SHE welcomes our first guest blog contributor, Dr Elaine Sung from Doctors of South Melbourne. Have you heard of vaginismus? Ever been affected by vulvodynia? Both are two common conditions that impact the lives of many Australian women – sexually and psychologically. As a GP, I’m often the first person that women turn to when they have painful penetrative sex or painful vulva. In many cases, it’s either vaginismus or vulvodynia. Currently, we’re not 100% aware of what causes these conditions. What we do know is that they can be treated effectively with time and patience, typically accompanied ..read more

Mums are aware of the changes in their breast milk across the day. Breast milk is produced in greater volumes in the morning, and looks thicker and creamier at the end of the day.   what is melatonin In adults, melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Melatonin, tryptophan and other chemicals, increase from about sunset – a few hours before sleep – and reach their peak overnight. Production of the chemicals reduces again with daylight. The body uses tryptophan to make melatonin, and regulate serotonin. There are receptors for these hormones throughout the body: blood vessel ..read more

The Good, The Bad, and The (aaaah) So Yummy   This is my lovely Mum enjoying her coffee. I talk to people about the effects of caffeine on the bladder and bowel –some effects are helpful, some are not.   I am asked about other effects of caffeine. I have completed a search of the pubmed/medline, and read major institutional health websites, both government and non-government, from around the world; Australia, New Zealand, North America, UK, and Europe. The following is a summary of information. There are over 10,000 papers on Pubmed! I read papers that I thought were relevant to ..read more

Are you busting to get to the loo? Have you had the feeling that you just might wet yourself if you don’t get there in time? Do you know where all the toilets are in your local area, your work place, exercise park and gym? Do you go to the loo before you leave the house; just-in-case?   National Continence week continues.  This may be of benefit to you or someone you know.  Read on…   What’s normal? How many times a day should I pass urine?  How long should I be able to hold on?   Well that all depends….. on what you drink and when, and the habits that you ha ..read more

The Continence Foundation of Australia is the premier body  for information, education and awareness. The organisation provides information for the general public and for health professionals across the country. In 2017, Continence Week Awareness campaign concentrates on urinary incontinence related to the best medicine of all: laughter.   Read on Have you ever lost urine because you have laughed?  It is the same mechanism as when losing urine with coughing and sneezing.  The pelvic floor loses its grip on supporting the bladder and urethra, when the bladder is full and the ..read more

June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Bowel Cancer Australia encourages you to monitor your bowel actions and see your doctor if things change. What follows is a brief summary of facts, symptoms, and a summary of screening procedures. You should see your local doctor if you are concerned about bowel cancer.     Bowel cancer is cancer of the colon (the large bowel) and rectum.  It begins with development of polyps in the bowel. Most polyps are harmless. Some can become cancerous. Anal Cancer is different from bowel cancer and is less common.   Fast Facts for Bowel Cancer in ..read more

Pelvic Muscle Exercises – How many should I do?   New mamas are very interested in pelvic muscle exercises following the birth of their baby. There are so many references on the net advising how many times a day you should do your pelvic floor exercises. What should you aim for really?   So, Consider this…. What is the pelvic muscle made up of? The pelvic muscle has different types of muscle fibres. This is current and recent muscle fibre classification. It changes regularly. Some muscle fibres contract strongly and briefly.   These are called Fast-Twitch, Type I, or r ..read more

by Annette Beauchamp “Ouch, my vagina hurts.”  When good sex is bad. Some women experience pain during sex. Pain is a barrier to intimacy and sexual pleasure. This may occur even when you have found a loving and supportive partner.  Intimacy is one of the basic building blocks of a good relationship.     Dyspareunia Pain with sex is called dyspareunia (DIS-PAR-YOON-EE-A) I wish I could tell you, I see fewer women than I do with dyspareunia. However, I can tell you that the sooner you seek therapy, the sooner you can achieve greater intimacy and comfortable sex.&nb ..read more

by Annette Beauchamp NEW MAMAs ask me regularly when they should return to driving following the birth of a baby.   RANZCOG Statement The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) is the main organization for obstetricians in Australia. This is a summary of their published statement on recommendations for return to driving:  Women are advised they can drive if they can sit comfortably in the car, wear a seatbelt, use all the controls, look over their shoulder, and make an emergency stop, and are not effected by sedating medications.The gen ..read more

Happy Mothers Day to you.  I hope if you are a Mama or a daughter that you are celebrating Mama Day with your special people. I have had a lovely breakfast of bacon, eggs, spinach and tomatoes, with my favourite family.     The Mama body is an amazing thing. Personal care for personal health. Please come exercise with SHE. Join Mama To Be Pilates or Mama Pilates or clinical pilates. Call on 0408 465 312 follow SHE on facebook  www.facebook.com/SHEphysiopilates/ on instagram www.instagram.com/shephysiopilates/ The post Happy Mama SHE day to you appeared f ..read more