Can Massage Help with Menopause? What Research Tells Us

Menopause is often associated with hot flushes and night sweats, but for many women, the psychological symptoms can be just as challenging. Anxiety, overwhelm, low mood, brain fog and feeling unlike yourself are incredibly common, yet they can often be overlooked.

 

As both a massage therapist and physiotherapist, I’ve seen first-hand the difference massage can make for women navigating this stage of life. During the final year of my MSc in Physiotherapy, I decided to explore this in more depth through my dissertation.

 

Exploring the lived experience of massage during menopause

 

My dissertation, “Lived Experiences of Massage Therapy for Treating the Psychological Symptoms of Menopause: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis,” explored how women experienced massage therapy while living with the psychological effects of perimenopause and menopause.

 

Rather than focusing on numbers or statistics, I chose qualitative research to understand real women’s experiences. I interviewed seven women who had used massage therapy while experiencing menopausal symptoms, allowing them to share, in their own words, how massage had impacted their wellbeing.

 

Four key themes emerged from the research:

 

• Massage therapy for managing menopause
• The experience of menopausal symptoms
• Barriers to accessing massage therapy
• Implications for healthcare professionals

 

What did the research find?

 

Every participant described massage therapy as a valuable part of managing their menopausal symptoms.

 

One of the strongest findings was the impact massage had on anxiety, with participants reporting feeling calmer, more balanced and better able to cope after treatment.

 

Other important findings included:

 

• Regular massage appeared to provide the greatest benefit.
• Cost was often the biggest barrier to receiving treatment consistently.
• Many participants preferred receiving treatment from a female therapist.
• Menopause continues to be misunderstood and under-discussed within society.

 

More than just relieving muscle tension

 

One of the most interesting findings wasn’t simply that massage helped—it was why.

 

Participants spoke not only about the physical treatment itself, but also about feeling listened to, cared for and given uninterrupted time to focus on themselves. The therapeutic environment mattered too, with factors such as lighting, privacy and feeling safe all contributing to the overall experience.

 

These “soft skills” are sometimes underestimated, yet they formed an important part of why massage felt so beneficial.

 

A whole-person approach to menopause

 

The research also highlighted an important message for healthcare professionals.

 

Menopause is far more than a collection of symptoms. It is a complex, whole-body experience that can affect physical health, emotional wellbeing, relationships, work and confidence.

 

Massage therapy should not be viewed as a replacement for medical care where it is needed. Instead, it can form part of a holistic approach to menopause, alongside lifestyle changes, exercise, nutrition, psychological support and, where appropriate, medical treatments such as HRT.

 

While non-pharmaceutical approaches like massage are becoming increasingly popular, more research is still needed to better understand their role in supporting women through menopause.

 

Sharing the research

 

I was honoured to present these findings at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Annual Conference in 2023, helping to raise awareness of the role massage therapy can play in supporting women’s health.

 

Menopause massage at Bloom

 

At Bloom, we understand that menopause affects every woman differently. Whether you’re experiencing tension, anxiety, poor sleep or simply feeling exhausted, massage offers dedicated time to slow down, reconnect with your body and support your overall wellbeing.

 

If you’re curious about whether massage could help you during perimenopause or menopause, we’d love to chat and help you find the treatment that’s right for you.

 

If you’re interested in reading the full dissertation or would like to learn more about the research, please get in touch.

The post Can Massage Help with Menopause? appeared first on Bloom Yoga Bristol.

Marnie attendedBloom Yoga’s Pregnancy Yoga Class in Horfield and I was so pleased to have received her message to say that she had her much wanted home birth.

“I got my home birth, it was an amazing experience, and I definitely kept calm and in the zone using lots of the movement and breath you had taught us ?”.

Here is Marnie’s home birth in her own words…

“Here’s the story of our magical, en caul home birth of Jackson – a beautiful, calm, and healing experience as second time parents.

Eight weeks on and I still can’t get over how wonderful Jackson’s birth was – I’m still in shock that we got our ‘dream birth’.

Quick Facts:

 Second Time Parents

 Known Baby Boy

 EDD: 23/10/23 (NHS) – 25/10/23 (my calculation from conception)

 Actual Birth Date: November 2 (41+3)

 Planned and actual home water birth

 2 hours 39 minutes – Midwives record from start of ‘active labour’ to finish of placenta delivery. But overall from the first surge I timed to finish was 11 hours.

 3.7kgs/8lbs 2oz

 Pain Relief: Hypnobirthing, TENS, comb, birth pool, gas and air for last hour

 Trigger warnings: Previous induction, discussion of medical coercion, reduced movements

Our daughter (who turned 4 just two weeks before baby boy’s arrival) was born October 2019 at 40+4 after an induction of labour (including continuous monitoring, which had me confined to a bed) which, while it all went relatively well and calm and natural, I just felt so disappointed about it all, and later realised I had been coerced into, felt like I wasn’t given the full information to be able to make my own informed decision. I learned so much between births about the particular situation I was in and realised for the first time that I could have declined the induction, or even made different choices surrounding the induction. I was determined not to be put in the same position again and spent a long time educating myself and getting to a place where I felt comfortable in my decisions using BRAIN (benefits, risks, alternatives, intuition, do nothing).

