Last week I headed off to Brisbane’s show – the EKKA – with Mr and Master SY.
After the compulsory strawberry sundae (it’s an iconic EKKA thing – a $5 layered cone of vanilla ice cream, chopped strawberries, gourmet strawberry ice cream, fresh cream and a strawberry on top – plus all funds raised from sales go to the Prince Charles Hospital Foundation), it was straight to sideshow alley.
Master SY is 10 so he insisted.
What he didn’t bank on was that his old mum would be up for going on a ride or two.
Back in the day I did not shy away from even the scariest of rides. What might have scared me in recent years was no longer something I feared.
I could go on the Break Dance and the Rockstar without fear of (literally or figuratively) peeing my pants.
Because. PERICOACH.
Yes, the pelvic floor trainer for your vagina, which I introduced you – and my pelvic floor – to in January gave me the confidence to make good, not embarrassing, memories with my son.
(You can also read more of my follow-up thoughts on using the PeriCoach here)
TODAY, I’m very proud to announce that I’m the ambassador for this amazing product, which is changing women’s lives around Australia – and now in the US and the UK.
I’m on a mission to help women make the best of themselves inside and out.
Bladder leakage is no laughing matter. We shouldn’t just accept that incontinence pads are a part of our present and our future.
We SHOULD be talking about it and I’m stoked that the community here on Styling You is not afraid to do just that.
PeriCoach is the first training device, web portal and smartphone app to take the guesswork out of pelvic floor muscle training and it was invented right here in Australia.
It has been developed in conjunction with healthcare professionals, including women’s health physiotherapists.
The PeriCoach is not a gimmick. It’s simply the best way for women to strengthen their pelvic floor.
Pelvic floor muscles have the important job of acting like a secure hammock for all the organs in your pelvic region. They help prevent little – and big – accidents from happening.
I’ve had three kids bust through my pelvic floor region over the past 20 years and pre-PeriCoach they were not in good shape at all.
The PeriCoach works because it connects via bluetooth to an app on your smartphone to ensure that you are doing your pelvic floor exercises correctly.
Yes, it’s inserted in your vagina. Let’s be upfront about that.
The sensor on the device detects pelvic floor muscle activity and measures the strength of each muscle contraction.
I bet you’re contracting your pelvic floor right now as you read this. Yes?
The thing is, even if we remember to do them daily, most of us don’t do our Kegels effectively.
The PeriCoach ensures you do. Plus, if you’re working with a health professional, they can access and track your progress as well.
I keep my PeriCoach in the bedside table. You might prefer the bathroom.
Just keep and store it somewhere where you know you’ll easily make the time to make training with the PeriCoach part of your daily routine.
Just like any muscle in your body, once you start using it again, it can build up again and do the job it’s supposed to.
It’s never too late to start training and re-building those muscles.
And if, like me, you’re not keen on simply padding the problem, that should be enough incentive to take action.
What I’d really love you to do is share this post – share information about PeriCoach – with your girlfriends, your mums, your daughters, your sisters.
Keep the conversation going about bladder leakage.
The more we normalise and talk about what so many women are experiencing, the more we can remove any of the embarrassment that is often associated with stress incontinence.
WIN
Thanks to PeriCoach, one lucky Styling You reader will win a PeriCoach device (valued at $298). Entering is easy. Answer the question below in the comments.
How could training with a PeriCoach change your life – or the life of someone you know?
Entries open Tuesday, August 18 at 5am (AEST) and close Tuesday, September 1 at 5pm (AEST). Australian entries only, sorry. The winner will be judged on originality and creativity (photos can be included and uploaded with the comment). The winner will be emailed and their name will be published here. Entrants must include an email address when the filling in the commenting system below to be eligible to enter. Full terms and conditions here.
The PeriCoach is $298 and available online at www.pericoach.com
Comments 58
It might actually prevent surgery. Anything other than the surgeons scalpel is something I would dearly love to win.
I could hang out with my funny friends again!!
Jump on the trampoline!!!!
