abdominal separation

Do you wet yourself a little bit when you sneeze/cough/run/laugh etc? Or feel fearful that you may? Have you experienced pain or discomfort since having a baby, or want to know if what you’re experiecing is normal or just common? on today’s episode we interview pelvic and women’s health physiotherapist erin cuskelly who has the answers you need!

Erin has over 15 years experience as a physiotherapist and has pursued postgraduate study in Women's and Pelvic Health over the past 5 years. She established Female Focus Physiotherapy as a safe space to support women through all life stages particularly pregnancy and postpartum recovery.

In this podcast we chat to Erin about:

• Why every woman should see a women’s health physio during pregnancy and postpartum
• Whether it is normal to have pain in scar tissue or during intercourse post birth
• Whether it is normal to 'wet yourself' a little bit… or to feel scared that you’re going to!
• Abdominal separation, what it means and how we can treat it
• The mum pouch and whether it is normal or concerning
• How to know if we have a prolapse and whether it can resolve
• Returning to exercise and improving quality of life post baby
• and so much more!

Some other resources we mention or you might enjoy:

• Episode 16 with Kee from Fluid Form Pilates
• Luka’s episode with Australian Birth Stories where she discusses her 3B tear

You can connect with Erin on instagram or her website. Erin will also be trekking for 5 days in the Southern Alps to raise money for MS. If you would like to find out more or donate you can do so HERE

Today's episode was brought to you by Mere Botanicals. Mere Botanicals is a beautiful, one stop shop for all natural and organic birth products. They believe that nature provides us with everything we need to nourish and care for our bodies, which is why they use only the highest-quality botanical ingredients in their products - and you can absolutely tell. Luka used many of their products in her pregnancy and postpartum with Will, and Kate is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her bub so she can use their clary sage roller, birth comb, nipple cream and peri spray. You can even hire a TENS machine from them which we highly recommend!

Use the code BOOBTOFOOD for 15% off until 18th October 2023. Visit merebotanicals.com.au to check out their beautiful range.

Follow us on instagram @boobtofood to stay up to date with all the podcast news, recipes and other content that we bring to help make meal times and family life easier.

Visit www.boobtofood.com for blogs and resources, to book an appointment with one of our amazing practitioners and more.

Presented by Luka McCabe and Kate Holm

To get in touch please email podcast@boobtofood.com

Have you heard of the mum pouch or water bum? Neither had we, but in today’s episode we talk to the beautiful kirsten king from fluid form pilates who explains all about it and how to prevent it!

Kee is the founder and owner of Fluidform, an incredible in person and online Pilates studio. Luka has been a fan of their Fluidform at home online workouts for years now, and Kate promised in this episode that she would start too - which she now has and is loving finally getting moving at 25 weeks pregnant. Kee has a unique teaching style that focuses on functional movement, postural alignment and the mind-body connection, with a specific focus on pre and post natal support all the way through to elite athletes.

In this podcast we discuss all things

• Navigating business and motherhood
• What is diastasis recti and how can we identify it?
• How do we support our core through pregnancy and beyond?
• What is the mum pouch, is it normal, and is there anything we can do about it?
• Kee enlightens us to the water bum, and we even chat about arm wrestling!
• Practical tips to incorporate exercise and the benefits we receive as mums
• and so much more!

You can connect with Kee on Instagram or follow Fluidform HERE.

Are you currently pregnant and looking for some expert and tailored advice around the most appropriate supplements for you? Our experienced team of naturopaths and nutritionists can help. Book a Pregnancy Supplement Review Consultation HERE or to find out more about our online clinic and the services we offer HERE.

Follow us on instagram @boobtofood to stay up to date with all the podcast news, recipes and other content that we bring to help make meal times and family life easier.

Visit www.boobtofood.com for blogs and resources, to book an appointment with one of our amazing practitioners and more.

Presented by Luka McCabe and Kate Holm

To get in touch please email podcast@boobtofood.com

What actually IS diastasis recti?

We talk about it a lot in our industry, but many pregnant or postpartum moms might be new to the idea of diastasis recti – abdominal separation that happens in pregnancy and postpartum.

Did you know? One hundred percent of pregnant women get diastasis recti.

So it’s not like something went wrong with your body! It’s a totally normal byproduct of pregnancy. The difference is how your body recovers from it and the degree of diastasis that you have.

In today’s episode, we want to clear up a few questions – including how to measure your own diastasis, and most importantly, how to DEAL with it, so you can feel strong and connected in your recovery.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• What diastasis recti actually IS, how to know if you have it, plus the 15 most asked questions about it
• Testing yourself for diastasis recti, when to do it, and how to measure its severity
• How to minimize your chances of getting diastasis recti, including practicing positions that minimize outward pressure and the RIGHT kind of core work
• What makes diastasis WORSE, and distinguishing between belly fat and the mom pooch as it relates to diastasis
• Focusing on RECONNECTION and reintegration, and how this can help you create NEW energy – plus, the truth about belly bands
• How to know if your diastasis is healing and how long it might take

Resources & Links

Learn more about Nicole and Kendra on their website, or follow @devotedmamas on Instagram for pregnancy and postpartum coaching and inspiration.

Questions for us? You can ask voice questions about our podcast on our website.

Too many moms spend years feeling frustrated at the speed of their postpartum recovery. The real program: these moms haven’t yet figured out which phase of postpartum recovery they’re in. Take our postpartum pelvic floor and core strength quiz to find out where you are on your path to full recovery.

