, J. M., Callaway, L. K., & Daniels, L. A. (2013). An observational study of nutrition and physical activity behaviours, knowledge, and advice in pregnancy. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 13(1), 115.
- Evenson, K. R., & Wen, F. (2010). National trends in self-reported physical activity and sedentary behaviors among pregnant women: NHANES 1999–2006. Preventive Medicine, 50(3), 123-128.
- Evenson, K. R., Moos, M. K., Carrier, K., & Siega-Riz, A. M. (2009). Perceived barriers to physical activity among pregnant women. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 13(3), 364-375.
- Ryan, R., Frederick, C., Lepes, D., Rubio, N., & Sheldon, K. (1997). Intrinsic motivation and exercise adherence. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 28(4), 335-354.
- Helgerud, J., Hoydal, K., Wang, E., Karlsen, T., Berg, P., Bjerkaas, M., . . . Bach, R. (2007). Aerobic high-intensity intervals improve VO2max more than moderate training. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(4), 665.
- Little, J. P., Gillen, J. B., Percival, M. E., Safdar, A., Tarnopolsky, M. A., Punthakee, Z., . . . Gibala, M. J. (2011). Low-volume high-intensity interval training reduces hyperglycemia and increases muscle mitochondrial capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Applied Physiology, 111(6), 1554-1560.
- Wisløff, U., Støylen, A., Loennechen, J. P., Bruvold, M., Rognmo, Ø., Haram, P. M., . . . Lee, S. J. (2007). Superior cardiovascular effect of aerobic interval training versus moderate continuous training in heart failure patients a randomized study. Circulation, 115(24), 3086-3094.
- Bartlett, J. D., Close, G. L., MacLaren, D. P., Gregson, W., Drust, B., & Morton, J. P. (2011). High-intensity interval running is perceived to be more enjoyable than moderate-intensity continuous exercise: implications for exercise adherence. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(6), 547-553.
- Artal, R., & O’Toole, M. (2003). Guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. British Journal Of Sports Medicine, 37(1), 6-12.
- Halse, R. E., Wallman, K. E., Newnham, J. P., & Guelfi, K. J. (2013). Pregnant women exercise at a higher intensity during 30min of self-paced cycling compared with walking during late gestation: implications for 2h postprandial glucose levels. Metabolism, 62(6), 801-807.
- Ong, M., Guelfi, K., Hunter, T., Wallman, K., Fournier, P., & Newnham, J. (2009). Supervised home-based exercise may attenuate the decline of glucose tolerance in obese pregnant women. Diabetes & Metabolism, 35(5), 418-421.
- Ong, M. J., Wallman, K. E., Fournier, P. A., Newnham, J. P., & Guelfi, K. J. (2016). Enhancing energy expenditure and enjoyment of exercise during pregnancy through the addition of brief higher intensity intervals to traditional continuous moderate intensity cycling. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 16(1), 161. https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-016-0947-3
- Kendzierski, D., & DeCarlo, K. J. (1991). Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale: Two validation studies. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 13(1), 50-64.
- Penney, D. S. (2008). The effect of vigorous exercise during pregnancy. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 53(2), 155-159.
Breastfeeding And Exercise
Breastfeeding and Exercise-
What Helped Third time Around…
It is some belief that exercise effects milk supply and quality but according to the Australian Breastfeeding Association this is not true:
“Some research has looked at the level of lactic acid (a by-product of high intensity exercise) in mothers’ breastmilk after exercise. While lactic acid can increase in breastmilk following maximal exercise (exercising to the extreme of exercise intensity), mild or moderate exercise does not cause lactic acid to increase in breastmilk and does not affect a baby taking the milk. Since most mothers only wish to exercise to a moderate intensity to lose weight, and improve/maintain fitness and general wellbeing, most would say that maximal exercise is not relevant anyway. Regardless, there is no evidence to suggest that breastmilk with increased lactic acid levels harms a baby in any way.
Moderate exercise does not affect:
· breastmilk supply
· important immune factors in breastmilk (SIgA, lactoferrin, and lysozyme)
· major minerals in breastmilk (calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium and sodium)
· major nutrients in breastmilk (fat, protein, lactose) or energy density.”
Whilst breastfeeding my first and second I did struggle to breastfeed and felt that I didn't have enough as the baby was crying (a lot) and always wanting to feed leading to this belief. At the time I felt that it was my training that was interfering with the supply/quality. Upon researching this myth has now been dispelled.
The Bump (www.thebump.com) sums it up beautifully with the below 3 main points:
1. “Exercise won't hurt your milk supply. As long as you maintain a healthy diet, your milk supply should not be affected by exercise. Your body burns about 500 calories per day to produce the milk your baby needs. If you are exercising a lot, you have to make up for the extra calories expended.”