This time around, whilst trying to conceive, I already had decided I wanted a home birth and started researching home birth and reading other people’s home birth stories through the wonderfully knowledgeable doula Samantha Gadsden’s Facebook community, Home Birth Support Group UK (I highly recommend joining this group if you are at all, even mildly interested in having a home birth. I also purchased the Positive Birth Company’s Pregnancy Pack, Hypnobirthing Pack, Hypnobirthing Book and Affirmation cards to prepare myself for birth.

This Pregnancy:

I spent my entire pregnancy soaking up inspiration and knowledge from birth stories (Like the ones I mentioned in the Home Birth Support Group), books (Like Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth, and the Positive Birth Company’s Hypnobirthing book), podcasts (Such as the Midwives Cauldron, Better Birth UK, The Hypnobirthing Podcast, Normal Boring Freebirth, and Natural Birth Podcast), Instagram accounts of midwives and doulas (Such as Pop That Mumma and Sara Wickham), and practicing my hypnobirthing techniques.

I was also a lot more active this time around. I continue my regular Pole Fitness classes until 35 weeks pregnant, did pregnancy yoga classes either online or in person 2-3 times a week, and walked my daughter to preschool twice a week (a 50 minute round trip).

This pregnancy, while I experienced some morning sickness and food aversions, it wasn’t nearly as bad as my pregnancy with my daughter. I did experience some PGP and serious pelvic pressure in my groin (mostly during my 2nd trimester), and found that from as early as 20 weeks pregnant the most comfortable way for me to sit was on a birth ball (I found the sofa SO uncomfortable!).

Overall a very smooth pregnancy and I felt really lucky that it was as such.

I was also extremely fortunate in that from my very first booking appointment when I told the midwife I wanted a home birth, I was met with nothing but positivity and support. My community midwives and dedicated home birth team in my local NHS trust (North Bristol) were wonderfully supportive the entire way, and I recieved no push back at all to my home birth wishes from them, which I was most grateful for.

We only had one slight hiccup when, at my 36 week appointment I had a random high Carbon Monoxide reading (7). It was checked again one week later and had dropped slightly to 5 and so I was referred to a consultant another week later. At that appointment my levels had dropped back to a normal range (we think the culprit was traffic pollution as I’d made a concerted effort to avoid exposure following the first high reading and no other risks applied ie smoking, household or car issues) however the consultant was still trying to push me into a growth scan (Which I really did not want, considering what had happened in my first pregnancy following a growth scan, which I now knew to be not as accurate as I believed at the time – growth scans at the end of your pregnancy have a 20% margin of error!).

I ended up in tears in this appointment and left with a scan having been booked for me for the next day, only to have my home birth midwife appointment that afternoon where the amazing midwife encouraged me to trust my instincts and made my own decision. She gave me all the possible information and then supported me wholeheartedly in cancelling the scan (she was an angel!! Exactly what I needed when having a little blip in my confidence to advocate for myself). The rest of my pregnancy continued as normal after that until the night before his birth.

Day before Labour and Birth – November 1 (41+2):

During the day I was aware baby was not moving as much or as strongly as he normally would – the first time I’ve ever experienced reduced movements in either of my pregnancies. To soothe my mind, I ended up calling the assessment unit and headed there to just check in on baby. Typically, as soon as I arrived he started moving at his normal rate again, but I decided to stay for the full CTG to just reassure myself. It was quite busy so I was in there from 5.45pm until 11.15pm, but was glad I went as this was the first time I’ve ever had any true concerns in this pregnancy. Luckily, little babe passed the CTG and movement check criteria in 15 minutes, so that was reassuring. The CTG also showed I was experiencing tightenings, which wasn’t surprising as I’d been getting Braxton Hicks throughout my third trimester.

Whilst at the hospital, I was asked whether I wanted to book in for a scan or induction due to my “late gestation” which I politely declined, stating I’d already had an at length discussion with Birth Choices and they knew my wishes for spontaneous labour and home birth post-42 weeks. My choice was respected without fuss which I was happy about. I did personally ask for a membrane sweep at this point as I had been quite rattled by the episode of reduced movements, and was becoming increasingly impatient to have my baby safely in my arms. I knew the risks, used my BRAIN and made a decision that felt right for me at the time, and I don’t regret it. After the sweep (during which I was found to be 2cm dilated) I began experiencing mild tightenings every 5 minutes which continued until I went to bed at midnight.

Day of birth – November 2 (41+3):

At 4.40am our 4yo daughter woke up, I tried to get her back to sleep in our bed but she wouldn’t go, so at 5.45am we give up on sleep and get up out of bed. As I get my daughter ready for the day I start to feel a tightening or two again, very mild.

Around 8.15am, after dropping our 4yo at preschool, I notice some tightenings that are a little stronger, but still very mild.

