Some things in life are just meant to be – Gin and Tonic, Ben and Jerry, Tom and Jerry, Morecambe and Wise and of course that ultimate duo the Mummy MOT and Earplugs.
What?! I can’t believe you’ve never heard of the last 2?! If you are a mum with baby, babies or a dad who has all of the above then this dynamic duo is for you. It has been a lifesaver for us.
We are now two weeks after having our second Mummy MOT® appointment with Maria Elliott (Specialist Women’s Health Physio and Founder of the Mummy MOT) and Sarah Marsh (Women’s health physio and clinical yoga instructor).
Nicole (my wife) is now 17 weeks after giving birth to our beautiful wee boy Bodhi.
Our first appointment took place 8 weeks ago now (I had to look that up, time really does fly when you don’t get any sleep!) and the shift from the symptoms my wife had before seeing Maria and Sarah, compared with now really is staggering and, as mentioned before life changing.
Just a quick intro to our baby boy’s entry to this world –
- Weight: 8Lb 10 Oz,
- Active Labour: 6 hours;
- Trauma: a small tear anteriorly (front) and posteriorly (back).
- Medication and interventions: None.
Nicole no longer experiences a dull, hot, dragging feeling in her perineum (the area between your rectum and vagina). She has full bladder control now; no more water features on laughing, sneezing, coughing or getting up from sitting.
Her ‘farmer Giles’ (piles or haemorrhoids) are no longer active and she can have a comfortable bowel movement that doesn’t feel like she is passing glass!
Nicole no longer feels like everything is just going to drop out at any minute. The sense of relief and the distinct lack of worry (in the absence of her previous symptoms) has been life changing for her. This is all due to the wonders of the MUMMY MOT® and the guidance, care and attention provided by Maria and Sarah.
At the second session with our MUMMY MOT-ers they assessed Nicole’s self-care program (delivered at the initial session), checked her internally, assessed her pelvic floor control and carried out a series of progressive functional tests (pulling, pushing, lifting etc.) Based on their findings they delivered a bespoke program encouraging further development of control and confidence around pelvic floor habits (bowel and bladder movements and control of these functions), including strength and endurance techniques (the ability to contract the pelvic floor over a period of 5+ seconds).
What is so noticeable is the confidence that my lovely wife now has in her own ability to be able to lift Bodhi up, have a good laugh with her NCT girls, swim, go up and down stairs carrying the multitude of baby paraphernalia and sit with certainty, mettle and assurance. These are the kind of things that as a dad we just take for granted! But for new mums these are massive landmarks and accomplishments.
Maria and Sarah provided Nicole with a tailored program, not just pelvic floor contractions but yoga and resistance band training and lifestyle changes to name a few of the elements.
Nicole's confidence in herself has come from doing the exercises and seeing the results which in turn leads to confidence in ability and self.
Good sleep is where ear plugs come in. It has taken confidence and a leap of faith for us to use ear plugs with Bodhi in the room. We only use one plug in 1 ear, keeping the other ear to be smothered by the pillow, thus drowning out much of the noise, but not every pip and squeak our little mouse (I wish) makes. Sleep has allowed Nic to be more committed to sticking to the Mummy MOT program and has allowed her pelvic function to return to normal. Ear plugs, sleep and the Mummy MOT have been life savers. We all want to say a big thank you to Maria and Sarah for their time, expertise and accommodation. We intend to return for one more session in the coming months to cover any final necessities.
Up to 90% of mothers tear during childbirth and the resulting symptoms can vary for each mother depending on the severity of the tear. At three months it is estimated that one third of all mums will still be suffering with some urinary incontinence. About 25% of mums who develop hemorrhoids after birth still have them at 6 months postpartum. Reports indicate that 53% of women at 3 months and 31% at 6 months stated a loss of sexual desire following the birth of their first child. Up to 60% of women have painful intercourse 6 to 7 weeks following delivery, and 33% and 17% report pain during intercourse at 3 and 6 months after delivery, respectively.
If you fall into any of the above categories and no longer wish to be a statistic then the MUMMY MOT is definitely for you.
For more information read here – themummymot.com
Karl Monahan is a Sports and Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist with over 16 years’ experience. In 2006 he started his career in men’s health at The Prostate Centre London, where he worked alongside the UK's leading men’s health Urologists. It was during this time that he pioneered his treatment of Chronic Prostatitis (CP) and Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS). With his extensive training in abdominal and pelvic health Karl has been successfully treating CP and CPPS since 2009. In 2016 he opened the doors of The Pelvic Pain Clinic, London where he offers his patient focused, Biopsychosical approach to CPPS and CP.
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