This October during World Menopause month we’re on a mission here at Pelviva to get more women doing their Pelvic Floor muscle exercises daily with our Stop and Squeeze for Three campaign.

We’d love you to join us and do your Pelvic Floor exercises three times a day for three weeks (21 days) to start to form a habit. We’ll be here to motivate you all the way just follow us on our social media channels for daily hints and tips from physios and Pelviva friends.

Strengthening your Pelvic Floor muscles can help urinary incontinence (bladder leakage), treat pelvic organ prolapse and make sex better too according to the NHS. Bladder leakage is a little-talked about symptom of the menopause and perimenopause affecting 1 out of 3 women 1 and with one of the causes being decreasing oestrogen levels affecting the elasticity of the Pelvic Floor muscles.

Whilst as women we’re often toning our arms, legs and bottom through exercise, many of us neglect our ‘invisible area’ and never think about strengthening the Pelvic Floor. In our recent poll, only 23% of women admitted to doing their Pelvic Floor muscle exercises regularly.2

If you’re one of them, it’s time change your habits with us this October! Join us for Stop and Squeeze for Three – let’s start getting into a daily habit of doing our Pelvic Floor exercises together!

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1. Hunskaar S, Lose G, Sykes D, Voss S. The prevalence of urinary incontinence in women in four European countries. BJU Int. 2004
Feb;93(3):324-30
2. Survey of 200 respondents 31.05.20 – 4.6.20. 90% female

PEL/00191/UKv2

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Recently featured on the popular podcast Postcards from Midlife talking about vaginal health, here, women’s health and menopause doctor, Dr Shahzadi Harper of the Harper Clinic, explains how Pelviva exercises your Pelvic Floor muscles and how it treats bladder leakage. You can also watch this video to understand what Pelviva looks like and how easy it is to use.

Exercising your Pelvic Floor muscles

“If women did their Pelvic Floor exercises three times a day, every day, as recommended by the NHS, I’d see a lot less women troubled by bladder leakage!” claims Dr Harper.

“But, then if everyone stopped smoking we’d see fewer cases of heart disease and lung cancer,” she adds. In a recent study, 92% of women knew that doing your Pelvic Floor exercises could improve bladder control yet only 25% actually remembered to do them1.

“I know the life of a woman can be busy and finding the time and then the effort to do your Pelvic Floor exercise can be overwhelming but really they are so important as up to two out of three women over 402, suffer from some form of incontinence,” she continues.

Commons reasons for bladder leakage
The most common reason for bladder leaks in women, is due to having weak Pelvic Floor muscles. The Pelvic Floor can be weakened for a number of reasons including hormonal changes and increasing weight in pregnancy, or after childbirth, but many women start to notice leaks worsen as they approach the menopause due to declining levels of oestrogen affecting elasticity in the Pelvic Floor.

“Like any muscle in the body, the Pelvic Floor needs to be exercised to retain strength”, Dr Harper advises. However, many women struggle to find and exercise the Pelvic Floor muscles. In these instances, I recommend Pelviva, a Pelvic Floor trainer, to my patients which uses the latest technology to deliver a discreet and easy-to use at home treatment.”

How can Pelviva help?
Pelviva works by electrical stimulation which is recommended by the NHS and helps women understand where their Pelvic Floor muscles are and what a correct Pelvic Floor muscle contraction feels like. It is made of soft foam which adapts to each woman’s shape3 and is inserted into the vagina for 30 minutes at a time sending pulses directly to the Pelvic Floor muscles stimulating them to exercise. Pelviva works with a woman’s body to strengthen Pelvic Floor muscles and help treat bladder leakage. Some women can feel benefits after a few weeks whereas for other women it takes a little longer4. 84% of women reported improved bladder control after 12 weeks5.   “Us women can do so much to help protect our future health. If we can get into a daily routine of doing our Pelvic Floor exercises, or using Pelviva regularly, then for many women bladder leaks would be significantly reduced,” she concludes.

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References

1. Survey Monkey Survey of 233 female respondents June 2020. (need to put report of this data on file + add to CER claims document https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/womens-health/what-are-pelvic-floor-exercises/

2. Study of 2000 women over the age of 40 PELMKT RES )@ 2019

3. Femeda Data on file 2014

4. Kirk Research 2019.

5. Oldham J, Herbert J, McBride K. Evaluation of a new disposable ‘tampon-like’ electrostimulation technology (Pelviva®) for the treatment of urinary incontinence in women: a 12-week single blind randomized controlled trial. Neurourology Urodynamics 2013; 32(5):460-466.10.1002/nau.22326.