Later I head to Tesco and when I get home, at 10.30am, I decide to start timing the surges on the Freya App and setting up the living room to be our birth space. Husband is working from home today luckily so he pops downstairs to help too. Surges are roughly 7 minutes apart at this point and extremely manageable so I’m still unsure as to whether this is early labour or Braxton Hicks. I stick on Harry Potter to watch while timing my surges and bouncing on my birth ball.

At 11.30am I have a surge that comes with a bit of pressure in bum, which makes me think it could possibly be early labour after all. Surges are recording at 5-7 minutes apart now.

At 12.15pm I call the home birth team midwives to give them a heads up that I *might* be in labour (I was still second-guessing myself at this point and was up until very late in the game!). After this my husband inflates the birth pool.

Around 1pm my Freya hypnobirthing app (which I found really amazing at helping me to remember my breathing and keeping in “the zone” during labour) says I’m in established labour but I don’t think that’s accurate, however at 1.25pm I do have a surge that I can’t talk through easily. I’m finding standing and swaying whilst leaning over the back of the sofa the most comfortable position to be in at this point, and that’s how I mostly stay until moving to the pool much later.

At 1.43pm I call the midwives back, as requested an hour after first phone call, to check in. I speak to a student midwife who says it sounds like I’m managing them OK so far, which I agree with, and to call back in another hour, but at 2pm the senior midwife I spoke to on the first call phones me back and hears me have a surge whilst on the phone. She says they think they would like to send someone to me to assess me and at 2.50pm two midwives arrive, Mary (who I spoke to on the phone), and student midwife Rhea. My husband has ducked out to pick up our daughter from preschool at this time and when they return, I accept a VE (the only one I end up having the whole labour), and it reveals I’m a stretchy 3cm with favourable cervix (3.20pm).

At 4.05pm I whack on the TENS machine as I’m beginning to get quite uncomfortable during the surges. During all this the two midwives are mostly just leaving me to it, by myself in the living room, while they hang out in the kitchen with my husband and daughter (who is loving the attention from wonderful student midwife Rhea in particular).

At 5.25pm I lose my mucus plug and pessure in my bum during surges increases. I’m moving my body, swaying my hips and focusing on relaxing my shoulders and jaw during each surge, using the amazingly wonderful boost function on my TENS and the Freya app to cope. I think at roughly 6pm the midwives hint to my husband it would be a good idea to fill the pool, which I’m glad he takes their advice, as he apparently told them at one point “it’ll only take ten minutes, I reckon”.

Husband also gets our daughter to bed around 6.45pm, I remember wanting to give her a big cuddle as I knew it would be the last time I would see her as my only child, but she said she didn’t want one.

It’s at this point I think I finally accept that I am in labour, that this isn’t a false alarm (I’d kept saying to the midwives “I hope I haven’t called you out to a false alarm and wasted your time!). Funnily enough, I must have outwardly shown a change here too as this is where the midwives have recorded active labour from.

At 7pm I get into the pool, which feels absolutely amazing! I never got the opportunity to be in a pool/bath/shower during my first labour, so I was so pleased to be able to experience it this time around. Things really ramped up in intensity once I got in the pool too, which I was pleased about as I was worried it would slow things down instead. I start using wooden combs in my hands, squeezing them into my palms during each surge, to help alongside the hydrotherapy.

At this point, now that I was not using my Hypnobirthing App anymore near the water, my husband asked if I wanted some relaxing music on, him thinking I’d ask for meditative music. I replied by asking him to put on my ‘Musical Playlist’ so from here on out the living room had a fun background soundtrack of Hamilton, Encanto, Moana, In the Heights, and The Greatest Showman.

My husband and I sing, smile and laugh between surges.

At 7.30pm the midwives have a shift change, and while I am sad to see Mary and Rhea go, I’m over the moon to see Emily (who I had met at my most recent midwife appointment) and Sophie (the absolute angel of a midwife I had seen the day of my consultant appointment) arrive.

By 8pm I’m feeling the surges very intensely, and ask the midwives if they have brought gas and air (they knew my wishes to not ask me if I wanted pain relief until I asked for it myself, and so I hadn’t even seen them bring it inside the house). They set it up for me and I do use it for the next hour. During each surge I’m feeling a lot of pressure, and whilst I’m not pushing, I’m certainly focusing on working with the pressure instead of tensing up against it, relaxing my entire body and envisioning my lower body opening for baby to drop down during each surge.

At 9pm I officially begin the 2nd stage of labour. At the end of one surge my body starts pushing involuntarily, and so after that one, the midwives suggest I may want to put down the gas and air for the next surge and focus on bearing down however feels right for my body: “just go with it”.

During the next surge I do just that, follow my bodies lead, and feel baby descent down the entire birth canal and into the ring of fire. I cannot believe how quickly things progressed here as I was pushing for two hours in my first birth. Whilst in the ring of fire between surges I do take some more puffs of gas and air and I pant to keep calm and try not to tear. The midwives tell me that baby is still in his amniotic sac, and they take some incredible photos and videos for me at this point.