2. “It won't change the taste, either. Some old wives tales caution against too much exercise because it makes your milk sour so that babies won't want to feed. It turns out there may be some truth to that belief. Studies have shownthat lactic acid levels in breast milk are significantly elevated for up to 90 minutes after maximal exercise, which may adversely alter the flavour of the milk. The good news is that there is no such elevation in lactic acid levels after moderate activity. So as long as you keep your aerobic exercise in the 80% of maximal heart rate range, your baby won't notice a difference. Since you may sweat while working out, be sure to shower or at least wipe off your nipples or they may taste salty!”
3. “Your breast milk is still as nutritional as ever—even after a workout.Studies show that exclusively breastfed babies of moms who exercise regularly grow just as robustly as those whose moms are sedentary. Those bonus immune-boosters in breast milk don't seem to be altered with moderate exercise either. Another study showed that women who performed moderate aerobic exercise for 30 minutes three times per week had the same levels of the immune-boosting compounds in breast milk as those who didn't exercise, and, not surprisingly, those women exhibited higher levels of cardiovascular fitness.”
Third time around I have discovered the awesome products by Milk and Nourish. They now have 4 products in their range including pre-made cookies, lactation cookie mix, milk booster capsules and mummy milk powder. What makes their products so special is that they contain “galactagogues” which are substances that promote lactation. The brewer's yeast, wheat germ, flaxseed meal and whole oats in lactation products are what specifically help with a lactating mother's milk supply. For those health conscious Mums amongst us, or Mums who try to hit macros the capsules are the way to go as they are gluten free, vegan friendly and contain little calories. They may seem small but they are jammed packed full of lactogenic ingredients, all enclosed in a vegetable gum capsule, to take anywhere anytime making it easy for the Mum on the GO. Adding these to the morning Vitamin taking regime is a no brainer and I was sceptical at first but after giving them a try they really do help the flow to flood. I certainly know now when I don’t take them.
Another key factor in keeping on top of a good supply has been the conscious effort to drink more water. There is no evidence to state there drinking a lot of water will increase the supply the problem is that when you are a new mum, you often forget to take care of yourself while you are so immersed in taking care of the baby. I try to drink a glass of water whenever sitting down to nurse or straight after. I also endeavour to drink a glass of water before and immediately after exercising or throughout the session.
The last but not least point is wearing a supportive nursing crop due to your trusty pre-pregnancy sports bras not cutting the mustard anymore. Your boobs are probably bigger, not to mention more sensitive. Easy access for your baby is now also a must—something that most traditional sports bras don’t build into their designs.
The Way It Was Is Not The Way It Has To Be
Having my second child, presented many challenges. Ones that would later define my mental health and put me into a mother and babies unit. Admitting defeat and being placed there was the last thing that I ever wanted but it was the way it happened.
Rewind the clock to the walk out of the hospital doors when reality hit me like a tonne of bricks. Then when my little one was 4 months old things hit rock bottom the sleep deprivation was getting worse with feeding every two hours for an hour, a screaming baby 24/7 due to coelic/reflux and undiagnosed tongue tie, which resulted in my nipples being cracked and cringe worthy pain every feed. My need for perfection and having a house where everything was in its place plus trying to keep up with the newborn demands eventually lead to me being admitted to the mother and baby unit. At the time I told very few people as part of me was ashamed that I ended up in this state.
I spent three weeks there receiving the treatment and being armed with the tools to be able to cope with my postnatal anxiety and depression. It was from this moment that I wanted to do something about my mental health and to try to do what I could to not be in this situation again. My mindset was changing and my resilience and determination was returning little bit by little bit. Yes I was now medicated, against my will at first, but I now also was armed with some great strategies to cope- one of them was using exercise.
With postnatal mental illness people can not see it like a broken arm or leg and it is something that will always stay with you. Unfortunately a label is now attached.
Fast forward to being pregnant with my third -who came into the world 10 weeks ago. During the pregnancy my obstetrician, GP, husband and myself were all on the front foot with keeping tabs on how I was faring. I was also more mindful of my feelings and emotions and tried to keep things in check as best as I could. Couple this with my strong determination to help Mums in a similar position by the platform of MUMMACTIV - and being a PANDA champion.
I coped through the whole pregnancy with working, a business and exercise as my leveller and did not have a lot of continual down moments. After delivering my little girl I was in the right zone and was nourishing my soul in the newborn bubble. I set the bar low with daily goals being coffee, shower and walk everyday. This was achievable even on those crappy days and having a sense of achievement is good for the soul. Even though bubba has reflux she is so much more content than my last which I think has a huge impact on how I have coped so far. Ive also taken the pressure off myself to get back to my level of training 6 days a week and to have the house spotless and in order-overall being kinda to myself.