Sometimes I feel like if you could harness the energy from my sneezes you could power a small third world country. When this is unleashed on my pelvic floor the resulting trickle is a damned nuisance. I’d love to dam it completely. So yes, I would love to win a PeriCoach!
PeriCoach, I need you in my life! I want to be able to pull into my driveway without the urgent need to pee, only to get stuck with my legs crossed and the key jammed in the door, praying that I make it inside in time. I want to be able to greet my kids at the door when I come home from work, instead of having to sprint past them to the loo. I don’t want to look down at the toilet floor and realise that the ‘dribble’ is from me, instead of my 3.5yr old son. I want to be able to do some form of exercise without feeling like my vag is falling out or looking like a water bottle has leaked all down my crotch (still got to shift some pregnancy weight cause there’s nothing like looking like you’re still pregnant when your youngest is 1.5yr old). I want to be able to wear a tampon properly (yes, THAT time of month is affected too ppl). And most of all, I want awesome orgasms (who doesn’t?) and to be able to please my wonderful partner better in the bedroom, because despite him telling me that everything looks fine and feels great, sex just isn’t the same. PeriCoach, I need you in my life!
To be able to go from ‘fine’ to ‘holy hell. I’m going to pee myself’ in more than a minute would be absolutely fantastic!
Recently Diagnosed with a somewhat serious kidney condition, as part of everyday maintenance, i have to go to the toilet every two hours, whether i need to or not. I fear this will lessen my bladder control, so would like to give this ago as part of maintenance to even my issues out , if treatment for one issue, creates another issue
To a PeriCoach devotee
All of the attached
I’m at the age where I know that if I’m going to make this
(slightly imperfect) body last as long as I want it to I’ve got to start taking
better care of it now and trying to fix anything that is not functioning as
well as it could. I know the benefits 10, 20 (hopefully even 30) years from now
will be worth it.
It would give me the confidence to play sport, laugh, sneeze, go on the trampoline with the kids and go for a walk without midway through the walk, having to rush to find a toilet, crossing me legs & galloping to it!! Plus the amount of money I spend on liners would reduce significantly!
It would give me the confidence to play sport, laugh, sneeze, go on the trampoline with the kids and go for a walk without midway through the walk, having to rush to find a toilet, crossing me legs & galloping to it!! Plus the amount of money I spend on liners would reduce significantly!
would help tighten up my pelvic floor after a caesar for the delivery of my twins and the vaginal birth of my youngest.
would help me to loose weight and feel good about myself
I go to the gym but neglect my pelvic floor
So a coach would help me to live my life and do more!
No-one warned me what would happen after having kids! Goodbye to running, to jumping, to holding on too long… Please, help me fix it!!!
I’d donate it to my mum. I know how embarrassing it can be, and how it can make you miss opportunities. But no more with a strengthening PeriCoach!
With a 3 year old and trampoline my need for the Pericoach is obvious – I have been trying to find someone on the Sunshine Coast that works with them to no avail so if I had my very own I would be able to jump on the Trampoline with my daughter and skip without having to wear protection!
Here is my LO on the trampoline – she loves it – just want to be able to join her.
To gain back control and be leak free during my runs
As the pelvic floor is intimately related to deep core stability, I’d like to add it in as part of the rehabilitation regime I have been prescribed by my physiotherapist, since having a serious bicycle crash last year. I need to focus on my core/pelvic floor to give me the best shot possible at a long term pain free existence.
Pericoach = my life is back,not sitting on the couch with tears of regret.
As a Midwife I understand the importance of a strong pelvic floor and I have been recommending women do their exercises, however whilst we are very good at advising others we are not always so good at looking after ourselves! After the worst winter with asthma, I need to heed my own advice!
I have just recovered from a very bad case of the flu. While I was sick (for over three weeks ), I had to wear Teena pads! I AM 45 YEARS OLD!!!! I feel like I’m 95! Every cough or sneeze brought a flood of wee! SERIOUSLY???? Now hayfever season is about to begin …. so here I go again! Sneeze = wee. I’ve had enough! This product looks life changing.
