Why Mums Don't Jump

Helen is joined by Elaine Miller (aka Gusset Grippers) - a fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and award winning comedian who's on a mission to tackle your pelvic floor...whilst making you laugh, which sounds counterintuitive but actually makes perfect sense! They discuss the long-standing evidence behind kegels for stress incontinence (and for prolapse), why pelvic floor problems are...

Returning to running postpartum is one thing. Then add pelvic floor problems to the mix. Now imagine you're an ultra-runner who likes to do 100-plus mile races. This is Sophie Power. Since a photo of her breastfeeding her baby mid-race went viral, Sophie has been working to empower more women to get active. Then she made a film about her postpartum return to running only to discover - on camera -...

Surgical treatments for pelvic floor problems are many and varied, but with the vaginal mesh scandal fresh in our minds, it's easy to feel lost and unsure. Which specialist should you be referred to? What sorts of conversations might you have? What should your options and expectations look like? In part one of this two part series, we focus on Colorectal services - where you might be referred if y...

Helen is joined by Sara Duckett, a listener and a mum-of-two. Sara has struggled with urinary and bowel incontinence, as well as prolapse, since the birth of her first child in 2016, but says a non-surgical treatment (PTNS) has been life changing . They discuss the mental health impact of pelvic floor problems, the stigma that surrounds them and the importance of never giving up .   You are worthw...

Menopause is having a moment, with celebrities, books and TV programmes taking on the taboo that has surrounded it for so long. But what does menopause (and perimenopause) mean for those of us with pelvic floor problems? Helen chats to a self-described ‘pelvic health nerd’ - the physiotherapist Michelle Lyons - about what’s going on, why knowledge is power and how best to manage your symptoms: 'Mo...

Helen is joined by Carina White - broadcaster, cultural commentator and co-host of the podcast Black Mums Upfront . Carina shares her experience of incontinence after childbirth and her long journey towards finding help. She talks with passion about how it's affected her socially, how she's found strength in sisterhood and why she wants to speak out.  For a very long time the narrative that was pu...

If you're anything like me and you know you're supposed to be doing your pelvic floor exercises but...(insert excuse here)...fear not! Here's a sixty second squeeze-along to help you get it done! In this bonus episode you'll hear the dulcet tones of comedian and fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Elaine Miller. You can follow along as many times as you like! Have a listen and it wil...

Ring, Gellhorn, Donut, Cube, Shaatz, Gehrung. They might sound like Trolls' characters, but they are, in fact, types of vaginal pessaries. A pessary is a plastic or silicone device which can be inserted into the vagina to help support the pelvic organs after prolapse or to help with incontinence. They've been around since time began (almost) and come in so many different shapes and sizes it can pu...

Pop Club is back! Helen catches up with 'Skye' and 'Jess' -- friends with pelvic organ prolapse who keep each other smiling. There's a new baby, talk of surgery and reflections on birth trauma, mental health...and a ban on mirrors. The previous Pop Club! episode led to unofficial Pop Clubs forming in the UK and around the world. If you'd like to know more, read this . For more on having another ba...

Wands. Cones. Probes. Biofeedback. Stimulators. Shorts. Apps. Weights. Chairs. Video Games?! Pelvic floor tech can be confusing but fear not! In this episode, Helen speaks to the pelvic health physiotherapist and self-confessed gadget nerd, Amanda Savage, for an overview.  'I think one of the reasons that gadgets and devices can work is that they make you stop still and actually do it properly. Be...

Helen chats to Dr Jan Russell, a listener with a prolapse, a coach, a grandmother, an author and, in her own words, 'a feisty old crone'. Jan talks about pelvic organ prolapse after menopause and the shock of finding out the day before her 60th birthday cruise: 'I was alarmed. I'd got visions of me being in my glad rags and dancing on the wonderful ballroom floor on this amazing ship, really not k...

Having another baby when you have pelvic organ prolapse is a big one. There are just so many unknowns. Will pregnancy make your prolapse worse? Would it be better to have a caesarian? Can you do anything to protect yourself? Helen speaks to the pelvic health physio Clare Bourne who opens up about her experience of prolapse: 'Even if you know the research, even if you know everything could be ok at...

