Pillar 1: Personalise

Get a plan that actually works for your body.

Stop guessing. Start progressing.

Your body, birth, and symptoms are different.

So your recovery plan should produce results based on you - not a generic template.

Test & Assess:
Pinpoint what's holding you back. Identify pelvic floor, core, and movement issues so you stop doing the wrong exercises.

Track & Understand:
Know exactly what’s improving and why. Track symptoms, spot patterns, and build confidence in your body again.

Advocacy & Plan:
Follow a clear plan built around your goals. Know what to do, when to do it, and how to move forward without second-guessing.

Reflection

1.1: Goal setting (5 minutes)

ACTIVITY

We will have covered this in your application, discovery call and onboarding documents- but it's time to get something written down.

Take some time to think about what you really want to strive towards throughout the program. We will check in with these goals at each of your in person appointments. These may change slightly over the course of the program, but for now write down what makes you most excited or you feel strongest about.

Write down your goals.

Where

Notes app of your phone
Piece of paper for on the fridge (that you ideally don't lose!)

GOAL 1:

GOAL 2:

Goal examples:

Bladder/ bowel/ pelvic floor

Reducing leakage from daily with every sneeze/ cough to less than once a week
Reducing your bladder urgency from X/10 to X/10
Be able to go for a walk or workout without worrying about finding a toilet
Improve bowel regularity and stop straining

Movement

Returning to the gym 2 x per week
Run my first 2k/ 5k/ 10k
Complete my exercises 3 x per week at home

Pain/ scar

Be able to do X movement without feeling pulling from my scar
Reduce pain with intercourse from X/10 to X/10

Lifestyle/ confidence

Be able to lift my pram without pain or discomfort
Be able to get through my day without feeling heaviness or discomfort
Understand whats happening in my body without feeling confused and unsure

WATCH

How To Set Goals That Feel Good (1 min)

1.2: Identify whats holding you back (3 minutes)

ACTIVITY

It's time to reflect on what has stopped you from progressing so far.

Is it not having enough time in the day, the mental capacity, or a lack of support meaning it's hard to focus on yourself?

Is it a lack of motivation, or just being unsure on how to progress?

Is it symptoms that are stopping you - leaking, heaviness, pain, discomfort?

Are you finding it really difficult with reduced sleep, finding you're having lower moods than normal or going through a tough time with your baby/ children?

Write down what are the main things that you feel are holding you back right now.

Put this below your goals, where ever you have them written down.

HOLDING ME BACK 1:

HOLDING ME BACK 2:

Be honest with yourself here. This helps us work to shape the program around you, considering where you are at currently.

Examples may be- lack of time, supporting babies/ children's needs, unsure on what was safe to do, lost confidence in my body ...

Communication

1.3: Your weekly check in (2 minutes)

Weekly check in's will be sent to your email (link to Splose form) on each Monday (unless informed otherwise).

The weekly check in will include:

Energy levels, mood and sleep for that week
How you went with the exercises- what worked, what didn't
Weekly wins
Symptom check in (e.g. urinary frequency, leakage, heaviness, pain)

For anything that you would like to talk about in more detail, a voice message or text can be sent through on Voxer. Emma will get back to you on weekdays.

LISTEN

1.4: Using Voxer (3 minutes)

Add Emma as a contact and then be sure to say hello so your number is saved.

Username = eboyes392

LISTEN

Voxer apple download

Voxer android download

Voxer website

Outcome measures

1.5: Bladder Diary

A bladder diary is the gold standard to gain the best possible understanding of what is going on with your bladder.

What we use it to assess & manage postpartum:

Reduced bladder sensation
Increased urinary urgency
Increased urinary frequency
Bladder leakage

We measure everything - what's going in, what's coming out, your urge levels, frequency of urination and any leakage that may occur.

It's a big commitment- but most people find they learn some really valuble information about their bladder habits, and often there are some easy tweaks we can make to help manage your symptoms.

Usually we wil do the bladder diary for 2-3 days.

As you have to measure your bladder volumes, days that you are mainly at home are ideal. This is giving us a baselinline, so try and document a "normal" day if you can (e.g. don't choose a day when you are out all day for an event).

We will re-assess this as needed throughout the program, but usually you will only need to complete it 2 times throughout the program.

Your options

1. The old fashioned way -> printed bladder diary

Either print this out and fill it in by hand, or edit it as a PDF.

2. The cool way --> Bladderly App

Download this on your phone to make tracking your bladder habits a LOT easier.

Click for apple app

Click for android app

1.6: Symptom scores (5 min)

These outcome measures are used to assess and compare your symptoms from prior to the program to completion.

You will be informed of what symptoms score you should complete.

Either send a photo or screen shot you answers and send to Emma on Voxer.

Note: you do not need to put your details into the online questionnaire, for PDF's online you can screenshot them then "mark up" your answers on your phone.

1. Lower back pain - Oswestry Disability Index

2. Prolapse - Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptom Score

3. Bladder leakage - ICIQ- UI SF

4. Sexual function - Female Sexual Function Index

5. Mood- Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

6. Pelvic pain- The Pelvic Pain Impact Questionnaire

7. Pelvic health- The Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire

8. Get Active Postpartum Questionnaire