1 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to the therapy for black girls podcast, a weekly 2 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: conversation about mental health, personal development and all the small 3 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: decisions we can make to become the best possible versions 4 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 1: of ourselves. I'm your host, Dr Joy hard and Bradford, 5 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information or 6 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: to find a therapist in your area, visit our website 7 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: at therapy for black girls dot com. While I hope 8 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: you love listening to and learning from the PODCAST, it 9 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: is not meant to be a substitute for a relationship 10 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: with a licensed mental health professional. Hey, y'all, thanks so 11 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: much for joining me for session two seventies of the 12 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: therapy for black girls podcast. We'll get right into our 13 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: conversation after a word from our sponsors. This week I'm 14 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: joined by the Vagina Rehab Doctor, Dr Janelle Howell. She's 15 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: a pelvic physical therapist and board certified women's health specialists 16 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: who treats painful sex, urinary frequency, urinary incontinence, pelvic pain 17 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 1: and Bild dysfunction. She creates content on social media advocating 18 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: for open, honest and inspirational awareness regarding vaginal health, pelvic 19 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: floor health and reproductive health. Our special conversation for sex 20 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: positive September explores myths about sex and the vagina, tips 21 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: to optimize your pelvic and vaginal health and wellness and more. 22 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, please 23 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: share with us on social media using the HASHTAG TBG 24 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: in session and visit the website sex positive September dot 25 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: com to join us for the other events and conversations 26 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: we're having all this month. Here's our conversation. Thank you 27 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: so much for joining me today, Dr Hell, I'm so 28 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,959 Speaker 1: excited to be here and just grateful for the opportunity. Yes, 29 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: it's very excited to dig in with you. So tell 30 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: me what inspired you to start creating content as the 31 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: Vagina Rehab doctor. Okay, so, believe it or not, when 32 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: the pandemic started, before that I was actually teaching a 33 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 1: lot about traveling, because I was into traveling physical therapy, 34 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,119 Speaker 1: and what I would do is I would work these 35 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: three month contracts, mainly in California, and then when it 36 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: was over, I could go anywhere in the world, and 37 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: so I really love going to these different countries and 38 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: I wanted to show other people that looked like me 39 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: that they could also travel, but when corona hit, no 40 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: one was trying to leave, everyone was in their house, 41 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: and so I said, okay, I might as well start 42 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: sharing more about what I do in my career, and 43 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: that's when I started talking about Pelic health and vaginal health, 44 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: and it's just kind of sword. It wasn't really on 45 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: purpose the growth as second place, but I'm really thankful 46 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: in the way that it has kind of blossomed. Yeah, 47 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: I mean it's very necessary so for us to talk 48 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 1: about it and I think a lot of people are 49 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: interested in learning more. So I'm really glad that you 50 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: fell into that and has started to share more. So 51 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: can you give us like a one, oh one, like 52 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: in basic terms, what is vaginal and Pelvic Health? So 53 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: vaginal and peblic health is focused mainly on your public 54 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: floor muscle group, which is like this basket of muscles 55 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: that sit at the base of your pelvis. So we 56 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: know about the vagina because we know if someone is 57 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: having sex, then that's the organist use for that. We 58 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: know that babies come out of the vagina and then 59 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: we have these pelvic health assessments. Are these paths where 60 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: we go to see a Ghana colleges and then go 61 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: through the vagina, but we don't typically hear about the 62 00:03:56,440 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: pelvic floor, which is in a dynamic group that really 63 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: helps us with so much like sports sex. These are 64 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: the muscles that contract when we have an orgasm. These 65 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: are the muscles that have to lengthen out when we're 66 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: giving birth. These are the muscles that need to support 67 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,039 Speaker 1: us for bladder control and even our gut health, because 68 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: if those muscles become uncoordinated, are two tents that can 69 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: cause things like constipation. So it shows up so much 70 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: in our life and especially for our mental health as well, 71 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: because if we're dealing with some mental health dissurbances, public 72 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: for dysfunction is actually really