A life lived through crossed legs isn’t a life. I want my full life back! To jump, sneeze, run, cough and be suprised. Pericoach could give me my life back. Pick me!
I’d love to skip, hop and jump with the kids, play on the trampoline and simply sneeze without peeing myself! I suffer badly from hayfever, so have embarrassed myself on numerous occasions. I’ve looked at the peri trainer before, however could never afford it. It really does sounds like the perfect way to build those muscles which have relaxed over the years! Funny how our muscles get more relaxed, but we get more uptight as we get older!
My trainer seems to like making me do star jumps… enough said!
OMG I have been wanting to try this for my Ehlers Danlos Syndrome , it affects my bladder so much , I have to see the nurses here for mine 🙁 I had to get help and need to catheterize etc ….. I think one of these would help me so much and mean less , medical procedures which would make me one happy girl xoxoxox
I don’t think my mum wants to admit this but she would really benefit from this.
After a hysterectomy in my early 30’s, I’ve got bladder weakness of a very old woman. PeriCoach will change my life for the better…..no more rushing to the loo from laughing and giggling and lifting things that shouldn’t make me leak!!! It’s embarrassing to say the least.
Jumping, belly laughing, skipping and playing shouldn’t be a concern- its quite dismaying!
By giving me a Push to do daily exercise as almost every day i have LBL
I think that this is fabulous. There is such an overwhelming acceptance that every woman will end up with LBL but this should not be the case! I have started ramping up my exercise program and the one thing I shy away from is skipping… I can get off the toilet to skip and still have that oh no moment. It would be great to be able to skip again! And also jump on the trampoline with the kids, I haven’t done that since in forever!
I love to keep fit and run
Weak Pelvic floor muscles make this no fun
Bladder leakage is a problem for me
Peri coach may assist to kerb leaked wee
Able to run again
Life changing as I run to keep sane
I wouldn’t have frequent crises where I NEED TO GO NOW, like last night potty training my daughter when I had to take her off the loo as I needed to go & couldn’t wait! What message ios that to send her!
Bladder leakage would be a thing of the past,
no more embarrassing moments at last.
no more embarrassing moments (and smells!) in the gym
It would change my life but not ever having these issues in the first place. I’m 30, no kids and I’m thinking about prevention rather than correction, for me at least.
Stage 7 Endometriosis meant numerous surgeries. Hysterectomy at 36. Prolapsed bladder at 38. After 19 surgeries, I am working hard to avoid further surgery. France has a post partum pelvic floor program which we should consider introducing in Australia. In the meantime, every woman needs a Pericoach. Thank you for advocating for such a great device.
Hello being able to jump on the tramp with the kids! I’ve never, ever been able to do that…
They always look so joyous up there, bouncing around.
I want to join in!
I am a dance teacher with a horrible pelvic floor – I am really over ‘padding the problem!’ please help!!!
The PeriCoach would change my life
No longer would I be in strife
Everytime I coughed or sneezed
My children would be very pleased
That I could jump and dance with ease
Oh pick me please please please!
My BFF deserves this product. There hasn’t been a girls day over the past few years where I haven’t been ditched without a word, just a certain expression on her face, for a bathroom. It begins with a lethal combination of coffee, talking and laughing and nearly always ends the same way. I’ve been left stranded in cafes, restaurants, at traffic lights and even in a hotel lobby elevator with suitcases when she has made the mad dash for nearest relief. Most of the time she makes it. Occasionally she doesn’t. So I’m entering for her, as she’s too young to be carrying plastic bag in her handbag just in case the next “incident” goes horribly wrong.
Let’s say I have a “friend”, who has had two children, both natural births. This “friend” is only 28, and hasn’t been able to do starjumps or sneeze suddenly since she was 25. That’s way too young to have a terrible pelvic floor, right?
The Pericoach would give me…I mean, ‘my friend’s’ fun and freedom back.
The PeriCoach would be a great help in making sure I’m doing my exercises right. 1 2 3 4 I must improve my pelvic floor. 5 6 7 8 do it now before it’s too late.