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Rosemarie, 74, from Nottinghamshire, who likes exercising, gardening and travelling (out of Lockdown) never had a problem with bladder leakage until about five years ago. Read her story to hear how Pelviva has helped her regain bladder control and how she no longer has a bladder leakage problem ….

“I was aware that a lot of women suffered from incontinence as twenty years ago I used to work in a clinic at a London hospital however I never in a million years thought it would affect me!

“I have three children, all boys, who are now grown up, and whilst I did push hard in childbirth with my first son, never had a problem with bladder control until about five years ago. Then, all of a sudden, I started to experience leaks on a regular basis. It got to the point where I was reluctant to have a drink when I was out in case I couldn’t find a toilet. I also had to go to the bathroom two or three times in quick succession before leaving the house to travel anywhere or take my dog Coco for her daily walk!

“I was worried. I went to the doctor for tests to try to find out what was wrong and if I had a prolapse. I did and was offered some surgery to help but decided I didn’t want any interventions so declined. The leaks continued. I found myself wearing pads and feeling more and more self-conscious.  I’ve a thing about cleanliness, smells and freshness and my major concern was that there might be an odour associated with my urine leaks. I’m pretty sure I was being paranoid but I wouldn’t go anywhere without my Jo Malone scent just in case!

“One day I chatted to a good friend about my leaks and she recommended I try Pelviva. I opted for the three month treatment. It’s helped tremendously. I now no longer have a bladder leakage problem. I’ve noticed I have much more control, holding on for longer, and don’t have to run to the loo if I have an urge to go. I also rarely get up in the night now.

“I’ve moved on to using one Pelviva a week – a maintenance programme – to keep any leakage at bay. I combine this with Pelvic Floor exercises, which I never used to do but which now come much more naturally, and some Pilates.

“I use Pelviva first thing in the morning before I start my daily routine. I just pop one in and sit down and watch the news with a cup of tea. It is easy to insert with the gel and it doesn’t hurt although can be strong on occasion but you get used to it. I’m so grateful I found Pelviva. It’s the perfect piece of kit.”

PEL/00169/UK 29.06.2o

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Hannah, 46, a marketing consultant and mum of three girls, has used Pelviva to help improve bladder control when running saying …

“I like to go running 2-3 times a week, usually running 8-10km a time. I’ve run for over 30 years but recently have had a couple of bad experiences of leaking whilst running. In response, I’d developed a very controlled and neurotic pre-run regime which involved not drinking anything for at least an hour beforehand and then going for a number of trips to the toilet to get the last drips out before leaving the house.

“I’ve used 12 Pelviva so far and it’s definitely helped my bladder control. Now I’m able to go to the loo once, then go for a run without leaking, like I used to before having children. I now don’t worry about having a drink before I go or how much I’ve drunk. I feel much more in control and less anxious about the likelihood of having a mishap on my run. Now that I’m so much more confident, I might treat myself to some new running gear that isn’t black!

PEL/00170/UK 29.6.20

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Pelviva believes that now, more than ever, women need a stronger Pelvic Floor if we’re not to return to the Urinary Leash that constrained women in Victorian times.

Finding a loo is already stressful for women (and men) who experience bladder leakage. In a survey of 2,000 women over 40, 77% admitted, that on occasion, they did not always make it to the toilet in time and 30% always planned their toilet stops before setting off.1

In a separate poll we conducted this week, the number of people worried about the availability of loos has nearly doubled. Just under two thirds (64%) are anxious about the availability of places to go to the loo post-lockdown compared to the third (35%) who weren’t worried before the nation was affected by Covid-19.2

‘Adventure wees’ (finding a place to wee outside) could increase if, post-lockdown, cafes, restaurant and pub loos and public conveniences are harder to access, or there are longer queues for those that are in use due to social distancing and increased cleaning requirements.

In our poll, 87% of those questioned confessed to ‘adventure wees’ with location confessions ranging from ‘In my toddler’s potty’, to behind a quaint church in the midst of a French vineyard’, whilst others have already admitted to going in their parents’ gardens during lockdown’2.

