Dr Heather Shaw was previously GP in East Sussex in the UK and is now a Family Physician in New Zealand.
She has a special interest in women’s health and finds that her patients very often know that they should be doing pelvic floor exercises but usually admit (with a shrug!) that they haven’t done them for years! Almost all women who have had children were given advice on pelvic floor exercises when they left the post-natal ward. Many referrals to the uro-gynaecologists and uncomfortable operations could be prevented if women continued to do regular pelvic floor exercises.
She believes that with a few good squeezes every day, many women and also men, would find a great improvement in their pelvic floor strength, urinary control and also find enhanced enjoyment in their sexual experiences.
Dr Shaw advises that no special equipment is needed to improve your pelvic floor muscles, just regular, simple squeezes, which can be done sitting, lying down or standing up - watching TV, in the car, at the dinner table, washing up, in bed or sitting at your desk! No-one even needs to know you are doing them.
We came up with the idea of a MUG to serve as a reminder to do some pelvic floor squeezes whenever you sit down for a timely cup of your favourite beverage!
Dr Shaw practices what she preaches! She has given birth to 3 children and is still able to bounce on the trampoline with her children with no leaking(!)....to the envy of some of her friends!
