In this section we aim to recommend products and services that can help improve your wellbeing after birth injury.
Our MASIC advocates have tried and tested a few of the following recommendations – complementary therapies, fitness plans, apps and programmes that have helped them – and we have started to collect them here to help you on your postnatal journey and beyond.
This list is constantly being updated, and if you are a provider of services or have a product that you would like to see featured here please email: socialmedia@masic.org.uk.
Pelvic Floor Release Exercises
https://www.vibrantpelvichealth.com/
Hip and pelvic floor stretches for release and relaxation. If you carry tension in your pelvis, this is the video for you! These pelvic floor release exercises are safe to do DAILY.
Consult a pelvic floor physical therapist if you have any concerns related to your pelvic health. Remember: Not all exercises are suitable for all people. If you have ANY questions or concerns about an exercise/movement, talk to your doctor or other healthcare or fitness professional.
Products
EVB SPORT
EVB Sport has invested over €1 million in Research and Development to help women like you regain control after being diagnosed with Prolapse, Leakage and other pelvic health issues.
Their shorts are specially engineered to lift your pelvic floor, stabilize your organs and position your pelvis. They act like a hammock to your pelvic area providing the support your pelvic floor can’t.
EVB products act like scaffolding for your pelvic floor muscles. It supports these muscles like a hammock, mapped to your body. The elasticated high waist compression helps stabilize the internal organs, preventing them from bouncing up and down and putting pressure on the bladder.The support encourages the correct position of the pelvis, stopping you from actively over bracing your muscles as you try to support the organs yourself.
PERIFIT
Perifit Care | Original Kegel Exerciser
Perifit is the revolutionary solution for pelvic healing and strength training. Part app, part exerciser, Perifit gives your Kegel exercises a modern upgrade using exciting gamified technology.
Developed with top pelvic floor experts for people at every stage of life, fun video games work together with seven unique Kegel exercise programs to successfully strengthen and heal your pelvic floor. Visualize your contractions in action, challenge yourself to level up, and stay motivated with an interactive app to track and monitor your progress.
You don’t have to live with the painful effects of incontinence, prolapse and weak pelvic function.
Take back your body and life with Kegel exercises and strength training that work!
Developed with top pelvic floor doctors
Clinically proven biofeedback technology
Innovative patented solution
Sleek 100% waterproof design
Recommended by female Health Professionals
Apps
CURABLE
https://www.curablehealth.com/
Curable is an online program and app designed to help people with persistent pain reduce their symptoms and calm their nervous system.
Pain is a multifactorial experience, which is why Curable takes a biopsychosocial approach to helping people heal. Curable helps people with pain identify and address the “missing pieces” that are often excluded from treatment plans, including the role of the brain and conditioning of the nervous system.
The Curable program guides users through engaging audio lessons about modern pain science and teaches them how to apply a wide range of science-backed techniques to reduce their symptoms, including: somatic tracking, graded motor imagery, cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, guided meditations, pain reduction visualizations, expressive writing techniques, and more.
Curable can be used as a supplement to an existing treatment plan or on its own.
SQUEEZY
Squeezy is the multi-award winning app supporting people with their pelvic floor muscle exercise programmes.
Designed by chartered physiotherapists specialising in women’s pelvic health. Recommended by the NHS. The app also offers a ‘Find a Physio’ service.
Fitness
RE-CENTRE HYPOPRESSIVES
re-centre is here to guide you into re engaging with your true core, including your pelvic floor. Using Hypopressives and the Low Pressure Fitness technique as well as Pilates and Yoga, I will guide you and empower you to trust your body again as you grow in strength, tone and function. If you have been struggling with Diastasis Recti or Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Hypopressives are a revolutionary way to deal with these issues.
re-centre is also a space for you to reconnect with your body, through mindful movement, enabling you to be more present in your body and life. It will leave you grounded and confident in your own skin.
As a mum of 2 I know how hard it can be to find time for yourself, but I also know how much better I feel when I do. The idea of this platform is that by having something to follow and with the action of pressing play, you can designate some time, even if it is 10 minutes to yourself, to check in, engage and strengthen your body and in effect re-centre.
What are Hypopressives/Low Pressure Fitness?
Low Pressure Fitness is a complete movement system that tones the core and pelvic floor, restores posture and helps to improve breathing by focusing on diaphragmatic breathing which brings more synergy and co-ordination with the pelvic floor. An apnea or abdominal vacuum is done whist holding specific postures and then as you advance more dynamic movements are added. These poses reduce pressure throughout the abdomen and pelvis, which has a positive effect on relieving the symptoms associated with pelvic organ prolapse, and tones the core, resulting in a reduced waist line and flattening of the abdomen.