If you’re postpartum and ready to start your core and pelvic floor recovery, check out our Postpartum Repair & Restore 8-week program with LIVE coaching. In this program, we guide you through the exact workouts you need to feel your muscles strengthening + the education and LIVE supervision you need to know you’re doing it right.  For more information, go to devotedmamas.com/repair

If you’re currently pregnant, check out our Expecting to Flourish membership, a mom-driven and expert-guided virtual community that we created to help you stay your strongest during pregnancy, physically practice for birth and move easily into early postpartum. Find out more at devotedmamas.com/flourish

Diastasis Recti is a term that is getting a lot of buzz these days (thankfully!) However with all that buzz comes some myths, misconceptions, and untruths. On today's episode we debunk some of these myths and misconceptions surrounding diastasis recti with Ashley Nowe, the Founder of Get Mom Strong.

For those who may not be familiar with the term, Diastasis Recti (also referred to as "abdominal separation") is the partial or complete separation of the rectus abdominis, or “six-pack” muscles, which meet at the midline of your stomach. Diastasis occurs naturally during pregnancy in order to accommodate for the growing uterus and often resolves on its own within 6-8 weeks postpartum. However this isn't always the case, and many mothers are left with injury-based diastasis after that initial healing stage that may require rehabilitative exercises to correct. Join us as we share some of the common misconceptions surrounding this condition.

Ashley Nowe is a mom of three, stepmom of two, and a pre & postnatal exercise specialist. After birthing her three children (including a set of giant twins) Ashley didn't recognize her body. She says "The twins shook my foundation, taking such a toll on my body, and my sense of self.  I struggle(d) with diastasis recti—a “separation” of the abdominal wall—but have worked hard to learn to love my stomach again in its new form and reconnect with my core. This journey set me on a mission to educate other women and to help them take back pregnancy and postpartum! Whether you are a mom to a newborn or a grown kid, it is never too late to improve your core and pelvic floor and live a life full of function and vitality." To learn more about Ashley, visit her at www.getmomstrong.com and follow her on Instagram where she shares lots of great tips, workouts, and more!

DIASTASIS RECTI RESOURCES:
Find a pelvic Floor Physical Therapist near you by clicking HERE

LUNA Mother Co offers a thorough self-assessment video taught by our in-house pelvic floor physical therapist to help you identify if you have diastasis recti postpartum and how to begin healing. LUNA's Core Restore program also addresses diastasis and provides you with the tools to begin reconnecting to and healing your core.

Get Mom Strong also offers tools to help you reconnect to, rehabilitate, and restrengthen your core post-birth.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Sarah & Stephanie are the Founders of LUNA Mother Co, the first all-in-one digital platform for motherhood. From their evidence based fitness method, to pelvic floor & core physical therapy programs, parenting classes, & community, LUNA Mother Co has it all. New subscribers, get your first month FREE using the code MOTHERLODE.

Subscribe to The MOTHERLODE Podcast so you never miss an episode, & catch up with us on Instagram! Interested in being on the show or know someone who would be a great fit? Email us online@lunamother.co Like this episode? Leave us a review and let us know your thoughts! 

In today’s episode, I speak with the incredibly knowledgeable Caitlin Day, mum of one and a qualified women's, men's and pelvic health physio. She goes by The Vagina Physio on Instagram so that says it all really - we talk about vaginas.. a lot. But we also go over c-section recovery, sex after birth, returning to exercise and above all else, what ideal postnatal recovery looks like. Therefore, we also cover what lies outside of that as pelvic floor issues, such as prolapse, vaginal tightness, abdominal separation, and discomfort during sex. We go into detail about pessaries too.

You’ll quickly discover from our chat that despite it often being regarded as such, leakage or pain 'down there' doesn’t have to be your new normal, but it is really common. My hope for anyone listening to this conversation is that if you feel like something’s not right ‘down there’ that my chat with Caitlin makes you feel at ease and empowered to take your pelvic health into your own hands and consult a physio. I’m 12 months postpartum and I’ve booked in to see Caitlin myself, so even if you, like me, don’t think you have any issues, consider this permission (not that you really need it but sometimes it’s nice to be reminded) to put yourself first and get your pelvic floor checked by a professional.

This episode is not sponsored, I reached out to Caitlin myself. If you'd like to book in for a postpartum pelvic health consultation with her, visit www.innercorephysio.co.nz and keep an eye out on Instagram to hear when Cailtin's new physio and pilates studio, Unity Studios will be open.

Thanks so much, Caitlin!

Follow Caitlin Day of The Vagina Physio on Instagram.

Follow Skye Ross on Instagram.

Follow Motherness on Instagram. 

Tune in while we give the answers to our Gyners’ questions from topics covered this second season of the podcast, episodes 17-33. 

-          What’s a normal cycle like if you’re still breastfeeding?

-          I don’t want hormonal BC but haven’t gotten my period back pp, what’s a girls to do?

-          Is it ok to resume sexual activity once bleeding stops even if it’s only a week pp?

-          How do I know if I have abdominal separation from pregnancy?

-          How soon can you steam after having a baby?

-          If you can’t lose anything in your vagina, how do you explain IUDs perforating        organs?

-          Is it normal to have zero periods? IUD hasn’t made me have a period in 2 years which I know it causes but are they supposed to come back?

Meet us back here on November 4th for the launch of season 3!

Subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode. Follow us on Instagram at #wineandgyn and @wine_and_gyn, and join our discussion forum on Facebook called Wine & Gyn Community.