common, you're gonna be at 73 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: a higher risk for some public flor issues. So can 74 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: you say more about this group of muscles and like 75 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: why it is important for us to make sure that 76 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,040 Speaker 1: we're strengthening it and what happens if we are not? 77 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: So these muscles are again at the base of the 78 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: pelvins right and so it's like a diamond. You have 79 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: your anus down in the back and then to the 80 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: sides of the vaginal opening you have these sit bones 81 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: right on top. You have that pubic bone and then 82 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: the vagina is smacked up in the middle. These muscles 83 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: are important because if they start to become two tents, 84 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: two weak or just weak period or uncoordinated, meaning your 85 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 1: muscles are contracting when you want them to open. Let's 86 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:16,919 Speaker 1: say you're trying to pee or you're trying to Poop, 87 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: you need your muscles to open and really relax. But 88 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: if those muscles are too tense, then you're gonna likely 89 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: have some issues with that, maybe feeling like you have 90 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 1: to pee all the time because those muscles are pressing 91 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: on your bladder, or maybe feeling like you didn't really 92 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 1: empty your bowels all the way because your muscles are 93 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: not opening and relaxing. So I can talk about these 94 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: muscles all day joy, but that's a really great introduction. 95 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: They support your organs. They are really important for a bowl, 96 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: bladder and sexual health. Got It okay, and so if 97 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: we are not exercising these muscles and strengthening them, then 98 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,159 Speaker 1: we see these complications that you mentioned, or we could well. 99 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: So actually that is a myth that most of us 100 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: think that we have to strengthen the muscles, but what 101 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: I'm seeing in practice is eighty percent of women and 102 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: people that come through the doors. They actually don't have 103 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 1: a lot of weakness, they have too much tension. So 104 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,559 Speaker 1: I'm sure you know that anxiety is a real, huge 105 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: problem right now and the body responds to anxiety by 106 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: tensing the peblic floor muscles. So the muscles are too tense. 107 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: We also sit for a really long time. That puts 108 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 1: our PELIC floor in a shortened position. So many issues 109 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,919 Speaker 1: go back to how relaxed you are, how at peace 110 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 1: do you feel? Are you in traumatic and stressful environments? 111 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 1: All of that can drive too much tension in the 112 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: pelate floor. And you know, for years we thought a 113 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: type Vagina was the right vagina, but I'm here to 114 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: tell you that a type of vagina is not a 115 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: right vagina. Most of what I see people peeing on themselves, 116 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: not being able to control their bladder pan as often 117 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 1: as every fifteen minutes, sexist, hurting, can't poop, tense, peblic 118 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 1: floor too tight and sometimes it can be weak as well. 119 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: But it really goes back to our lifestyle. What's going 120 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: on in our life? What are the situations surrounding different 121 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: things that we do, like maybe sports or how we move, 122 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: or even how we breathe. There's so many things, but 123 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: the good thing is that we're learning more about the 124 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: public floor and so there's hope. I mean all of 125 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: these conditions are treatable. It's not like you have to 126 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: be in that position forever. So I know a lot 127 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: of what you do is helping people to then learn 128 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: exercises to release the tension in that Pelvic area. So 129 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: can you say a little bit about what those exercises 130 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: are and like how you teach your clients to do those? Yeah, 131 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: so a big part of what we do is actually 132 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: looking at before we even get into exercise, how is 133 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: someone breathing? Because if we're breathing the correct way, actually 134 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: our pelic floor relaxes just like this and then it 135 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: goes right back up. But if we are breathing like 136 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: from our chest, our shoulders are rising, our chest is 137 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: moving out, but our bell is not relaxed, then we're 138 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: gonna be fourth. It ain't pelic floor muscle relaxation and contraction, 139 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 1: and that's why I'm really also adamant about being real 140 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,559 Speaker 1: about waste trainers and things that suck you in, because 141 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: if your diaphragm is not moving enough, your pelic floor 142 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: also is not. So no one wants to have coochy chaos. 