After 2 Kids I Thought My Body Was 'OK' – Then I Went For A Mummy MOT

“I want you to squeeze 30%, then 60% and then 90% when I tell you to, OK?” said the physiotherapist, referring to my pelvic floor muscles.“OK,” I replied, feeling a little overwhelmed. I’d walked into this appointment completely unsure of whether I knew how to do a kegel properly. Thankfully, we swiftly established that I could.I focused as hard as I could and slowly, carefully clenched my pelvic floor muscles. I squeezed a little, then some more, and then as much as possible. “Good,” said physiotherapist Maria Elliott. She then proceeded to tell me I was doing it properly, and my muscles were working well, but the muscle was weaker at the back than at the front.This, she explained, is likely why I’m having occasional trouble with bladder control.Don’t get me wrong, I can (usually) cough and sneeze and not have any problems. But ever since having two kids, if I’m physically sick, the evacuation of my stomach is usually accompanied by an evacuation of my bladder. Not ideal. Maria Elliott founded The Mummy MOT in 2015. The specialist postnatal examination, for those who’ve had either vaginal or C-section deliveries, assesses how posture, pelvic floor muscles, and stomach muscles are recovering after childbirth.The physiotherapist has since gone on to train around 900 practitioners so they can deliver the same service to new parents across the UK. While I was lucky enough to attend a session with Maria for free for the purpose of understanding how they work, in central London, an hour-long consultation costs around £150 (the same price as a cut and colour at the hairdresser’s), while follow up sessions can be £200 each. During pregnancy, it’s normal to attend multiple antenatal appointments (roughly seven to 10 depending on whether it’s your first baby or not), but once that baby is born, new mums can often feel like they’re left in the lurch.Bar a few midwife and health visitor check-ups in the weeks after birth (usually focusing on your baby), a GP appointment at 6-8 weeks postpartum is pretty much all you get – and even that is tacked onto the baby check-up, so if the appointment runs over, you’re left with approximately five minutes to explain where your head, and body, is at.And let’s face it, at almost eight weeks postpartum, you’re still very much healing and trying to figure out how you feel in your body and mind, all while existing on very little sleep.I wasn’t really aware of any issues with my pelvic floor at eight weeks postpartum after my second child. It was only months later, when I caught a stomach bug, that I realised it wasn’t working like it should.Around the same time I started noticing that if my bladder was fuller than usual, the odd sneeze would wreak havoc, too. Now I realise why a relative of mine always crosses her legs when she sneezes. But we shouldn’t have to put up with this, stressed Maria.I thought my pelvic floor issues weren’t that bad, and that other women had it far worse. I’ve interviewed women left with devastating bowel injuries after giving birth, so it seemed acceptable almost to just keep calm and carry on. But during my appointment, which took just over an hour, we addressed a handful of issues, spanning from sex to posture and continence.Yasmine Gadache, an osteopath, was also on hand to help. In a weird turn of events, the night before my appointment I somehow managed to pull a muscle in my back and was in a lot of pain – she explained it was likely as a result of me carrying my baby (now a two-stone toddler) repeatedly on one side.She manipulated the area and within a couple of days, I was back to normal. Both Yasmine and Maria were very knowledgeable and so passionate. Sitting with them, talking about women’s health, I dared to imagine a world where women got proper postnatal care.The sessions are up-close-and-personal at points. To check how well my pelvic floor muscles were working, Maria popped a gloved finger into my vagina (she did ask first) and told me to squeeze – all while we had a friendly chat.During the exam, she discovered I have a very tight internal pelvic floor muscle, which needs some follow-up work. (I’m going to be honest, I didn’t fully know what a pelvic floor muscle was before this session and now we are WELL acquainted.)Both Maria and Yasmine made me feel incredibly comfortable throughout the process, though. It wasn’t painful at any point. I felt genuinely supported and cared for. These women clearly wanted to help me feel my best. With a rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services underway, it’s as clear as day that too many mothers and birthing people are not supported enough during pregnancy, birth and beyond. Roughly one in three women experience urinary incontinence three months after pregnancy, around one in seven experience anal incontinence six months after birth, and one in 12 women report symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse.All of these issues can affect a woman’s ability to work, as well as their sexual and social relationships, and their mental health. Mums put everyone but themselves first, but we should also be able to stand up and say: I deserve to feel good about myself, too. If Mummy MOTs were available to every birthing parent on the NHS, well, I think we’d be unstoppable.Alas, they’re not. But if you have had a baby – whether six weeks or six years ago – and you’ve been struggling with pelvic floor issues, or problems with separated stomach muscles or posture, I would recommend a consultation.You deserve to have your body back – you’ve certainly given enough. Related...The First Time I Peed On My Boyfriend's Floor, I Was Mortified. But Then It Kept Happening.Dear Wes Streeting, The UK Maternity Crisis Is Now – We Can’t Just Wait For An InquiryToo Many Women Like Me Are Suffering From Traumatic Births. We Need To Change Maternity Services For Good

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