When I was young, I saw my mother struggle with incontinence.
She shared with me her frustration, her worry, and I watched as it affected her life. She started to limit the activities she was doing.
She stopped running, she stopped going for long hikes or doing group activities...
I watched her struggle for almost 12 years.
Until one day she told me she was scheduled for surgery - a bladder sling for her incontinence...
After watching her go through this, I was terrified... Watching this made me not want to have children.
I held this belief that giving birth would ruin me, and I would be forced to live with all sorts of issues after the fact.
I believed this for a long time, until I saw my sister in-law give birth. She had a regular, physiological birth and it was beautiful... Eye opening for me.
As she recovered, so did her pelvic floor. I watched her return to her normal activities and she seemed to be fine!
This inspired be to have children, and I'm so thankful I did.
Before my first birth (19 years ago), I wanted to do everything I could to avoid the issues my mom had.
So I exercised, I ate healthy, I did kegels and I eventually gave birth to 2 beautiful boys that I am so proud of.
And then it was my turn.
After the birth of my first son, I was surprised when I began to experience incontinence.
But sure enough, as I started to return to my normal activities, I noticed I would leak pee when I ran...
Eventually I started to limit certain activities like lifting heavy or doing any sort of jumping exercise...
I was a personal trainer at the time, and so just thinking about returning to training my clients was scary.
"What if I was showing them an exercise, and pee'd on the floor?"
This was the first time I realized how much the pelvic floor affected every area of my life.
I began to worry about being intimate with my husband...
Even though my mother wasn't injured during surgery, I told myself there was no way I would take that route if I didn't have to.
I spoke to my doctor and I got the usual recommendations - a referral to a surgeon, a recommendation for bladder medication... Reassurance that this was just "a normal part of the process"...
And after reading the side effects of medication - dry eyes, dry mouth, dry vagina..... I was determined to find another way.
This was before the days of social media - so I set off to look at the library, to call specialists, and to look for books on the topic.
Thankfully, I came across a few pieces of research that confirmed my suspicions... I was also introduced to Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy at this time...
This was when things started to shift for me. When I began to have hope again...
I decided I would take all the exercises I learned, and apply the principles I had been using in fitness and personal training...
I committed myself to trying every exercise and incorporating it into my own fitness routine - even if I leaked.
And thankfully - after 3-4 weeks of exercise - my symptoms disappeared.
No more leaks, sleeping through the night, and I was able to exercise again.. To lift weights... And enjoy sex!
Throughout this process I also learned I had a uterine prolapse - where the uterus bulges down into the vagina...
This too I was able to fully reverse with a magical movement called the Hypopressive Method.
All of this was 19 years ago and I haven't looked back since.
For almost 2 decades now, I've been sleeping through the night... I've been lifting heavy weights... I've been running and doing intense exercise... Keeping my body strong and fit - even through menopause.
Ever since making this discovery, and reversing my symptoms, I knew this was my new mission - to spread the word about these exercises, and to teach them to my personal training clients...
So that's how I became the Vagina Coach, and what has led me here...
Social media has allowed me to spread this knowledge far and wide, and I'm so honored and thankful I get to help so many women every single month.
If you're still reading this, I want you to know there is a lot you can do.
You have a lot of options, and you can choose exercise and lifestyle changes OVER surgery and medication.
Your body is not broken. It just needs to be reminded what to do, and how to do it.