During the next surge baby’s head is born (sweet relief from that ring of fire moment, which was the most intense part of the whole labour and birth) still amazingly in his sac! I reach down and feel his head cushioned in his waters and am blown away! I just keep repeating “this is incredible” and have the biggest smile on my face.

Next surge comes and I birth baby’s body, catching him in the water and pulling him to my chest, accidently breaking his membranes as I do (Emily gently removes the rest of it off his face). He is born at 9.17pm, after just 17 minutes of 2nd stage (4 surges/pushes), and we meet our beautiful boy, Jackson (he is born to ‘How Far I’ll Go’ from Moana – somewhat fittingly as an “en caul”/mermaid birth)

I am in shock at how incredible the whole experience has been, and you can see in the video and photos just how amazed I am.

Jackson’s cord is quite short, so I’m holding him fairly low in the water, and after a short while I decide to move to the sofa to deliver the placenta, however as I stand up, the placenta starts coming away, and so I semi squat and birth the placenta over the pool – just 7 minutes after birth, completely physiologically! (Again, a new experience for me)

We then moved to the sofa in a complete oxytocin bubble where we got our Golden Hour, baby latched during this time, and once the cord was completely white my husband cut it. My husband and I could not stop saying how unbelievable the whole experience had been, we were on such a high! Just such a healing experience, so different from my first birth. The midwives were so happy for us, and were so lovely, saying I’d done so well. Emily said she had only seen one en caul birth before mine, and Sophie said 7 minutes was one of the quickest physiological stage of labour she’d ever seen. The room was such a positive place post birth, boosting the oxytocin even more. I got to see them examine the placenta, whilst it was still attached to Jackson, and my wishes were respected to delay putting a hat on him while I sniffed away at his beautiful baby head scent.

My blood loss was recorded as 405ml, and I did get some 2nd degree tearing which I decided to have sutured, Emily easily did this on my sofa whilst I had some gas and air again.

Midwives were both gone by 11.45pm and we were in our own bed (yet filled with too much excitement to sleep!) at 12.30pm.

I’m honestly so over the moon that we got the birth of our dreams, and still now, weeks down the track, I’m on a high about it.

One comment from my husband that summed up how different it was, when he pointed out “you were smiling during this one, you certainly weren’t smiling during the last birth” – which is so true, I can’t believe I was smiling and laughing with half a baby sticking out of my vagina (see video for that moment!)”

THANK YOU MARNIE for allowing me to share your birth experience. If you would like to read more you can check out Marnie’s blog here.

The post Marnie’s Bristol Home Birth appeared first on Bloom Yoga Bristol.

If you’re expecting a baby and looking for a safe and nurturing way to stay active and healthy during pregnancy in Bristol, our pregnancy yoga classes are just what you need!

Pregnancy yoga is a gentle and modified form of yoga that is specifically tailored to the unique needs and changes that occur in your body during pregnancy. Our experienced and certified yoga instructors in Bristol are here to guide you through a series of gentle poses, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques that are safe and beneficial for both you and your baby.

Why choose pregnancy yoga in Bristol?

Our classes provide a safe and supportive environment where you can connect with other expectant mothers, share your experiences, and build a sense of community. Our instructors are trained in prenatal yoga and have a deep understanding of the physical and emotional changes that occur during pregnancy. They will provide modifications and adjustments for your individual needs to ensure your comfort and safety throughout the practice.

What are the benefits of Pregnancy Yoga?

Pregnancy yoga offers a range of benefits for both the mother and baby. It helps to relieve common pregnancy discomforts such as back pain, swollen ankles, and fatigue. It also promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and improves sleep quality. The gentle stretching and strengthening exercises can help prepare your body for labor and childbirth, as well as aid in postpartum recovery.

Join our pregnancy yoga classes in Bristol and experience the numerous benefits for yourself.

Our classes are suitable for all stages of pregnancy, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced yogi. We create a welcoming and inclusive space where you can connect with your body, your baby, and other expectant mothers.

Research has shown that practicing yoga during pregnancy can have a positive impact on both the physical and mental well-being of expectant mothers.

Our pregnancy yoga classes in Bristol are designed to support you in this transformative time, helping you to stay active, reduce discomfort, and cultivate a sense of calm and relaxation.

At Bloom Yoga Bristol we offer group pregnancy yoga classes in Bristol, online yoga, 121 yoga sessions and antenatal education. Join us and discover the benefits for yourself.

The post Pregnancy Yoga in Bristol, What Are The Benefits? appeared first on Bloom Yoga Bristol.

I didn’t plan to write about my birth experience, but after going through it, I realised how empowering it was for me as a life experience so I would like to share it with others and have it as a memory. Here it goes… 

My pregnancy journey was coming to an end. On the afternoon of Friday 5th of November 2021, I was 40 weeks + 1 day and I had an appointment with my midwife and she offered me membrane sweep to initiate the labour. I was indecisive whether to get the sweep or not as I wanted the birth of my baby to be as natural as possible with the minimum medical induction, but in the end, I accepted to have it. The sweeping felt a bit uncomfortable, but I could cope with it. It was similar to a cervical smear test. After the unpleasant appointment, Micheál and I went for a walk together and had a drink in the pub. A really nice unexpected date.   

