Podcasts · Kids & Family · Health & Fitness

Why Mums Don't Jump

Helen Ledwick

52 episodes · in order

One woman’s mission to end the stigma around leaks and lumps after childbirth. Honest chat about incontinence, prolapse and pelvic pain. Not a trampoline in sight. Hosted by Helen Ledwick.

Episodes page 1 of 2

  1. Series 1 Trailer

    · 2:01 · Trailer

    Honest chat about incontinence, prolapse and pelvic pain. Not a trampoline in sight. Helen Ledwick meets other mums who are struggling with pelvic floor dysfunction and hears from the health professionals who live and…

  2. The Ass Kick: My Story

    · 13 min · S1 E1

    Far too many women are suffering in silence with pelvic floor dysfunction, too embarrassed to seek help for prolapse, incontinence or pelvic pain. Helen shares her experience with her best friend, Cath. She’s ready to…

  3. Pelvic Floor Problems 101

    · 32 min · S1 E2

    If you're new to leaks and lumps, this is the place to start! Helen and the Manchester-based women’s health physio, Katie Syrett, romp through some of the most common pelvic floor problems. They go back to basics on…

  4. Ainsley's Story

    · 14 min · S1 E3

    The Manchester actress, Ainsley Howard, invites Helen over to her house for this week's episode of Why Mums Don't Jump. You may know her as the voice of Fizzy in the animated TV series, Digby Dragon. She's also a mum…

  5. The Head Game

    · 24 min · S1 E4

    What are the mental health implications of pelvic floor dysfunction? How do you get your head around the emotional impact of conditions like prolapse, incontinence or pelvic pain and find a new happy? Helen meets Dr…

  6. Luce's Story

    · 25 min · S1 E5

    Helen meets the London author, Luce Brett, who became incontinent after the birth of her first son. Luce talks about dealing with the shock and embarrassment of urinary incontinence and prolapse at the age of 30. She…

  7. Finding Fitness

    · 28 min · S1 E6

    How do you find a new path to fitness when prolapse or incontinence is holding you back? How do you get past The Fear and learn to move again? How do you break a sweat without losing your insides? Helen meets Emma…

  8. Sarah's Story

    · 18 min · S1 E7

    Helen meets the freelance writer, Sarah Haselwood, who's lived with pelvic pain since the birth of her first son 7 years ago. Sarah talks about her traumatic birth, her long journey to diagnose a tight pelvic floor and…

  9. Pop Club!

    · 27 min · S1 E8

    Helen catches up with her 'Pop Club' - three friends with pelvic organ prolapse who keep each other smiling. There's talk of difficult births, pelvic pain, surgery and pessaries...and bonding over broken vaginas at a…

  10. Bonus Episode: Rachel Horne

    · 27 min · S1 E9 · Bonus

    You thought it was all over. It is now! Helen rounds off the series with Rachel Horne, News Presenter for The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio. Rachel gives an honest and moving account of traumatic birth,…

  11. Emma Barnett: 'I have a hypertonic pelvic floor'

    · 32 min · S2 E1

    A hypertonic pelvic floor is where the muscles are so tight they can’t relax. It can happen after childbirth. It can be incredibly painful. And we can add it to a long list of things we’ve never heard of but probably…

  12. Gynae Girl: 'Pelvic health starts from day one'

    · 18 min · S2 E2

    If I gave you a diagram of the female pelvic anatomy, would you know where to find a labia, clitoris or urethra? Don’t feel bad if the answer is no. I mean, it’s just not something we were really ever taught. But maybe…

  13. Chantelle's Story

    · 29 min · S2 E3

    (TW: birth injury, forceps, trauma, surgery) Bowel incontinence after childbirth. It's a taboo within a taboo. But it's not uncommon. The charity, MASIC (Mothers with Anal Sphincter Injuries in Childbirth) says 1 in 10…

  14. Between The Sheets: Sex & Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

    · 31 min · S2 E4

    Sex with pelvic floor problems. We're going there! Intimacy after childbirth can be difficult at the best of times. How do you even begin to navigate that if you then have incontinence or prolapse or pelvic pain? Helen…

  15. Peace's Story

    · 18 min · S2 E5

    Helen is joined by Peace Bailey, a mother of two who lives in Spain and blogs about moving there from the UK. She shares posts on Instagram about motherhood, race and faith. But she's also chosen to speak out about…

  16. Having Another Baby After Prolapse

    · 31 min · S2 E6

    Having another baby when you have pelvic organ prolapse is a big one. There are just so many unknowns. Will pregnancy make your prolapse worse? Would it be better to have a caesarian? Can you do anything to protect…