Saska Graville, founder of MPowered Women, a resource of inspiration to help women power through the menopause, recently shared her ‘adventure wee’ story saying “Out walking during lockdown, I realised that the little cafes and shops I’d pop into to visit the loo were all closed. So, on my walks, I’ve found my ‘wee tree’ in a London park. It’s hidden away but I know, if I suddenly have the urge to go when I’m out walking or exercising, I can.”

One way to help avoid ‘adventure wees’, improve bladder control and help women to hold on longer could be building a Pelvic Floor exercise regime. Weak Pelvic Floor muscles are one of the main causes of bladder leakage and a reason why women go to the toilet ‘just in case’ and are unable to hold on with a strong urge to go to the toilet (Urgency incontinence).

Pelvic Floor exercises are recommended by the NHS to improve bladder control (The NHS recommends doing them regularly three times a day) but, in our lockdown loo survey, whilst 91% said they knew Pelvic Floor exercises could improve bladder control, only 23% said they actually did them regularly2.

Pelvic health physiotherapist and Clinical Director at Pelviva, Julia Herbert explains, “At Pelviva we are passionate about helping women to build a Pelvic Floor exercise regime to improve their bladder control. Like all muscles, those in your Pelvic Floor need to be regularly exercised to keep them strong meaning less leaks and enabling women to hold on for longer if they need the toilet on car journeys or if they’re worried about where the next toilet stop is going to be. Pelviva can help strengthen Pelvic Floor muscles to improve bladder control and extend the ‘Urinary Leash’.

Pelviva is running a #stopsqueezeandselfie campaign to encourage all women to do their Pelvic Floor exercises regularly and take a selfie to share with friends and family.

Assorted Loo Facts

1. Loo of the year 2019 went to Intu Shopping Centres (over 6,000 inspected). Previous winners have included J D Wetherspoon, McDonalds and Gatwick Airport.
2. Link to the Great British Toilet Map showing location of public conveniences in the UK.
3. Currently, local councils aren’t legally obliged to make provisions for public toilets and there is no national legislation on the provision of public loos.
4. The most remote public loo in the UK is at Cape Wrath, the most north westerly point in the UK.
5. The first British flushing toilet was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851.
6. In Victorian Britain most public toilets were for men which affected women’s ability to travel – they could only travel as far as their bladders would allow e.g. to where family and friends resided – which was termed the ‘urinary leash’.
7. One in three women are affected by bladder leakage – the single largest condition in female health.
8. The Urinary Leash is the term used to define how far women could travel (usually to friends or relatives’ homes) as there were no public toilet facilities available for women until after 1851.

 References

• • 1. 1. Femeda data on file. Survey of 2000 women over 40. Aug 2019
    2. 2. Survey of 200 respondents 31.05.20 – 4.6.20. 90% female.

PEL/00166/UK 6.06.20

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Hannah’s advice on getting your spark back

Meet Hannah Alderson, a registered Nutritional Therapist and Functional Medicine Practitioner who works with women in the media and creative industries to boost energy, happiness and health. She is mother to a gorgeous one year old boy and lives in a beautiful market town in Hertfordshire. Here she gives us her tips for looking after your body in midlife and how she think Pelviva can help women.

What do you do? 
I work with women to get their spark back. I’m a Registered Nutritional Therapist and Functional Medicine Practitioner who works with women in the media and creative industries to boost energy, happiness and health. I thrive on pulling together my passion for people and nutrition in a uniquely creative and colourful way.

Who are your clients?
Women who may have: • Issues with losing weight despite eating well and exercising • Brain fog, fatigue, anxiety  • Suspected hormonal imbalances  • Irregular, painful or absent periods • PMS – moody, stressed, teary, spotty, moody • Bloating and gut complaints .

What do you love about your job?
I get to work with incredible women, supporting often lifechanging transformations – it’s never just about the food. Putting a positive stamp on the world is a wonderful thing.

How do you think Pelviva will benefit your clients?
Empowerment is everything when it comes to health. It’s amazing how many women live in the shadow or shame of a health condition, for example incontinence. This is not normal and women should not be living in fear of bladder weakness at a good punch line – that is why Pelviva’s mission is so important.

How do you help your clients?
I’m on a mission to empower my clients with the tools to reach their health goals, feel fabulous, improve quality of life and career productivity. Working with a Functional Medicine approach & applying the most current nutritional research we work together to rewrite their story.

Favourite breakfast recipe?
Smoothies are an incredible way at getting lots of nutrients in, quickly. My top tip for women would be to always add some frozen cauliflower into your morning smoothie. You may think this sounds like madness but we all need to be having at least one portion of veg from the cruciferous family daily (that’s broccoli, cauliflower, pak choy, sprouts). These guys are super at supporting our livers detoxify hormones.

