From PANIC to emPOWERment- my personal pelvic floor journey

As a physiotherapist, I always had a nonchalant attitude towards my pelvic floor strength and function. Having had one lecture on the topic during my undergraduate training, I had decided that
1) I will never have this problem because I'm a physio and I now know better and
2) this only happens to old ladies. 

I learnt very quickly, before the age of 30, that neither of these sentiments were  true. After the birth of my second child, I realised that I wasn’t 'strong' anymore but I was in denial because I am a physiotherapist and this thing shouldn’t be happening to me. I struggled with stress incontinence which was most embarrassing . I kept telling myself I know better  and really tried to do 'Kegel' exercises. I honestly believed that I was activating perfectly and with time this problem will eventually get better. But in the back of my mind. I was concerned that being leaky was going to be something that I should just accept.

Fast forward one year later: there were no improvements!!!By chance,  I bumped into a pelvic floor physiotherapist at a course. My anxieties and frustration at the lack of progress forced me to tell her my story. For the first time she made me realise that I not only wasn’t activating my pelvic floor or core properly but I also couldn’t feel my pelvic floor! PANIC!!                                                                
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I immediately got help from a pelvic floor physiotherapist. I was devastated when she showed me how uncoordinated I was and how I  couldn’t activate my pelvic floor even though I thought I was fantastic with my kegels. She taught me how to get in touch with my core and pelvic floor and how to do things correctly. A lightbulb moment!! In just a few sessions I was on my way to POWERing my pelvic floor.  
                                                             
Fast forward 10 years as I headed towards 40: I was still 'exercising' my pelvic floor or rather connecting to it.  I felt much stronger than I was pre-mummyhood. I no longer struggled with stress incontinence unless I jumped for too long on the trampoline- an activity I could happily live without. 

Another 5 years into my journey brings me to Today: And, there is change again. I'm entering peri-menopause and goodness I suddenly have issues with stress incontinence again. I am definitely also more aware of my muscles feeling softer, joint aches and a change in things down below. These changes are common for women in this phase as oestrogen levels drop and muscles are now longer as firm as they used to be. I will often get ladies saying they never had pee and poo issues until menopause.
So this time, I am not burying my head in the sand - time to be proactive. I am more conscious of how I move my body, how I breathe - especially with exercise and how I am supporting my pelvic organs during exercise. Yes, I still connect to my pelvic floor but it is as I do my exercises rather than in isolation. Again, I am re-learning to be in tune with my body and connect through my breath. 

So in the end- I am still on my pelvic floor journey. And if I must be honest, I think I am better at having power over it now rather than just being able to power it!