  17. Jan's Story

    · 23 min · S2 E7

    Helen chats to Dr Jan Russell, a listener with a prolapse, a coach, a grandmother, an author and, in her own words, 'a feisty old crone'. Jan talks about pelvic organ prolapse after menopause and the shock of finding…

  18. Pelvic Floor Gadgets (Vadgets)

    · 28 min · S2 E8

    Wands. Cones. Probes. Biofeedback. Stimulators. Shorts. Apps. Weights. Chairs. Video Games?! Pelvic floor tech can be confusing but fear not! In this episode, Helen speaks to the pelvic health physiotherapist and…

  19. Pop Club 2

    · 28 min · S2 E9

    Pop Club is back! Helen catches up with 'Skye' and 'Jess' -- friends with pelvic organ prolapse who keep each other smiling. There's a new baby, talk of surgery and reflections on birth trauma, mental health...and a…

  20. Vaginal Pessaries: A Deep Dive

    · 30 min · S2 E10

    Ring, Gellhorn, Donut, Cube, Shaatz, Gehrung. They might sound like Trolls' characters, but they are, in fact, types of vaginal pessaries. A pessary is a plastic or silicone device which can be inserted into the vagina…

  21. Bonus Episode: 60 Second Pelvic Floor Squeeze-Along

    · 2:23 · Bonus

    If you're anything like me and you know you're supposed to be doing your pelvic floor exercises but...(insert excuse here)...fear not! Here's a sixty second squeeze-along to help you get it done! In this bonus episode…

  22. Carina White

    · 23 min · S3 E1

    Helen is joined by Carina White - broadcaster, cultural commentator and co-host of the podcast Black Mums Upfront. Carina shares her experience of incontinence after childbirth and her long journey towards finding…

  23. The M Word: Menopause and Your Pelvic Floor

    · 23 min · S3 E2

    Menopause is having a moment, with celebrities, books and TV programmes taking on the taboo that has surrounded it for so long. But what does menopause (and perimenopause) mean for those of us with pelvic floor…

  24. Sara's Story

    · 33 min · S3 E3

    Helen is joined by Sara Duckett, a listener and a mum-of-two. Sara has struggled with urinary and bowel incontinence, as well as prolapse, since the birth of her first child in 2016, but says a non-surgical treatment…

  25. Pelvic Floor Surgery: Colorectal

    · 30 min · S3 E4

    Surgical treatments for pelvic floor problems are many and varied, but with the vaginal mesh scandal fresh in our minds, it's easy to feel lost and unsure. Which specialist should you be referred to? What sorts of…

  26. Sophie Power

    · 25 min · S3 E5

    Returning to running postpartum is one thing. Then add pelvic floor problems to the mix. Now imagine you're an ultra-runner who likes to do 100-plus mile races. This is Sophie Power. Since a photo of her breastfeeding…

  27. Elaine Miller (Gusset Grippers)

    · 26 min · S3 E6

    Helen is joined by Elaine Miller (aka Gusset Grippers) - a fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and award winning comedian who's on a mission to tackle your pelvic floor...whilst making you laugh, which…

  28. Helen Gets a Pessary

    · 19 min · S3 E7

    It's a big day in Helen's pessary saga! After a year-long wait to be fitted for a vaginal pessary, she's offered a private appointment with a specialist in London. In this episode, you'll hear what happens at a…

  29. Niki's Story

    · 29 min · S3 E8

    Diastasis recti is where the muscles that run down the middle of your stomach separate during pregnancy. It's really common and usually goes back to normal within eight weeks of delivery, but sometimes it doesn't. And…

  30. Ending the Pelvic Floor Taboo, with Dr Catherine Blackledge

    · 27 min · S3 E9

    Pelvic floor problems are surrounded by stigma and shame, but have you ever wondered why? Why do we find anything remotely related to our genitalia so embarrassing? And if we didn't, what difference would it make to…

  31. BONUS EPISODE: The Therapeutic Poet

    · 3:07 · S3 E10 · Bonus

    Crazy times at WMDJ HQ so no full episode this week, sorry! Instead, here's something to make you smile from a listener, psychotherapist and poet, Jacky Power (aka The Therapeutic Poet). Normal service resumes next…

  32. The Gender Health Gap, with Sarah Graham

    · 27 min · S3 E10

    The gender health gap. It's a phrase we're hearing more and more and is relevant around the world. So what's it all about and what does it mean for those of us with pelvic floor dysfunction? Helen chats to the…

  33. Katie's Story

    · 28 min · S4 E1

    Helen speaks to listener, Katie Nicolson, who struggled with stress incontinence after having a severe tear during childbirth two years ago. Katie talks about the shock reality of postpartum recovery, her journey to…

