Nurture Pod

Postpartum Dyspareunia 

With up to 40% of individuals experiencing dyspareunia at the 2 month mark, this is a conversation that we need to nurture, especially since symptoms can and should be treated. In this episode I speak about 3 common contributors to pain with penetration in the postpartum period, how they may present and potential treatment options. My hope is to reduce stigma and fear through information sharing and improve comfort and confidence when communicating about this topic, whether that’s with a partner, friend or health care provider. 

Solo episode:

Candice Langford, pelvic and sexual health physiotherapist.

More from Candice 

Period Poverty, Lesego Mpyana

Lesego is making meaningful and tangible changes in the face of period poverty and she has ways for you and your business to get involved! The passion in her voice is captivating! Listen and get involved!

 Todays Guest:

Lesego is a vibrant woman who is passionate about uplifting others. She is a Ballito-based wife, mother of two and a social entrepreneur. Lesego co-founded Move Africa, a company that executes corporate social responsibility projects for companies with her husband. She is also the founder of THE RED MOVEMENT SA, a campaign set to eradicate period poverty in South Africa by making menstrual cups more accessible while running workshops that educate young women and girls about menstrual health. Lesego's passion for socio-economic development was realised when she was selected as a TEACH SA ambassador, working to improve the quality of education for children in South Africa irrespective of their socio-economic background.  

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Vaginismus Medical  Management, Dr. Allyson Shrikhande

In todays episode, Dr. Allyson Shrikhande from @pelvicrehabilitation shares generously about a medical management approach to treating patients with GPPPD, namely vaginismus.

We highlight that vaginismus treatment is not one dimensional, and that patients typically engage with a multidisciplinary team (not limited to physiotherapy, psychology and medical doctors). Dr. Shrikhande details the medical facet of treatment utilised by the Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine team. 

 Todays Guest: 

Dr. Allyson Shrikhande, a board certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist, is the Chief Medical Officer of Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine. 

She is also the Chair of the Medical Education Committee for the International Pelvic Pain Society. She works with other experts in the field of chronic pelvic pain to develop training modules for residents and physicians interested in learning about the diagnosis, treatment, and management of chronic pelvic pain. 

Dr. Shrikhande is passionate about this cause and dedicated to helping men and women with pelvic pain who often suffer without anyone willing to listen, understand or find the cause of their pain. 

With an extensive background in mainstream clinical medicine, she also makes use of many alternatives, holistic and homeopathic approaches. She has published peer-reviewed articles on the treatment of muscle pain in academic journals and works closely with renowned pelvic pain gynecologists and urologists. 

Taking a team approach, she works with specialists in pelvic floor physical therapy, kinetics and movement, as well as acupuncturists, nutritionists, cognitive behavioral therapists and functional medicine physicians. 

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Prolapse in Parenthood, Clare Bourne

Pelvic Organ Prolapse is a diagnosis often accompanied by fear! Clare is changing this by normalising the narrative and sharing valuable information enriched by personal and clinical experience. 

If you are a parent (or not, as this is NOT a diagnosis limited to postpartum)  and the topic of prolapse impacts your daily life, be it; talk of a pregnancy, exercise, heavy lifting, intimacy …We discuss it all! 

 Todays Guest:

Clare Bourne is a pelvic health physiotherapist with a passion to support women and men throughout their lives. She believes in talking openly about taboo topics and ensuring everyone feels comfortable to get support even for problems that may feel embarrassing to talk about. She worked extensively in the NHS before starting up her own private practice. She is a Mum of 2 and has learnt first hand the importance of care and support during the perinatal period. Clare is the founder of All About Mum which provides postnatal education cards, webinars and ebooks to support women with all the information they deserve. 

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