On the following day, Micheál and I enjoyed a long morning in bed, and after breakfast, I started getting small contractions. It seems the membrane sweep may have worked! The contractions were very mild at the beginning but were getting stronger and more frequent as the day went by. We spent the day at home chilling out (painting a mandala and watching the great British bake off) and went for a walk in the afternoon (we went to the shop and decided to buy a microwave, which Micheál had to walk back home!). After dinner, the contractions were coming quite often, but I could still talk during them, however, due to how often they were coming (one each minute or so), we decided to go to the hospital for a check-up. Micheál was quite nervous at that time and was pushing to go to the hospital instead of staying at home. We called Mendip Birth Centre, which was the place I had selected in my birth plan, and were told to come in. 

We arrived at Mendip Birth Centre at 23:45pm and I was offered a check of my cervix, which I accepted. I was 1cm dilated at that point and we were recommended to go back home, so we did.  

At home, we put our pyjamas on and went to bed. As the contractions were getting stronger, I asked Micheál to set up the TENS machine and plug them on my back. They didn’t help much at the beginning as the pain was like a period pain in the front of my uterus. Soon enough the pain moved to the back and the TENS machine started to be useful.  

The contractions came in and out all night. At the beginning lasting a few seconds with breaks in between, and at the end lasting close to a minute and continuous one after the other. I went to bed in every break between contractions, but with each of them, I instinctively had to stand up and move. I had to increase the intensity of the TENS machine as the contractions were getting stronger. Micheál was very supportive all night and reminded me to use the hypnobirthing techniques for breathing. He kept telling me how good I was doing, which really helped.  

At around 06:00am in the morning on Sunday, I wasn’t coping with the contractions anymore and was shouting for an epidural. Even now, two weeks after having given birth, I still remember perfectly the feeling during the peak of a couple of contractions. It felt like a baby was coming out of me, but thinking about it later on, I think this may have been my cervix opening and dilating. We decided it was then time to call Mendip Birth Centre again. Micheál called the hospital and even though they still encouraged us to stay at home because the contractions weren’t regular, we decided to go in as it felt like the right decision for us and our baby. 

At this point in time, I wasn’t getting a break between contractions and I could barely walk. I still wonder how Micheál got me dressed (t-shirt on, blanket around and sleepers – best outfit ever!), put me at the back of the car, drove me to the hospital (I travelled to the hospital on all fours), and took me to the delivery room. The walk from the drop off to the delivery suit was a few steps away, but I had to stop several times to hold the contractions. The midwives waved at us from the window of their office as we approached them. We arrived at Mendip Birth Centre around 07:00am. 

Once in the hospital, a midwife welcomed us and gave us a room. The delivery room was perfect. It had everything I had dreamt of for the birth of my baby: a birthing pool, a double bed and an en-suite. I was very lucky to be in such a wonderful environment with the lights dimmed, Micheál holding my hand, and an experienced midwife, Amy, together with a student midwife, guiding me through labour. After a check-up, I was told I was 7cm dilated and even though I was still asking for an epidural, the midwife offered to try the options available in the room: gas & air and the birthing pool. I agreed to give it a go.  

I found gas & air amazing and helped me to go through the rest of the dilation. I don’t remember much from that time onwards. The few things I remember are: the student midwife massaging my back so gently (she was really good for being on her first day at work!), that I was asked what I wanted to do with the placenta after the birth (I couldn’t answer due to the continuous contractions so Micheál had to answer on my behalf) and that I was told the pool was ready, so I jumped in. The pool was a great relief. It was nice and warm and released the pressure on my back.  

Once in the pool, the contractions were very strong. I remember shouting very loudly when the contractions were picking up. Micheál was very stressed of the pain I was going through but he knew the effort was bearable and the best option at that time (and the only one!) was to continue. 

Before I realised, my baby was coming out. The feeling I will never forget is when the head of my baby was coming down the birth canal with the contraction, but going in again in-between the contractions. This movement was repeated back and forth a few times until the head of my baby finally crowned. My baby was half way into the world! I bet it was weird for Micheál to see that scene. The midwives found it amusing that the baby was blowing kisses at them, whilst still on her way out. 

After one long push, my baby was fully out of me and I was able to hold her with my arms and bring her out of the water, still attached to me by the umbilical cord. This was 10:09am and it was the most beautiful scene I can picture within my whole life: meeting my baby for the very first time and seeing her face. Micheál, myself and our baby: a family of three forever.  

Once I was back from this magical moment, I got out of the water and carried my baby to the bed. There, my baby and I were positioned skin to skin and as soon as she was in contact with my breast, she started latching. How does she know how to breastfeed? She has just been born! This was the most connecting experience with my baby: she was in my arms, still connected to the placenta inside me through the umbilical cord and at the same time latched to my breast.  