The manoeuvre of the Hypopressives has been around for hundreds of years and was first seen in Uddiyana Bandha yoga practices. In the 1980’s Dr. Marcel Caufriez a Belgian gynaecologist started researching the use of hypopressives for women to help improve pelvic floor dysfunction such as pelvic organ prolapse.
Dr. Tamara Rial and Dr. Piti Pinsach the creators of Low Pressure Fitness, continued to expand on the research of Dr. Caufriez, and in 2014 developing a comprehensive exercise and postural system building on the hypopressive techniques.
With a strong focus on postural re-education a by product of the technique can be relief in back pain, and enhanced athletic performance.
An improvement in certain types of sexual dysfunction including hypotonicity of the pelvic floor have also been noted, as well as an improvement in the digestive system.
With the concentration on breath and the conscious movement aspect of the work, over time there is a toning of the nervous system.
Having been left with a 3rd degree tear and a prolapse after the birth of her first child, Natalie is perfectly qualified to help you with your postnatal recovery.
Having discovered Hypopressives in the search for a holistic solution to her prolapse, Natalie later qualified as a teacher after healing her prolapse with the Hypopressive technique. Natalie now blends her yoga, Pilates and Hypopressives training to help women recover from traumatic births and pelvic floor injuries with the aim of getting them back to doing what they love.
Based in London, Natalie is able to offer in person sessions at her home or yours and has also taught women all over the world via online sessions using zoom. She offers a free 15 minute call in which she will help you assess which course of action is best to take and help you to build a recovery plan. You can book the free call through her website.
Since starting her practice 5 years ago, Natalie has helped numerous women with prolapse, incontinence, diastasis recti, hypertonic pelvic floor and more.
Get in touch with Natalie through her Instagram @honestyogaldn or website above.
MUMMY MOT SCREENING
https://www.themummymot.com/for-mums/the-mummy-mot-practitioners/
A Mummy MOT is a specialist postnatal examination for women following both vaginal and C-section deliveries. It will assess how your posture, pelvic floor muscles and stomach muscles are recovering after childbirth. Your Mummy MOT physiotherapist will provide you with gentle exercises and treatment to help with your recovery – and get you back on track with your fitness goals.
All our practitioners are fully trained and licensed to carry out a Mummy MOT®. Mums need to bend, squat and lift so we provide clinical postnatal care and functional exercises for our clients following birth (no matter how long ago).
1-Hour Assessment
Including:
- Full postural screen.
- Pelvic floor muscle assessment.
- Abdominal muscle exam to check for any separation.
- Screening for bladder, bowel or sexual dysfunction.
THE MOTHERSHIP PHYSIO ONLINE POSTNATAL EXERCISE PROGRAMME
http://www.the-mothership-physio.com/
Enjoy a safe, physio-led postnatal exercise programme featuring achievable 15-minute workouts to help you reach your fitness goals. Endless pelvic floor squeezes not required!
Led by two pelvic health physiotherapists, Emma Smith and Claire Fitzpatrick who are passionate about helping you exercise with confidence. Their approach to postnatal exercise is born from over 17 years working as pelvic health physiotherapists and our previous lives teaching Pilates and competing in professional triathlon. Plus, five children, one bump and a c-section scar.
What you’ll get:
– 15 new postnatal workouts every month, plus access to the back catalogue
– Education and guidance from two womens’ health physios
– 15-minute c-section, prolapse and diastasis safe workouts
– Preparation for impact and return to running workouts
– Accountability from The Mothership Physio Village
– Get your questions answered in a Monthly clinic call
JO PRANCE PERSONAL TRAINER CAMBERLEY
Jo Prance – Personal trainer and MASIC Advocate, specialising in supporting women with pelvic floor problems. Jo is a Fitness Consultant with over 15 years’ experience teaching fitness and working in healthcare. She is a former NHS specialist cardiac rehabilitation instructor and now runs a private practice as a Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor.
She has a specialist interest in Women’s Health and has comprehensive knowledge and expertise in pelvic floor dysfunction acquired personally and professionally. Jo experienced a traumatic childbirth in 1998, the severity of her tears and injury was missed. Subsequently, she endured over two decades of treatments, interventions, and multiple surgeries, including a colostomy.