Helen is joined by Peace Bailey, a mother of two who lives in Spain and blogs about moving there from the UK. She shares posts on Instagram about motherhood, race and faith. But she's also chosen to speak out about nighttime urinary incontinence, or bed wetting, which she experienced after childbirth.  'I don't even know if I managed to go back to sleep because I was embarrassed. I couldn't even g...

Sex with pelvic floor problems. We're going there! Intimacy after childbirth can be difficult at the best of times. How do you even begin to navigate that if you then have incontinence or prolapse or pelvic pain? Helen and the pelvic health physiotherapist Jilly Bond discuss postnatal sex and the issues women with pelvic floor dysfunction can face, both physically and mentally:  'All of these issu...

(TW: birth injury, forceps, trauma, surgery) Bowel incontinence after childbirth. It's a taboo within a taboo. But it's not uncommon. The charity, MASIC (Mothers with Anal Sphincter Injuries in Childbirth) says 1 in 10 women who have a vaginal delivery will have problems holding either poo or wind. In this episode, Helen meets up with Chantelle, a mum from Manchester who is charting her journey wi...

If I gave you a diagram of the female pelvic anatomy, would you know where to find a labia, clitoris or urethra? Don’t feel bad if the answer is no. I mean, it’s just not something we were really ever taught. But maybe we should have been? In this episode, Helen catches up with the pelvic physio Tiffany Sequeira ( @gynaegirl ) who's on a mission to educate! Sex, fannies, willies, wee and lots, lot...

A hypertonic pelvic floor is where the muscles are so tight they can’t relax. It can happen after childbirth. It can be incredibly painful. And we can add it to a long list of things we’ve never heard of but probably should. In this episode, Helen is joined by the award-winning broadcaster and journalist Emma Barnett who says a hypertonic pelvic floor is one of the ‘most upsetting’ things she’s ev...

You thought it was all over. It is now! Helen rounds off the series with Rachel Horne, News Presenter for The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio. Rachel gives an honest and moving account of traumatic birth, facing up to her urinary incontinence, marathon training...and screaming in the woods. 'Having incontinence issues because you've had children is part of the story, but you've got to g...

Helen catches up with her 'Pop Club' - three friends with pelvic organ prolapse who keep each other smiling. There's talk of difficult births, pelvic pain, surgery and pessaries...and bonding over broken vaginas at a local coffee shop. Find more: www.whymumsdontjump.com Instagram: @whymumsdontjump

Helen meets the freelance writer, Sarah Haselwood, who's lived with pelvic pain since the birth of her first son 7 years ago. Sarah talks about her traumatic birth, her long journey to diagnose a tight pelvic floor and the jaw-dropping treatment which gave her back her life. Sarah is @corporatetokids on Instagram and @CorporatetoKids on Twitter Sarah's website is: https://corporatetokids.com/ Find...

How do you find a new path to fitness when prolapse or incontinence is holding you back? How do you get past The Fear and learn to move again? How do you break a sweat without losing your insides? Helen meets Emma Brockwell, a specialist women's health physio, co-writer of the first guidelines for postnatal women returning to running and co-founder of the pelvic health campaign, Pelvic Roar. 'You...

Helen meets the London author, Luce Brett, who became incontinent after the birth of her first son. Luce talks about dealing with the shock and embarrassment of urinary incontinence and prolapse at the age of 30. She shares her journey through physio and surgery, her thoughts on turning the stigma on its head...and measuring wee in a takeaway cup. 'Stigma can't bear it, if you name it'. Luce's boo...

What are the mental health implications of pelvic floor dysfunction? How do you get your head around the emotional impact of conditions like prolapse, incontinence or pelvic pain and find a new happy? Helen meets Dr Rebecca Moore, a perinatal psychiatrist and co-founder of the campaign Make Birth Better. 'We don't give women the time and space to talk about these injuries, which I think is crazy.'...

The Manchester actress, Ainsley Howard, invites Helen over to her house for this week's episode of Why Mums Don't Jump. You may know her as the voice of Fizzy in the animated TV series, Digby Dragon. She's also a mum to a pre-schooler with a second baby on the way and she explains why she's not afraid to talk about her experience of incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. 'I'm 36. I don't want to...

If you're new to leaks and lumps, this is the place to start! Helen and the Manchester-based women’s health physio, Katie Syrett, romp through some of the most common pelvic floor problems. They go back to basics on incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and pelvic pain, as well as discussing what really happens during a physio assessment and what we can expect from (shhh) menopause. Website: www.why...