S2 Ep7: S2, Ep7 - How to Look After Your Pelvic Floor During and After Pregnancy

In today’s episode of Bun In The Oven Hollie is joined by her absolute favourite pelvic health physiotherapist, and all round superwoman, Emma Brockwell. In this episode Hollie and Emma discuss how to look after your pelvic floor before and after pregnancy. At time of recording Hollie was 22 weeks pregnant and was actively trying to stay on top of her pelvic floor training this time around. Hollie struggled with stress incontinence during her first pregnancy and found it a real shock. She had spent her life telling women to do their pelvic floor exercises yet hadn’t in any way prioritised it herself. So, one day, when she was sat in a café waiting for a meeting she sneezed and leaked. Sadly this is pretty common, but the good news is that there’s a lot we can do to prevent it. So in today’s episode Emma and Hollie discuss: ► How you can look after your pelvic floor before and after pregnancy ► What exactly the pelvic floor is ► What happens to the pelvic floor during pregnancy and labour ► How we can boost the health and tone of our pelvic floor during and after pregnancy ► What prolapse is and how to manage it ► When to seek help from a professional. Emma and Hollie have worked together in various capacities for many years. She is a passionate pelvic health physiotherapist, author of the book Why Did No-One Tell Me, co-host of the fantastic podcast At Your Cervix, sits on the scientific clinical advisory board of the Active Pregnancy Foundation, and is a passionate runner (and a mother too). This episode is ideal for you if you are currently pregnant, work with pregnant people, are recently postnatal or are worried you may be suffering with some level of pelvic floor dysfunction.  Pelvic floor dysfunction is a topic that is far less taboo than it has been previously, with social media and female tech brands helping to raise awareness of the issue, but there are still people out there nervous to ask for help. We hope this episode helps you better understand such an important part of your body, and helps you seek help if you need it! Guest Bio: Emma Brockwell Emma is a specialist Pelvic health physiotherapist focusing on problems related to the pelvic floor and pelvis. These include incontinence, bladder and bowel dysfunctions, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic pain, constipation, painful intercourse as well as aches and pains during pregnancy.   She specializes in helping post-natal women return to running and exercise, in addition to leading a popular running group and helping women meet their running objectives. She has co- authored published returning to running postnatal guidelines for medical, health and fitness professionals. She is passionate about treating all women with the highest level of care. She is the co-host of At Your Cervix - The podcast and the incredible book ‘Why Did No One Tell Me’. ► Follow Emma Brockwell on Instagram here ► Listen to the 'At Your Cervix Podcast' here ► Buy Emma's book 'Why Did No One Tell Me' here ► Emma Brockwell's Website - click here A Word From Our Sponsor: The Bump Plan Are you pregnant currently? Not sure how to move your body safely during this changing time? Want to stay active but need a helping hand? Join my revolutionary pregnancy fitness method The Bump Plan Pregnancy FREE for 7 days here and feel strong and empowered in your pregnancy. The Bump Plan has already helped over 25,000 pregnant women stay safely active and empowered throughout their pregnancies through its trimester specific workouts (in which I am always at the same stage of my pregnancy as you will be in yours), extensive Education Hub of video, audio, and article content, discount platform, and growing Facebook community – try it out for FREE here. Follow The Bump Plan on Instagram HERE As a listener of Bun in The Oven if you enter the code ‘BUN20’ at checkout for The Bump Plan you will receive 20% discount per month off the price of your subscription – click HERE to sign up with your discount today