The midwife clamped the umbilical cord after it had stopped pulsating and all the blood had passed from the placenta to my baby, then Micheál cut the umbilical cord. 

When my baby was feeding, I could feel more contractions coming for the delivery of the placenta. My placenta came out naturally after a few pushes. Once it was out, I felt a big relief. The labour was over and I could rest with my baby beside me.  

After a few minutes of resting, the midwife checked my vagina for tears. I had a second degree tear, so I needed stitches. Micheál was asked to hold our baby while I was getting the stitches, but he was so tired after such an event that he felt asleep while holding our baby. Once the stitches were done, I had time to rest with Micheál and our baby. I still had enough adrenaline on me to keep me awake, but Micheál and the baby felt asleep on my side.    

My whole body was sore: my throat was dry from the gas & air and the shouting, and my neck and back were tight due to the tension. However, no pain could take away the feeling of happiness I had at that time.   

The midwife told us that we could go home once the baby was checked six hours after the birth. The six hours went by quickly and after making sure our baby had all fingers and toes, we packed our bags and went home, just in time for dinner. What an exhausting and amazing experience that was, which will stay with me for the rest of my life. Now, a new adventure begins: the adventure of parenthood. 

The post Natalia’s Water Birth appeared first on Bloom Yoga Bristol.

I’ve decided to share a little more about the journey I’ve been on – as I know how lonely Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) and fertility struggles can be. Although it feels scary to share on here, if my story helps one person, it will be worth it.

So before I get started, here’s a little information about POI…

POI is typically used to mean menopause that comes well before the average age of normal menopause — when you’re still in your teens, 20s, 30s, or early 40s.  Simply put, it means that the ovaries aren’t working properly. They stop producing eggs years, and in some cases even decades, before they should. In addition, the ovaries are unable to produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which have important roles in women’s health and well-being. POI is different to menopause that occurs at around the average age (52 years). Not only does it occur at a very young age, but the ovaries often don’t completely fail. This means that ovarian function can fluctuate over time, occasionally resulting in a period, ovulation or even pregnancy, several years after diagnosis. Because of this intermittent temporary return of ovarian function, approximately 5-10% of women with POI may still conceive. Approximately one in every 100 women under the age of 40, one in 1,000 women under 30 and one in 10,000 under 20 experience POI. A spontaneous (natural) early menopause affects approximately 5% of the population before the age of 45.

Daisy Network

I started my period age 9 – what felt like years and years before any of my friends started theirs. I remember starting secondary school and a few of my friends said that they couldn’t wait to start their period – I thought why on earth anyone would want that, it’s bloody awful!!! I really suffered with excruciating period pains and heavy bleeding. It felt like so much to deal with when at school. I’d always get my period during exams too….I’d be in so much pain and I’d find it so hard to concentrate and focus.

A few years later (I can’t remember exactly when….but I think I was around 16) my GP put me on the pill to help manage the painful and heavy bleeding. Looking back now, I wish they had done some tests and looked into why my bleeding was so bad, instead of putting me on the pill to manage it without any investigation to the cause.

Fast forward 7 years, age 23 I decided to come off the pill and my periods returned, for a little while. 

I wasn’t tracking my cycle at this point, in fact I didn’t even realise this was a thing – or of the importance of doing so (your cycle can be a great indicator of your general health as sometimes even the slightest change can be a sign that something is out of balance)! Because of this, I didn’t notice my periods stopping until many months later.

I was experiencing very low mood and what I thought were panic attacks (I have since realised these were hot flushes – they’re pretty intense and scary when you have no idea what’s going on!). I had a lot going on in my life at that point with a string of family losses and my GP put it my low mood and lack of periods down to stress and depression. I was prescribed antidepressants, however these didn’t help as they were not treating the route cause of what was really going on.

I decided to go travelling and before I left I went to the doctor and and they finally did some blood tests because my periods still hadn’t returned. My GP tested my LH and FSH. Unfortunately she took the incorrect decision to not tell me my results as it was just before Christmas and she knew I was going travelling, so she told me to come back for further tests when I came back home.

Whilst towards the end of my travels my periods came back!! I thought everything was fine so I didn’t go back for further tests. They stayed for a while but then became really irregular again with long gaps between each one and extremely heavy and painful bleeding. This coincided with my low mood returning and intense panic attacks (hot flushes) and lots of other symptoms. I kept on saying to everyone that I felt like I was going through the menopause, either that or I was losing my mind.

I decided to go back on the pill to help ease the heavy bleeding and I booked a doctors app with a new GP. They asked why I wanted to go on the pill and if anyone had explained my previous LH and FSH results to me. I said that they hadn’t.

She then leaned over and said ‘I’m so sorry, your test results indicate that you’ve gone through the menopause’. (my results at the time were FSH 106, LH 62).

MENOPAUSE?! I’M ONLY 26!!!

It was a massive shock, but it also felt as if everything suddenly made sense. I wasn’t losing my mind after all…..there was finally an explanation to how I was feeling.