I would just love to win a pericoach, after a couple of children and a battle with cancer, my pelvic floor is not holding up too well. Lets just say sneezing or coughing is just scary and usually embarassing. The ongoing cancer meds dont help but a pericoach would really help, I have looked into one but after all my medical expenses just cant afford one.
After five bouncing baby boys, the last of them twins who weighed a combined 12 pounds, my poor old pelvic floor was again bashed about by a grapefruit-sized fibroid, which resulted in a hysterectomy. With each passing year, my little problem is getting just that little bit more difficult to manage. This device would help me continue to be the active, busy mum that my life demands, without the inconvenience of having to rush to the toilet all the time.
I didn’t think had this problem until the other day and got quite a shock! So it’s great that I came across your post, I never knew something like this existed & would love to start using this now before the problem gets bigger.
Well my pelvic floor ain’t what it used to be. Think twins, third pregnancy. Ever heard of the ‘reach and turn’? And while the doctor has her arm in there trying to yank twin #2 out (along with 12 other doctors and nurses whose eyes are on your lady parts). After a good 15 mins of up to her elbow trying to grab the stubborn twin, she gives up and gives that cheeky baby one more contraction to come out on her own or it’s a forced eviction via c-section (which you know would have been fine had I just not birthed twin #1 vaginally, yay, war torn in 2 places!). The last chance contraction and a giant push sees twin #2 come flying out, breech, in her sac WITH the giant twin placenta! Hurray! All is well, except my bloody lady parts.
I would LOVE this device. My PF has seen some hard days, and I’d love to feel back to normal in down town va-china land. But hey regardless of the damage, these beauties were worth it. 🙂
I’d love to win a Pericoach as I don’t want the small issue to turn into a large one Nikki thanks so much for the information Think it’s great that were all talking about the importance of strong pelvic floor! Xx
I would love to win the Pericoach, it sounds fabulous! I just want to be able to run around and have fun at the park with my two young kids without worrying about leakage! Because the little things in life will turn out to be the big things one day! 🙂
I’m so glad you’re the ambassador for the Pericoach not just in Australia but the UK and U.S. Congratulations Nikki,I don’t need to win one as I’ve told you before I sought help after my hysterectomy when I became horribly incontinent,it isn’t a laughing matter and the more we talk about the more “normal” it will be,all women have vaginas and should take very good care of our pelvic floors I sure didn’t want to be the woman that had to buy pads for bladder leakage! You are doing great work Nikki Xx
Re-training my pelvic floor to do what it’s supposed to do would prevent me from having to overplan trips (toilet stops for ‘just in case I can’t make it’ ) Allowing for these stops is taking the pleasure out of the journey!! Thanks. Dianne C
Congratulations Nikki, for continuing such an important conversation. My life trying to be more active would improve with the Pericoach. I can’t quite keep the same speed as my kids when running, but would love to last the distance without worry 🙂
I am currently growing my second Baby in less than two years. I grow big babies and deliveries are hard on my body. I have a goal that by the time I am 35 I will have regained enough pelvic floor strength and physical fitness to run a full or half marathon. After four years of growing and breastfeeding babies and having goodness knows what damage my pelvic floor in delivery it’s my symbol that my body is mine again
I would love to be able to bounce on the trampoline with my kids without the fear of leaking. I am dying to teach them some of my crazy childhood tricks.
The Pericoach would stop me worrying about ‘leakage’ and having to wear 3 pairs of knickers at a time ‘just in case ‘ !!!
So glad to see you talking about a critical woman’s health issue. I’m 29 and have recently have a hystercomy just 5 weeks ago for adenyomosis. I’m a mum to two beautiful young girls but I can’t jump on the tramp with them for the high chance if peeing my pants! I saw a pelvic physio who specialized in women’s health quite a lot in the lead up to my surgery. I’d love the pericoach to continue the great work my physio started with me that is just too expensive to continue with when I’m a SAHM and we have just the one income. I def don’t want to end up with a bladder swing from a prolapse so I *try* and remember to do my pelvic floors regularly and the peri coach would def help. Thanks for the chance Nikki and Pericoach.