  34. The Lowdown on Pelvic Pain

    · 31 min · S4 E2

    You might have heard the term 'pelvic pain' but what does it really mean? And how does it relate to pelvic floor problems after childbirth? In this episode Helen speaks to Virginia Rivers Bulkeley, a specialist pelvic…

  35. Sarah Jayne Dunn

    · 36 min · S4 E3

    <Trigger warning: description of birth including ventouse delivery, episiotomy, retained placenta, anal fissures.> In this episode, Helen and the actress Sarah Jayne Dunn talk about postpartum recovery and how hard…

  36. Pelvic Floor Surgery: Urogynaecology (Part One)

    · 30 min · S4 E4

    If you have pelvic floor dysfunction, there's a good chance you've at least wondered about your surgical options. What treatments or procedures are available, what do they involve, and to what extent do they work?…

  37. Pelvic Floor Surgery: Urogynaecology (Part Two)

    · 29 min · S4 E5

    Picking up where we left off last time: surgical options for pelvic floor dysfunction. What treatments or procedures are available, what do they involve, and to what extent do they work? Urogynaecology is a…

  38. Prudent's Story

    · 30 min · S4 E6

    <T/W: description of birth, perineal tear and blood loss> In this episode, Helen speaks to listener, Prudent Haughton, who developed prolapse, pelvic pain and incontinence following a severe tear during the birth of…

  39. Strong Like Mum, with Shakira Akabusi

    · 30 min · S4 E7

    How do you safely return to exercise when you have pelvic floor problems? Maybe you're afraid to make a prolapse worse, or you leak when you run or jump. Maybe you've been advised to avoid running, jumping or lifting,…

  40. Dr Adanna's Pelvic Floor Guide

    · 23 min · S4 E8

    In 2022, for the first time, a pelvic health guide was published to help non-specialist clinicians advise women on pelvic floor muscle training. It's for GPs, midwives, nurses and health visitors - to try to plug a…

  41. Hypopressives

    · 27 min · S4 E9

    If you've ever Googled your pelvic floor problems, you've probably come across Hypopressives. They're not easy to describe, but are essentially a series of breathing and posture exercises for your core and pelvic…

  42. Bonus Episode: The EveryWoman Festival

    · 15 min · S4 E10 · Bonus

    Forget Glastonbury! There's a women's health festival happening in Cardiff on Saturday June 24th, 2023, and it's going to be epic! The EveryWoman Festival is about offering empowerment, support and education on health…

  43. Bonus Episode: EveryWoman Festival 2024

    · 23 min · S4 E11 · Bonus

    Everywoman is back! After a sparkling launch in 2023, the Everywoman Festival is returning to Cardiff on Saturday June 15th, 2024! The festival is about offering empowerment, support and education on health topics…

  44. Holly's Story: Prolapse, Pessaries and Getting Your Life Back

    · 26 min · S5 E1

    Helen speaks to Holly Puddephatt, a content creator from Leeds, host of the podcast Me, Myself & Mum Life and mum to toddler, Thea. Holly discovered she had pelvic organ prolapse in October last year, two years after…

  45. Getting the Most From Your GP Appointment, With Dr Aziza Sesay

    · 29 min · S5 E2

    How do you get the most out of your GP appointment if you have symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction? Whether it's urinary incontinence, bowel incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, sexual dysfunction or chronic pelvic…

  46. Erica’s Story: Bowel Incontinence, Birth Injury and Truth as Armour

    · 29 min · S5 E3

    Bowel incontinence, also known as faecal incontinence, is estimated to affect up to one in ten women after childbirth. More if you include those who can’t hold wind, which may sound trivial but can obviously be pretty…

  47. The Birth Debrief, with Illiyin Morrison

    · 30 min · S5 E4

    When we talk about pelvic floor problems after childbirth, you can't escape the fact that many women don't get the birth they wanted or signed up for. A difficult experience can leave you feeling distressed, anxious or…

  48. Hayley's Story: Prolapse, Pregnancy and Mindset

    · 29 min · S5 E5

    Helen speaks to Hayley Schoenberg who lives in Hamburg, Germany, with her wife and three-year-old daughter. She discovered she had a prolapse two years after her daughter was born, whilst going through fertility…

  49. POP Club Reunited: Healing, Friendship & Feeling Fobbed Off

    · 23 min · S5 E6

    POP Club returns! You may remember, way back in season 1, that Helen met up with a couple of local mums who had pelvic organ prolapse and birth injury in common. They became friends, she persuaded them to speak on the…

  50. Pelvic Health Myth-Busting, with Dr. Carrie Pagliano

    · 29 min · S5 E7

    It’s so easy to get confused about pelvic floor health. One minute you know nothing about it, the next you’ve fallen down a social media rabbit hole of do’s and don’ts. In this week’s episode, Helen does a spot of…

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