After my diagnosis I dived head first into finding out as much as I could about my chances of having a baby. I wasn’t eligible for IVF to freeze my eggs as I was single and because it was a natural menopause (not forced through medical treatment).

I still felt positive that it would still have my own family, somehow. I didn’t get any support to be honest when looking into my fertility options. I had to go private and I booked an AMH test (this indicates ovarian reserve) and was awaiting the results.

The night before I suddenly thought….what if it’s not good news? So I text my friend to ask her to come with me. As we waited outside I showed her my little AMH graph and said I thought maybe I’d be in the green/amber zone – I was very optimistic!!

We walked in and sat down. The fertility doctor told me that my AMH was 0.001. I was looking on the graph to find it and then he pointed to the bottom line of the graph….and then I realised. My friend started crying and we had to get her some tissues!! I just felt numb, I didn’t really feel anything at that point. He said I’d have a less than 1% chance of ever conceiving naturally and that I wasn’t eligible for IVF as they wouldn’t be able to harvest enough eggs.

A donor egg or adoption were my only options to become a mother.

The year that followed was hard. I don’t know if it really sunk in to be honest. It was such a strange feeling that my own body wasn’t working how it should be. I felt like I had no control. All this along side the POI symptoms (low mood, hot flushes, brain fog, memory loss, aching joints, exhaustion etc) made everything feel more intense on some days.

Eventually I got myself to a good-ish place through yoga and mindfulness. I decided that it was all going to be okay. I’d always wanted to adopt so I focused on this instead.

I went travelling again….and guess what happens! My period comes back!! I’m sure it was because I was super relaxed when I was there!

8 weeks later after we were back home I found out that I was pregnant!!! I couldn’t believe it!!! My gynaecologist said it was a miracle baby, he’s now 3 years old and I can’t believe how blessed I am.

I breastfed him for around 13 months and once I stopped, that’s when all my POI symptoms came back. The hot flushes were more intense than ever and it coincided with me also returning back to work full time.

Since then my periods stopped and I went on HRT to help me to manage the symptoms and to also help protect my bone and brain health due to my lack of oestrogen.

I was desperate to have another baby and I really struggled mentally and emotionally with my lack of periods. I decided to go on the pill again for three months and then come off it to see if my periods would return. I got pregnant straight away!! I couldn’t believe it!

Unfortunately, at around 7 weeks I went to the toilet to find that I was bleeding. I broke down and instantly knew what was happening. This happened during C-19 lockdown, which meant that I had to attend the hospital alone to have a scan. I still had a little hope that everything would be okay. I will never forget how it felt to to lay on the table, all by myself, with nobody there to comfort me when I saw my empty womb up on the screen. I had to go back to the hospital by myself a few more times as they needed to another scan and blood tests to check that it wasn’t ectopic.

I have to say that I don’t think anyone can really understand a miscarriage until they go through it themselves. All the hope and dreams suddenly taken away. I think what shocked me the most was the physical side of the loss. The reminder every time I went to the loo to see all of the blood, the increasingly heavy bleeding and the painful contractions were horrendous.

After the miscarriage my periods didn’t return and I really struggled emotionally with this as it felt like a double loss. I went on HRT again to help manage all of the symptoms.

Just over a year later I fell pregnant!! I’m currently 24 weeks as I write this!!! I honestly just can’t believe it.

If all goes well and i’m lucky enough to breastfeed again, I know my symptoms will return but at least this time round I will know the warning signs from experience and can get help as soon as possible to manage them.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.

If you have recently been diagnosed with POI I would highly recommend joining the Daisy Network.

The post Premature Ovarian Insufficiency: My Story appeared first on Bloom Yoga Bristol.

‘The wisdom and compassion a woman can intuitively experience in childbirth can make her a source of healing and understanding for other women’ – Ina May Gaskin.

I’m such a huge fan of Ina May Gaskin and I recommend her books Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and Spiritual Midwifery to everyone!! I have consolidated below some wisdom collected from reading her books and I really hope you find it useful!

The mind-body connection

Ina May’s believes there is a strong connection between the mind, heart, soul and body during birth.  If a woman is feeling loved and adored by her partner and feeling grateful for being in labour and she can surrender to the process and trust her body, then this will help her cervix to dilate with oxytocin levels rising and will feel less pain with the endorphins. 

However if a woman is fearful or holding onto negative energy, this can have an opposite effect and can stall the cervix dilating.

There are a few birth stories where women had fear, and as soon as they started talking about it they felt as if it released a lot of the negative energy and their bodies opened up and contractions started again. Ina May believes that if you hold on to fear then your body tightens, if you let it go of it your body relaxes.

Women can also cope better if they can shift their perspective on the sensations of the contractions. Ina May says, ‘don’t think of it as pain, think of it as an interesting sensation that requires all of your attention’.

If you have any anxiety or fear during labour, the best thing to do is to talk about it. Share your feelings with your birthing  partner or  midwife, as talking about it will help to release any negative energy and will help to soften your  body, in turn making more space for baby.