So if you are a Mum struggling know that you are not alone and the WAY IT IS IS NOT THE WAY IT HAS TO BE….Take time out for you and set the bar lower.
Hopefully through time we will break down the stigmas attached to Postnatal Mental Illness and PANDA is a great resource if you or your loved one needs the help/support. (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Helpline: 1300 726 306)
Bladder Leakage Postpartum
Why was it so important for MUMMACTIV to bring out a piece, in their collection, that had bladder leakage functionality? Did you know that women who have given birth are 2.5 times more likely to have urinary incontinence than women who have not? A vaginal delivery is linked to a high rate of urinary incontinence in the period directly after birth with:
– 21% of women experience urinary incontinence after their first vaginal delivery with spontaneous birth
– 36% of women experience urinary incontinence after their first vaginal delivery with forceps delivery
"Even a seemingly uneventful pregnancy and delivery can change urinary control for up to 50 percent of women," says Roger Goldberg, M.D., director of urogynecology research at the University of Chicago NorthShore University HealthSystem and author of Ever Since I Had My Baby (Random House).
In addition, in a study by Brown and Lumley (2000), urinary incontinence was one of the three major health factors associated with poor emotional well-being post-partum.
Woman feel too embarrassed to say anything let alone do any physical movement that might put them in a jeopardised position (leak urine mid movement).
Why is this so?
Pelvic-perineal dysfunctions (Urinary incontinence and genital prolapsed) are the most important consequences of childbirth and are determined by specific alterations in the structure of neurological and musculo-fascial pelvic support.
Fit Pregnancy defines it as if you leak when you forcefully laugh, sneeze, cough, run, jump or lift weights, you have stress incontinence. "It's really common in the third trimester because of the pressure of the uterus on the bladder," says Sangeeta Mahajan, M.D., division chief of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at University Hospital's Case Medical Center Department of OB-GYN in Cleveland. Compounding the problem are the hormones that make your tissues and joints more elastic for delivery: They also reduce bladder support, allowing urine to leak.
About two-thirds of women with stress incontinence also experience urge incontinence, which is caused by an overactive bladder. You get the sudden urge to go, even though your bladder may be nearly empty, and leak before you can get to the bathroom.
PELVIC FLOOR TRAUMA is the main cause of urinary leakage. The best thing that you can do is go and see a WOMEN'S HEALTH PHYSIO to get some advice, exercises or an action plan to tackle the 'spritz'. In the meantime buying our PREGNANCY/POSTPARTUM SHORTS W/WASHABLE BLADDER LEAKAGE PAD and doing your pelvic floor exercises will help to take part of the immediate concern away.
Why Exercise Is A BALANCED MEDICINE
Over the last two weeks I have been further reminded of what a great medicine 'exercise' is. There have been two different instances where the woman, with whom i was speaking to, shared their positive message towards how exercise is helping them heal.
The first, is a lady currently going through chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer. She said to me 'I love coming to the gym it makes me feel so good and I feel normal'. This particular lady comes no matter what-sometimes carrying her vomit bag with her as she has just had treatment. She turns up does some weights and cardio(bike) and has the huggest grin on her face the whole time.
The second lady unfortunately had a traumatic experience having her partner murdered about 8 months ago. Despite the trauma and post associated experiences she still gets out of bed every morning trying to make the most of everyday. She swims a number of kilometres and then walks about 6-7 km just to keep fit and healthy. Her physical activities provide her with routine and structure in her day and the benefits from getting moving are helping her to heal from the inside out.
For me exercise is my equaliser. If I do not feel right or balanced I chuck on the running shoes and hit the track or the gym. For me it is my BALANCING MEDICINE.....So what makes it such a great medicine?
1. Exercise has been proven to boost mood and strengthen mental wellbeing. According to Stephen Buckley of mental health charity Mind: ‘Research shows outdoor exercise such as running can be as effective as antidepressants in treating mild to moderate anxiety and depression.’ The brain releases serotonin, dopamine and norepineephrine when you move your body so even going for a stroll can lift your mood.
*Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-4091592/HEALTH-exercise-miracle-cure.html#ixzz4jm0Nxhgk
2. Low to moderate intensity exercise has been proven to reduce stress. Runners World recently wrote an article on how it can even affect post traumatic stress disorder.
3. Creates a greater mental resilience as when you complete harder exercises you get mentally tougher, therefore being able to handle more stress...eventually being able to handle more of anything.
4. Improved Immune System as exercise helps to flush bacteria from lungs and flush out carcinogens by increasing the activity of the lymphatic system. (Therefore becoming better at being able to drain more waste away). When exercising the circulation runs faster resulting in white blood cells and antibodies running faster through the systems.
So these are just a few reasons as to why EXERCISE IS A BALANCED MEDICINE. To me it is a win win situation and has so many positives.