I am not sure how 2023 has reached May and this is my first email of the year. I thought I would have more time as my girls entered the teenage years, but I have come to realise that was wishful thinking. 

Welcome to our new ladies and a warm hello to previous clients and referrers. Read on to learn some of the take home points from Physiotherapy courses I recently attended. I also present an exciting opportunity for a night out for a good cause, plus general information on upcoming course dates and timetable adjustments.

Classes Update

Pregnancy Classes

Pregnancy Core & Stretch Pilates is very popular on a Thursday night.

We now run both a 5pm and 6pm class.

These classes include comprehensive pelvic floor training (strengthening, relaxation & functional integration), core work, mobility and toning exercises to address common muscle imbalances and aches that occur during pregnancy. Check out a recent blog on Mindfulness & Pilates HERE

Postnatal Classes

Here are the dates for our next few Introductory courses for our new Mums:

Mummy Core Restore & Baby Massage 

• 4 week blocks on a Tuesday
• May 30^th
• July 4^th
• Aug 1^st

These courses are ideal for Mums with babies 6 weeks to 4 months. If you are a little further along that is no problem. You can start straight into one of our weekly Mummy Core & Conditioning Pilates or Move Mummy Move Circuit classes.  View Timetable

But I’m not having a baby, can I still do classes?    ABSOLUTELY!!

• Core, Conditioning & Cardio for Women (beyond postnatal)        
• All Stages, All Women Circuit                           
• Mummy Core & Conditioning Pilates (Thursday evening option only)          
• Small Group Reformer Classes  

 All Stages All Women Circuit Class

Operating out of our Keperra studio, our Tuesday evening circuit class is suitable for pregnancy, postnatal and general fitness. Classes  incorporate;

• Resistance training with body resistance, free weights, reformer, TRX and bands,
• Balance work with balls, BOSU and minitramp,
• Low and high impact cardio options

Max 8 participants.

We also offer combined pregnancy and postnatal circuit classes at Chermside.

Core, Conditioning & Cardio for Women (beyond postnatal)

• Term Three commences Monday, July 10^th
• 9 week block finishing 4^th Sept
• Make-up week  11^th Sept

A few floating places are made available each week for ladies wanting to give the class a go. Note, this is a popular class so it is best to book ahead. Read more...

The next school holidays are on June 24 – July 9. During this time there will be a few changes to the usual timetable as I juggle Mum life and work. Please keep an eye on the booking system as any changes will be added there.

Private Consults & Reformer Lessons

I am LOVING the opportunity to work one-on-one with clients in my purpose-build home studio.

I use the space for assessments, personal lessons and semi-private 3:1 reformer classes. These are a great chance to program specifically for individual needs. All privates and semi-privates are 45min. A small number of assessment times are also available at the Chermside venue.

If you are interested in having a consult or privates please reach out. Often appointments can be arranged on request if a suitable time does not appear on the timetable.

Although I am not doing any internal pelvic floor examinations at the home studio I have an outpatient list every Wednesday at Ramsay Health onsite at North West hospital. I do pelvic floor assessments there and can include transperineal and abdominal wall ultrasound scans.

Fundraising Events

Brave Life 2022 Christmas Appeal:

I am thrilled to say that I have heard back from the team at A Brave Life that we raised approx. $1000 over the Christmas period for this incredible Brisbane-based team who support teen Mums with essential items for their baby at birth through their Baby Bundle program, plus mentoring support.

Charity Golf Day – Hills Women’s Collective

As many of you know 5 years ago I founded the Hills Women’s Collective. A fabulous group of women in my local community who run fundraising events for organisations supporting domestic violence victims or running preventative initiatives in this space. On March 17^th we ran our inaugural golf day at Keperra and were thrilled to raise $11,425 for Top Blokes Foundation. These guys are out there mentoring the next generation of young men, teaching respect for self and others, improving mental health and anti-social behaviour. You can read more about how Top Blokes Foundation are making their mark HERE.

NEXT EVENT

Who’s up for a chance to frock up and dance the night away for a good cause??

On Saturday 5^th August I am looking at putting together a table of Be In Blossom ladies for the inaugural Rize Up Ball. Rizeup do crucial work in the DV space.

You do not need to be a current client to attend. I would LOVE to see some former clients there.

The event is black tie and is held at the Convention Centre. Your ticket includes a lavish 3 course meal, drinks and a host of entertainment including Paulini. Tickets are $220 per person and we are looking at a table of 10. I already have about 5 ladies keen. We are all scrolling marketplace and ebay for outfits! If you would like to come along please email me. Once I have 10 ladies I will ask for payment and then request the table. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register your interest. I would like to know in the next 2 weeks please. Click HERE to view details of the ball.

Recent courses & Putting Research into Practice

Term Two has been a busy period of learning. I have undertaken the following courses

• 2 Day Birth Skills – Women’s Health Training Assoc  (WHTA)
• 2D Transperineal Ultrasound Workshop for Physios  – Lori Forner
• Early Postpartum Pelvic Floor Muscle Training in the Presence of Avulsion – (WHTA)

Here are a few take home points from my recent learning

• There is emerging evidence questioning the advantage of doing pelvic floor muscle strength training in the first 6 weeks post-birth. Focus on learning how to protect and rest the area to allow healing and gentle pelvic floor bracing. Look to integrate your pelvic floor strengthening program from 6 weeks. This is also a great time to have a Physiotherapy review to check your technique.
• 2D transperineal ultrasound scans can be performed in the late stage of pregnancy to check women know how to relax their pelvic floor muscles when they bear down (valsalva) and also how to correctly contract their muscles. Women who shorten their pelvic floor muscles when they bear down (ie unable to relax) are more likely to have a longer second stage of labour and this is assoc with great use of vacuum or forceps. Physiotherapists have an important role to play in this space to help women learn to relax their pelvic floor and prepare their perineum if they are hoping for a vaginal birth. This might involve mindfulness application, visualisations, perineal massage, coaching with the ultrasound.
• Internationally recognised (NICE) guidelines for pelvic floor muscle training in pregnancy are for supervised training that includes both learning to contact and relax the muscles.
• It is important to have conversations with your obstetrician or midwife about your personal risk factors for both caesarean and vaginal births. Familial history, ethnicity, maternal age and weight, pre-existing incontinence, short length of tissue between vagina and anus (perineal body), and predicted baby size can all be considered to determine your individual risk with a vaginal birth.
• Use of forceps is a strong risk factor for pelvic floor muscle avulsion (detachment from it’s insertion onto the pubic bone) and consequently for prolapse.
• Epidurals seem to be protective for avoiding tears extending to the anal sphincter
• The strongest risk factor for incontinence later in life is incontinence during pregnancy