For more tips, follow Hannah on Instagram.

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Saska Graville

At Pelviva, we love hearing about how women are breaking taboos around the menopause. One such woman is Saska Graville who set up MPoweredWomen last year, providing a resource of inspiration and knowledge to help women power through the menopause. Read her journey below and do share any ‘adventure wee’ stories of your own with us – we’d love to hear them!

Ex deputy editor on popular glossy Red magazine, Saska Graville spent her thirties and forties in her dream job having the ‘best fun I’ve ever had’, creating content that resonated with her readers from humorous features to in-depth reads that dissected the issues of the day. Then, at 48, she moved into a new role as a director at a top PR firm and ‘unexpectedly hit a wall’.

“I simply didn’t know what had happened to me,” the sassy 53 year old explains. After 20 years absolutely loving my work, the buzz of the office and ploughing through my to-do list, I wasn’t myself. I was anxious and stressed, not sleeping well and unable to concentrate.”

The Perimenopause, who knew?

Working it out took a year. “It was like a light bulb coming on,” continues Saska after a 10 minute GP consultation where the doctor diagnosed symptoms of the perimenopause. It took several more visits to find a doctor who was educated about HRT, but eventually Saska got the right medication. “I was put on HRT which cleared up my symptoms almost immediately. I was transformed! My old self returned but almost a better version as I was more raring to go.

“My experience got me thinking. I found it unforgiveable that I just did not have a clue how this massive life stage would hit me especially as I’d spent my life in women’s magazines, talking about female issues! And, I thought, if I didn’t know about the perimenopause symptoms other women wouldn’t even stand a chance. It spurred me into action.

MPowered was Born

“I set up MPowered Women in 2019 to educate women – today’s generation and tomorrow’s – about the menopause and to help them celebrate the best they can be at midlife.

“It’s a cliché but women approaching the menopause aren’t hunkering down and retreating into themselves. They’re in the prime of their life, invested in their health and appearance, going to festivals, going to the gym. This is the side of women we’re portraying at MPowered Women.

“We’re a community providing expert, evidence-based information (no fanciful unproven theories allowed) from healthcare professionals and women who aren’t afraid to engage in frank conversations and share their menopause experiences but also their solutions. I’m convinced when women unite to help each other, magic happens!

“The menopause doesn’t have to knock your life off course. If we listen to, and take care of, our bodies by exercising more and perhaps drinking a little less (I’ve found wine is a no-go but a decent Gin and Tonic made with Fever Tree Light tonic is delicious!), we can be happy in our late 40s and 50s, set up businesses, be content and creative, there’s no limit.

“In fact, even going into lockdown, the future still feels bright. The enforced confinement to home has given me, and I suspect many of us women, a breathing space to think about our lives, take care of our ourselves, our health and plan for our futures – albeit I suspect slightly different ones.

One of the last taboos, within a taboo

“Interestingly, it took this lockdown for me to realise I have one of the other great unspoken issues of midlife – bladder leakage. I hadn’t really thought of it as an issue, until lockdown.

“I’ve been used to getting up a couple of times a night to go the loo for a while and accepted this as my new normal. However, out walking during lockdown, I realised that the little cafes and shops I’d pop into to visit the loo were all closed. So, on my walks, I’ve found my ‘wee tree’ in Holland Park. It’s hidden away but I know, if I suddenly have the urge to go for an ‘adventure’ wee when I’m on my daily hour’s exercise, I can!

“On investigation, I’ve discovered that needing a wee more frequently, is linked to urge incontinence which often strikes around the menopause, due to declining oestrogen levels reducing elasticity in pelvic floor muscles. Yet on more thing I didn’t know about the perimenopause.”

Words of Wisdom for Other Women

“Midlife is brilliant! Embrace it. You will be a stronger version of your younger self once you’ve dealt with any perimenopause or menopause symptoms. Don’t let these hold you back at this glorious time! I can honestly say that after my year-long blip at 48 I am happier, more confident and a dress size smaller!”

What do you think the health landscape will look like for women in five years’ time?

“We are now so much more open about mental health and periods than we used to be as a society and I think this will be the same for menopause in five years. At MPowered Women we are determined to drive change so that the next generation of women doesn’t have to find out the hard way, GPs will be more savvy about menopause facts and we won’t have 1 in 10 women leaving their jobs because they can’t find a solution to their symptoms. We simply can’t afford to lose any more great women to midlife menopause misunderstandings.”

