Episode 8

Pausing together podcast

Episode 8: How to Prevent and Treat Incontinence & Pelvic Floor Issues with Jane Simpson

Episode Sneak Peek

Episode Length 1:02:09

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About Jane Simpson, RGN, DN

Jane has been a continence nurse specialist with her own private practice at The London Clinic for the last 25 years. Now semi-retired and with much more time her focus is on raising global awareness of pelvic floor health, dysfunction, and rehabilitation. For example, issues like stress incontinence, overactive bladder and urge incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, constipation, aspects of the menopause and childbirth relating to the pelvic floor.

Jane is the author of The Pelvic Floor Bible, a presenter and guru on The Balance+ menopause app. She has appeared on television, radio, in podcasts and many and varied articles to spread the word with evidence-based knowledge about all things pelvic floor.

She is a member of The Pelvic Floor Society, The Association for ContinenceAdvice, The International Continence Society, The British Association of Urological Nurses and The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

Jane is a passionate cook and keen gardener. She is involved in raising money both for prostate and bowel cancer.

 

Highlights

  • Pelvic floor issues are one of the most common problems experienced, yet very few women seek attention for their symptoms – 50% of women over the age of 50 have prolapse to varying degrees
  • Risks for pelvic floor dysfunction include pregnancy and childbirth, having bigger babies, having babies over age 35, doing more sports & athletics, constipation, obesity, forceps delivery, etc
  • The earlier we address prolapse, the better – it’s typically much easier to fix
  • Studies in young athletes in their 20s have shown that 80% of them leaked urine when they did their sport – so this is something that we need to be talking about
  • It’s not normal to leak urine – it’s a red flag that we need to seek help because it will typically worsen over time
  • 50% of people with constipation actually suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction
  • How improving your pelvic floor function can massively improve your quality of life
  • When estrogen declines during perimenopause and menopause, we tend to see an increase in symptoms
  • Why Jane recommends that women have a pelvic floor examination that includes an assessment of their abdominal muscles to ensure that they do not have diastasis recti, which can lead to pelvic floor issues
  • There are apps like Squeezy and other pelvic floor biofeedback tools available which can be very helpful in helping women
  • Why it’s best to see a pelvic floor specialist rather than purchasing pelvic floor tools over the internet or on Amazon
  • Very few women are using vaginal estrogen, but most women need it

 

How to find Jane/Links

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Jill is a Registered Nurse, Certified Health Coach, advocate for aging women, and mom of four who is on a mission to change the way we approach menopause and aging. She helps midlife women break free from the mainstream way of thinking where disease and decline are accepted as an inevitable part of aging ~ and embrace the notion that it’s absolutely possible to feel vibrant, happy, healthy, balanced, sexy, and strong through midlife and beyond.

Jill believes that education is the key to helping women understand their bodies, manage their health, and advocate for themselves as they age.

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