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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”

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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.

Resources:

Resources:

Anya’s new book ‘Postnatal Pilates’ publishes with Bloomsbury in March

Anya Hayes, Author of ‘The Supermum Myth’

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Supermum-Myth-overcoming-imperfection-mindfulness/dp/1910336343

 

‘Pilates for Pregnancy’

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/pilates-for-pregnancy-9781472951083/

 

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mothers.wellness.toolkit/?hl=en

 

Twitter

https://twitter.com/thesupermummyth

 

https://motherswellnesstoolkit.wordpress.com/

 

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