Episode 29: Reconnecting with the Pelvic Floor and Mindbody Wellness with Anya Hayes

“I’m a living, dynamic, moving being: everything I’m doing is exercise”

Anya Hayes is a Pilates instructor, Mindfulness teacher and author of many pre and postnatal books, including ‘The Supermum Myth’ and ‘Pilates for Pregnancy’. She’s on a mission to empower women with the tools to navigate modern motherhood with pelvic floor and sanity intact.

“I believe that we all deserve to thrive, not just survive motherhood. Our energies and vitality not only benefit us, but also model good self-care habits for our children to help us all to feel better, feel more alive.”

In this episode, we talked about:

Initially she was more focussed on physical strength, but after her own pregnancies and births she changed her approach to be more mindful and address emotional resilience
Even a smooth, straightforward birth experience can still feel like a trauma
The physical and mental are so linked, especially in early motherhood
The impact of depletion
Pressing pause, acknowledging the need for rest
Worked with Emma Cannon as editor of her ‘Baby-Making Bible’
The vocabulary around birth - praise if you’ve had a drug-free birth and the sense of failure around abdominal birth
Needing to be kind to yourself and not judging yourself
Slowing down
Not being in control
Fundamental inner strength
The ‘bounceback’ and aesthetics gets prioritised instead of real recovery and longevity
Exercise in the first trimester: listen to your body. Fatigue.
We’re taught to override what our body is telling us
It’s different for each individual so trust your gut
What’s nourishing for you and what makes you feel healthy and well?
“There’s so much toil going on inside”
Our society doesn’t hold rest in high esteem
The isolation of being in early pregnancy and feeling like you’re not meant to share
The need for open discussion in a safe space
Miscarriage is really common, yet it’s not talked about
The trauma of not being able to share and how it stays within you
An internal examination with a women’s health physiotherapist
Kegel’s exercise emphasises the squeeze, but it’s also important to learn to soften and release - which isn’t easy to fathom
The link between the diaphragm and the pelvic floor and using the sensations of the breath to connect with the pelvic floor
Linking the pelvic floor with everyday movements such as lifting a bag of washing or toddler, so it isn’t another ‘to-do’ and it’s a functional movement
Giving yourself an internal examination with clean hands, place your finger inside your vagina, squeeze effectively and it should feel as if there’s a baby sucking on the finger
You can’t strengthen something you can’t connect to- you need the softness and awareness to be able to feel
“I’m a living, dynamic, moving being: everything I’m doing is exercise”
Every movement in the body influences and is influenced by the pelvic floor
Pelvic floor health declines with age, particularly if it isn’t maintained with exercise and awareness
Changing the vocabulary around the pelvic floor - e.g gently undulating so it can adapt to our daily life
Accessing specialist postnatal care
All women who feel safe to do so, should have an internal check postnatally
Massage, breathing and movement for scar release
Women’s health physiotherapy should be available to all
Gentle pelvic floor awareness and diaphragmatic breathing can be done within 24hours of birth
Avoid high-intensity exercise until you’ve had a pelvic floor check
Pelvic tilts, spinal mobility and stretching whenever you feel able
Reframe exercise to movement
Pelvic floor recovery will also have a strengthening effect on the abdominals
Massage for diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles)
Alignment and posture have an impact on healing a diastasis, so you have strength for your centre before you put load on it
Don’t feel guilty for needing space - it’s never selfish to step back. You can be there more for others if you’ve given yourself space.