My Perfect Day

“Saturday is my favourite day. I like spending it in London. I might do yoga in the morning, read the Saturday papers, have brunch then go to a gallery. I can do a version of this during lockdown, with Zoom yoga rather than a class at the gym, but it’s not the same. I miss the buzz of life and hope we can get back there very soon.”

About MPowered

MPowered Women is a community hub of expert information, support and inspiration, giving women resources and knowledge they need to power through the menopause. It’s a place where women come together to talk frankly and share experiences, because when women unite to help and inform each other, magic happens.

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PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY

Reaching out to a Women’s Pelvic Floor Physio (possible during Lockdown as many are running virtual consultations) is a great way to get advice on your Pelvic Floor and help improve your bladder control and give your Pelvic Floor some therapy. Pelviva is working with many Pelvic Floor Physios across the UK who can provide this type of  consultation service and recommend the best course of action to suit your individual needs. 

Rachel Horne, newsreader on Chris Evans’ breakfast show, went to her local Pelvic Floor Physio, Emma James to help with bladder control when running and to improve her pelvic health and here’s her story …

“My friend Jools recommended I visit Emma James, a specialist Pelvic Floor Physio who advises on pelvic health at her clinic at Champneys, Tring, after I announced I was going to do The London Marathon. (Rachel was cajouled live on the Virgin radio breakfast show by Vassos, Chris and the team back in November 2019)

“As soon as I’d said yes to the Marathon, I panicked that my weak Pelvic Floor wasn’t up to it and was going to stop me from running the 26 miles. I’d done the odd bit of cross country before at school and outdoor fitness boot camps but never attempted such a distance or gone for a long run without desperately needing the loo!

“In fact, I used to dread it in summer when I did the Boot Camps and would always wear an incontinence pad, tie my hoodie around my waist and take a towel to sit on in the car on the way home in case the inevitable happened.

“I had three children in just over three years; carrying them put extra pressure on my pelvic floor and then I had pretty complicated births giving me 2^ndand 3^rd degree tears which weakened my Pelvic Floor further and is why I suffer leaks when I run.

“I hadn’t got round to doing anything about it mainly because as one of many 30 and 40-something women who are always busy looking after other people, fixing ourselves goes right down the list of priorities.

‘Bladder Leakage isn’t normal’

“I think I’d also just fallen into the trap of just accepting bladder leakage was normal. It’s almost a badge of honour for women to say they leak whether that’s when they run, get on a trampoline with the kids or sneeze. Everyone laughs about it. You see it on TV adverts where women laugh about having the condition and it’s so normalised that us women think it’s the right thing to do to say nothing and just use an incontinence pad whenever we leave the house.

‘My first visit to her was almost like a therapy sesssion’

“Emma is a force for good. My first visit to her was almost like a therapy session. She took the time to ask me about myself and encouraged me to tell her my story, giving me a safe space to open up. When she said she could fix my bladder leakage I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. She was wonderful.

“She helped me to realise it’s NOT OK to leak and made me see that unless I took steps to strengthen my pelvic floor, my leakage would just get worse, particularly as I approached the perimenopause and menopause.

“Because of the challenge I was facing, training for the Marathon in a little over five months, Emma suggested a multi-pronged attack. Through Emma’s Pelvic Health clinic and supervision, I’ve used a combination of Pelvic Floor strengthening exercises, tried pelvic floor trainer Pelviva and other products, and my bladder leakage has dramatically reduced.

‘Leaking less has definitely improved my general wellbeing’

“After just six weeks of support, I was dry after the first mile which was never the case before as I always leaked just after I started to run. Recently, I managed 5km (3.5 miles) over hilly terrain and was completely dry at the end of the run which felt like such a massive, massive achievement. Leaking less has definitely improved my general wellbeing too as I feel more like myself again. I now no longer need to wear a pad EVERY SINGLE DAY and only keep one on for exercise in the unlikely case I might leak.

“Now due to Covid-19, The London Marathon is rightly postponed but I do hope to run it later in the year. Once I’ve done that, I don’t think I’ll ever do another marathon ever again! However, I’m planning to continue running between 5 and 10km on a regular basis to get that time to think, feel energised, enjoy the fresh air and release those endorphins and will be able to do so without leaking which is just amazing!”

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