During pregnancy, there is a large amount of pressure placed on the pelvic floor muscles. Imagine the pelvis is like a trampoline; the rim being the bones of the pelvis, the springs being the ligaments and the mat being the pelvic floor muscles. The weight of the growing baby, hormonal changes and weight gain, weaken and stretch the mat and the springs, which is exacerbated further by vaginal birth. It is well known that weakness of the pelvic floor muscles (the mat) can lead to the development of poor control of the bladder and bowel (incontinence) and pelvic organ prolapse.

Are you worried about leaving the house before you’ve emptied your bowels? Is urgently needing to empty your bowel affecting your daily routine?

So many of our patients diagnosed with a prolapse stop exercising. Exercise may exacerbate their prolapse symptoms, or they may be worried about making their prolapse worse. But exercise is so crucial to look after both physical and mental health. One of the most common questions we get from our patients with prolapse is: what type of exercise am I able to do?

The inspiration for this piece is from one of our favourite books, “Come As You Are”, by Dr Emily Nagoski. Dr Nagoski has pulled together 10 years of research into women’s sexuality, and shares an essential exploration on how female arousal, desire, autonomy, pleasure and orgasm works, and provides tools for women to create and sustain a fulfilling sex life.

Prolapse can be a bit of a scary word. Women have often heard horror stories from their mothers, aunties or friends. However, having a prolapse isn’t actually that scary. It’s also very common – 1 in 2 women who have had a baby have one. Want to know the good news? Prolapse is very treatable, and pelvic floor exercises are the number one treatment recommended for prolapse worldwide.

Life is complicated. Sex is complicated. Sex is influenced by everything that is happening in our lives, and sex influences what is happening in our lives. They are not separable.

Feacal Incontinence (accidental loss of bowel control) affects more Australian’s than diabetes and asthma. So why do we never talk about it? There is much taboo surrounding bowel control, and unfortunately many sufferers don’t seek help. The good news? Faecal Incontinence is often curable! You are never too old and it is never too late to improve your bowel control.

There are many commonly held beliefs about fluid intake that actually have no basis in truth. How much fluid is best? Should I drink 8 glasses of water a day? Is caffeine bad for your bladder? What colour should urine be? Read on to learn the difference between fact and fiction!