Pelvic Health Taupo

08/02/2026

🌸 Postnatal Pelvic Health: PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLE CUES 🌸

06/02/2026

"POV: you’re a pelvic health nerd and a mum" 😂

06/02/2026

🌸 Postnatal Pelvic Health: PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES 🌸

Reconnect with Your Pelvic Floor

Pelvic floor muscles play a crucial role in bladder control, core stability, s*xual health, and overall well-being.

Reconnecting with your pelvic floor is really important post partum or after any trauma, surgery or dysfunction/symptoms.

Start by noticing what your pelvic floor does with breathing.
When you breathe in your pelvic floor gently lifts.
When you breathe out your pelvic floor gently lowers.

Now add on a gentle squeeze as you breathe out hold for 1 second and then relax.
**Relaxing is just as important as the contraction** Take your time to relax.

Add 1 second each week post natal if you can.

** Please don't start pelvic floor exercises if you have a catheter in or you have been told otherwise by your health professionals **

04/02/2026

🌸 Postnatal Pelvic Health: HORIZONTAL REST 🌸

A often-overlooked recovery tool...

Horizontal rest.
Not reclined, not on your Lazy Boy, not sitting!
CLAIM THE COUCH AND LIE DOWN FULLY HORIZONTAL.

✨ Why is horizontal rest beneficial? ✨

In this position, your pelvic floor can truly rest and recover. It reduces the effects of gravity, allowing tissues to heal more effectively.

Horizontal rest helps decrease swelling, pain, and fatigue—alleviating common postnatal symptoms.
It also supports Diastasis Recti recovery by reducing intra-abdominal pressure.

My personal recommendation: aim for at least 2 x 20 minutes per day. Use your symptoms as a guide—especially in the early days. I found I needed much more than this in the first 5 weeks postpartum, particularly in the afternoons and evenings.

Remember, every recovery journey is unique. Always consult with your pelvic health physiotherapist for personalized advice. Prioritize rest, listen to your body, and give your pelvic health the care it deserves! 💖

04/02/2026

Awesome! Thank you Contact!!

Such a valuable service in our community ❤️

Thank you Contact ❤️
Late last year our Wonderful treasurer Dee and I received this whopping $13,000 cheque on Behalf of Taupo Car Seat Service from the very generous Contact charity golf day. It’s things like this that keep us going, literally. Contact, you are helping us to keep our local tamariki safe on the roads and we thank you so, so deeply.

29/01/2026

Treatment
• Immediate surgical repair after birth
• Pelvic Health Physiotherapy
• Gynecology follow up

Risk factors
• Forceps or vacuum delivery
• First vaginal birth
• Large baby
• Prolonged pushing
• Shoulder dystocia

A pelvic OASI injury is a serious childbirth-related tear involving the a**l sphincter that can affect bowel control and quality of life if not managed well.
Watch this space for specific pelvic health assessment, treatment and advice

27/01/2026

Degrees of tears
OASI usually includes:
3rd degree tears – involve the a**l sphincter
• 3a: 50% torn
• 3c: both external and internal torn
4th degree tears – sphincter + re**al mucosa

Why it matters
Because these muscles control bowel continence. OASI can lead to:
• F***l or gas incontinence
• Pain during s*x
• Chronic pelvic floor problems if not treated properly

26/01/2026

Check out this cool community run training. 🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♀️

25/01/2026

A pelvic OASI injury refers to an Obstetric A**l Sphincter Injury.

It’s a type of severe tear that can happen during vaginal childbirth, affecting the muscles that control the a**s (the a**l sphincter).

What is injured?
During delivery, some women get perineal tears. OASI means the tear extends into:
• The external a**l sphincter
• Sometimes also the internal a**l sphincter
• In the most severe cases, the lining of the re**um

23/01/2026

My Birth Story – Christmas Eve Baby

40+6 weeks. A Christmas Eve baby.

I had no signs of labour leading up to Christmas, so we decided to travel from Taupō to Rotorua to celebrate Christmas Eve with my family.

We arrived around midday and went for a 40-minute walk in the Redwoods before heading to my sister’s house.

We had a late lunch snack and everyone was just hanging out. Looking back, the house was absolutely full of oxytocin — so much love and warmth from my family. I was casually sitting on the couch when, suddenly, my waters broke. Off to the loo I went, completely shocked.

I called out to my sister and my hubby, and we quickly made a plan — even though we hadn’t packed anything.

We drove back home to Taupō, and contractions started straight away. I had about 15 contractions on the drive home.

Once home, I decided to put the TENS machine on, thinking it was probably too early — but a lovely mama had suggested using it early, and I’m so glad I did.

My midwife rang and we made a plan to meet at Taupō Maternity at 6pm for a check (it was about 4:30pm). Labour intensified very quickly, and soon contractions were 3 minutes apart.

At 5pm I told my hubby we needed to ring the midwife back. A new plan was made — meet at maternity in 25 minutes.
When we arrived, the midwife saw a few contractions and suggested checking me (reluctantly)

9cm dilated.

My original plan had been to labour at home and birth at Rotorua Hospital, but it was very clear we weren’t going to make it.

Master Spencer Johnathan Kenneth How was born at Taupō Maternity at 8:05pm on Christmas Eve.

Unfortunately, I sustained a third-degree tear, so we were transferred by ambulance to Rotorua, where I had surgery under spinal anaesthetic at 1:30am.

We stayed two nights in Rotorua Hospital, then one night back at Taupō Maternity before coming home.

Healing has been slow but is progressing, and we are absolutely loving all parts of parenthood. 💙

There has been lots of learning through this experience which I'm excited to share to help others on this journey.

21/01/2026

Spencer arrived quickly and safely on the 24th of December at 8:05pm at Taupō Maternity. 💙 👶

Weighing 3.953kg (8lb 6oz) and measuring 52cm, he is growing beautifully.

Mum and Dad are absolutely smitten and loving on him every day. ❤️

18/07/2025

Lately, I’ve seen a wave of fancy-looking (and seriously overpriced) products being marketed to women’s vaginas—moisturisers, supplements, oils, pills - all promising to “restore” vaginal health.

But here’s the truth: nothing works as well as a simple, prescription product you can get from any doctor.

✅ It’s fully funded in NZ—$0 cost for the product.
✅ It’s incredibly safe—no increased risk of cancer, heart disease or any other health condition
✅ It restores moisture, collagen, and natural lubrication.
✅ It treats dryness, itching, soreness and bladder issues.
✅ It reduces UTIs so effectively, studies show it literally saves lives. (Sepsis from a urinary tract infection is a real and tragic cause of death in many older women. As a hospital doctor, I’ve seen it too many times.)

So before you drop your hard-earned money on a glamorous tube with big promises and zero evidence—ask your GP for a script to try Ovestin vaginal estrogen.

It works.
It’s safe.
And it might just be your vagina’s new best friend.