” My name is Jo and I have 15 years expertise as a Personal Training Consultant for a range of health conditions including pelvic floor dysfunction. I’ve helped a wide variety of people become fitter, stronger and live normal lives, from injury rehabilitation to training for an event. Key to my clients success is my personal experience and genuine understanding of the challenges these conditions present to my clients. I can cater for a varied audience including ostomates like me. Rehabilitating myself from multiple surgeries has given me a unique skillset and a degree of empathy few PTs can match. I coach small groups or on a one-to-one basis.”
&BREATHE WELLBEING RETREATS
http://andbreathewellbeing.com/
&Breathe, founded by women’s health advocate and author, Clio Wood, hosts award-winning family, postnatal and menopause retreats in beautiful settings. Retreats focus on both physical and mental wellbeing, with specialist fitness classes, healthy and delicious food (and wine!), massages, meditation, and even a bit of childcare thrown in for family/postnatal retreats.
Clio founded &Breathe after she went through birth trauma, postnatal depression and PTSD following the birth of her first daughter, and created a supportive and above all fun and friendly retreat to allow parents to look after themselves, rather than the baby, for once. She has created the &Breathe ethos with the help of perinatal mental health psychologists, women’s health physios, meditation coaches, nutritionists and of course pre- and post-natal and menopause fitness experts.
One or two exclusive dates per year are held in Manoir La Croix de La Jugie, in France. Bespoke dates for individuals or groups upon request.
‘Retreat in a box’ Retreat whenever you like!
YOUR CHOICE OF DATE – from £249 per person
Email: clio@andbreathewellbeing.com
HEALTHY POSTNATAL BODY
https://www.healthypostnatalbody.com/
Healthy Postnatal Body (HPNB) was set up by post-natal expert Peter Lap in response to emails from post-partum women outside his local Edinburgh area who found that expert, and affordable, post-partum care was not available in their area.
In addition to this the online exercise programs available were too expensive and didn’t offer any expert support or guidance.
HPNB is a program with a difference. We go beyond diastasis recti and “the mum-tum”. Past the “12-week fitness program” approach.
We don’t have “support forums” where you ask other members for help; You get EXPERT guidance from Peter himself. If you have a question, you can get in touch and you will get an answer you know you can trust.
At the time of writing this we are also the only post-partum recovery program that is fully accessible to women with hearing-difficulties. All exercise videos have been properly transcribed, so you don’t need to miss a thing.
Over 80% of women suffer from post-partum health issues that can be healed with the right guidance and exercise. We believe post-natal exercise advice should be affordable, if not free, for all.
Pelvic-floor issues, diastasis recti, post-natal back pain and posture issues are too common, and affect too many women. It is simply not acceptable for post-natal recovery programs to cost hundreds of £ per year. We are committed to donating 25% of any net-profits to women’s charities.
For women coming to us through MASIC we offer FREE lifetime access to the program. Sign up using coupon code MASICFREE to get completely free, no sales, access now.
MUTU SYSTEM
MUTU System is the pioneering, body-positive, medically recommended and proven support program for all mothers. We have helped more than 75,000 Mums to feel amazing in and about their bodies since 2009. Our holistic program and expert-led community empower women to gain confidence in how their body looks, works and feels.
MUTU provides evidence-based proven techniques to improve pelvic and abdominal symptoms from ‘baby belly’ or diastasis recti to embarrassing leaks, painful sex or prolapse symptoms. MUTU gives you the body confidence and dignity you deserve.
MUTU System worked in partnership with Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) Women’s Health Physiotherapy department to get MUTU to patients during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. 110 expectant and new mothers participated in the programme, between April-July 2020, to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of digital postpartum care from MUTU during and after the pandemic.
Results revealed:
96% of women saw improvement in bladder weakness
91% saw diastasis recti improvement
95% felt better about their body function
76% of women claimed to feel physically stronger
59% felt more self-confident and mentally stronger
100% of respondents who couldn’t locate their pelvic floor muscles prior to starting MUTU, could do so by week 3 of MUTU
100% of Trial participants with prolapse symptoms saw an improvement by Week 3 of MUTU
90% of those experiencing pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse, saw improvement by Week 9, and 93% by Week 12.
Assessed & Approved by NHS Digital for the NHS Apps Library
“The MUTU System programme has met all compliance standards, and displays evidence of clinical benefits… including reduced risk of surgery, symptom improvement and mental well-being improvement”
ORCHA NHS DAQ assessment team, Feb 2020. For the detailed assessment of each section, see medical references here