Pain and Endorphins

Ina May believes that the reason why the women whose births she had attended were able to get through labor without anesthesia or tranquilizers had to do with the atmosphere she learned to create at a birth. A women who is the center of positive attention, feeling grateful, amused, loved and appreciated, has a higher level of endorphins, which block the perception of pain.

A woman may feel more pain if she is afraid, cold, angry, humiliated or experiencing any other disagreeable emotions. This is due to adrenaline, as it’s the body’s protective mechanism when it is presented with danger; the heart rate quickens, the muscles tense, labor contractions may be inhibited, and the perception of pain is intensified. The adrenaline is a survival mechanism to help the mother to fight or flight, not to have a baby.

This really highlights the importance of creating an atmosphere that is relaxing,  humorous and sensual to encourage oxytocin and endorphins. Birth breathing (a technique I teach in my Pregnancy Yoga Classes) can also help to calm the nervous system and encourage oxytocin and endorphins.

Absorbing Negative Cultural Attitudes

A famous quote from Ina May is ‘Remember this, for this is true as it gets; your body is not a lemon. You are not a machine. The creator is not a careless mechanic. Human female bodies have the same potential to give birth as aardvarks, lions, rhinoceros, elephants, moose and water buffalo. Even if it has not been your habit throughout your life so far, I recommend that you learn to think positively about your body’.  ‘We are the only species of mammal that doubts our ability to give birth’.

Through Ina May’s experience she has identified that ‘generally speaking, the more comfortable a woman is living in her body, the more easily she gives birth. Unfortunately, women are quite likely to absorb negative cultural attitudes about their private parts during early childhood’. 

There is a long list of names for the female member, which can carry pornographic or derogatory connections for some women. I don’t think there is a long list of words for men’s private parts that make them feel embarrassed of themselves? For example, in 1961 it was illegal for the word ‘cunt’ to appear in print, and yet the word ‘prick’ was printed; why this further injustice to women? 

Ina May believes to overcome these negative connotations to the female body we must use the words regularly and in a positive way to help ‘women to proudly reclaim all the words that refer to their reproductive organs’.

‘There is no other organ quite like the uterus. If men had such an organ, they would bag about it. So should we’.

Practice self love, your body is truly amazing! Learn as much as you can about how your body works to birth your baby. Let your midwife know if there are any negative words that you would like her to avoid using during your labour, this will enable her to provide more support to you.

Sphincter Law

Ina May beleives that your vagina and cervix are sphincter muscles and act just the same as your other sphincter muscles. The sphincter muscle of both anus and vagina do not respond on command. They open more easily in a comfortable and intimate atmosphere where a woman feels safe.  Whereas if a woman feels threatened in any way then the cervix will close, even if they have already dilated. 

Ina May shares many stories where a woman has been fully dilated at home and then as soon as they get into hospital they have closed up, or they have been dilated and then close up after an examination where it has made them feel uncomfortable. 

The mind can have a powerful effect on the cervix. Comfort, love, humour and reassurance can help you to dilate. Fear, interruption or anxiety can make them tighten or close.  If you have tension in the jaw then you have tension in your sphincter muscles. To help relax these you can practice the birth breathing from our yoga class, chanting, singing or blowing raspberries to loosen the mouth and jaw. It would really help for your birthing partner to understand this too so they can support more in helping you to relax. Remember – Floppy face, floppy fanny!

The Monkey Self

Ina May suggests that we need to let go of our analytical mind and let the older ‘monkey brain’ take over. Ina may says if we can short-circuit the mind during physical pursuit, we can let our inner primate do all the work. it’s a short way of saying don’t let your over-busy mind interfere with the ancient wisdom of your body’. She writes ‘Monkeys don’t think of technology as necessary to birth-giving; Monkeys don’t obsess about their bodies being inadequate…Monkeys don’t do math about their dilation to speculate how long labour might take…Monkeys in labour get into the position that feels best, not the one they’re told to assume…’

Bring your awareness inwards and focus on the birth breathing that you have learnt in class. This will help to quiet a busy mind, which in turn will help to wake up ‘the monkey’ part of the brain. This will help to bring you into  a meditative zone. Focusing on the breath will also help to  stop your mind from focusing on any fears or worries.

The Brain Can Be Unreliable

‘Labour progresses best if you pay attention to the expansion rather than to the contractions’. Ina May says that when a woman’s cervix is nearly open, this is when she is the most apt to feel emotional, to feel that is it impossible to give birth, that you may rip in half or explode if they allow their baby to move down the birth canal. She states that when women are under the spell of this particular fear, they resist from relaxing, as they feel if they do relax then great damage will be done to their bodies. She highlights the importance of knowing that your brain can be quite unreliable at this stage in labour and that it’s important to have someone there that she trusts who can reassure her that she will be okay, the intensity will pass, she won’t explode and to encourage her to relax and surrender to the process.

Focus on your breathing to quiet and focus the mind. It’s important for the birthing partner and midwife to reassure the women at this stage.

The post Ina May’s Wisdom on Childbirth appeared first on Bloom Yoga Bristol.