143 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: If you want your vagina to be supporting you, you 144 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: need not to be putting all that pressure down on it. 145 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: That can contribute to things like prolapse, and that's when 146 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: the bladder can start to droop through the vagina, the 147 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: rectum can start to come down even the uterus. So 148 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: it's really important that we support the environment of the 149 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: PELIC floor as well. Basic exercises, though, are similar to 150 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: other exercises, like in Yoga or pilates. Bridges are common 151 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,080 Speaker 1: things that we do. Stretches are common things that we do, 152 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: very similar to other forms of fitness and exercise. God 153 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: it or Kegel exercise is something that also relaxes the 154 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 1: pelvic area. No, so that would tense it up. If 155 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: someone had a weakness or, let's say laxity, the term 156 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: that we use is looseness in a community, but medically 157 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: that term is laxity, and if that's there in addition 158 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: to weakness, then many times we do use Keegeles. But 159 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: the problem is a lot of people assume that their 160 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: problem floor is weak when they're having any issue at all. 161 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: They're paying their pants or maybe they're playing sports and 162 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: they don't feel like they have support, or maybe they 163 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: just had a baby and they don't feel like they 164 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: have the same level of strength and support, and everyone 165 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 1: just assumes they need to do Keegeles. But that's like 166 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: giving yourself a prescription medicine without seeing a doctor. You 167 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: don't know what's going on. And so again, most women 168 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: and most people are too tents. So if you just 169 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:44,320 Speaker 1: start squeezing and gripping and squeezing, you're just losing more mobility. And, 170 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: believe me, you want mobility in your color score. You 171 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: wanted to move well, just like any other muscle group. 172 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: M So, doctor, how how would we know we need 173 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: to come see you? Like, I don't know that I've 174 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: ever heard any physician that I've worked with talk about like, Oh, 175 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,719 Speaker 1: I'm gonna Send Youtube this pelvic we have doctor or 176 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: a pelvic therapist. What kinds of concerns might we be 177 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: having that would make us think, oh, we probably need 178 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: to see someone like Dr Howell? Okay, so I'll go 179 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: over the four basic major ones and then also kind 180 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: of extra. Number One, if you've recently had a baby 181 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: or just have had a baby, ever, you definitely should 182 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 1: go see a public physical therapist because for nine months 183 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 1: your pelic floor was under more strange, more stress holding 184 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: up the weight of the Placenta, the baby. You know, 185 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: everything that we have or we are pregnant. It's your 186 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: peblic floor that was holding all of that up. So 187 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: there can be weakness, there can be strength. There can 188 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: also be scar tissue, because a lot of women tear 189 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: or maybe we have four steps delivery. There's a lot 190 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: of trauma that goes into delivering a child, and so 191 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: that is a number one sign. Just go get a console. 192 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: It doesn't mean that anything is wrong, but you should 193 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: definitely go get seen, just like we go see our 194 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: Ghana colleges once a year. The next thing I would 195 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: say was any sort of p problems, whether you feel 196 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 1: like you always gotta go pee or whether you feel 197 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 1: like P is out when you laugh, sknees, jump, run 198 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: or maybe you don't feel like you're emptying your bladder 199 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:06,680 Speaker 1: all the way. I have a lot of people that 200 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: say they just paid five minutes ago. Why do I 201 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: feel like I gotta go again? I feel like I 202 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: didn't get it all out. So bladder pain, frequent urinary 203 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: track infections. Sometimes people have a symptom of like burning 204 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: or urgency, and they think they have a U T I, 205 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: but it's really their public store muscles that are compressing 206 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: on the your wreath for other bladder and that can 207 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: make it feel like you have a U T I. 208 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: So anything bladder, that's a sign. You should go. Anything 209 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: poop right. constipated, can't hold your poop in, or maybe 210 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: you're straining. Your poop looks like those little pebbles and 211 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: those little rocks. That's embarrassing poop. If your poop is 212 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: embarrassing you and you're eating all the fiber, you're doing 213 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: all the right things. That is another sign. And then 214 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: sexual function. Sex should never be painful, and it's so 215 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:01,439 Speaker 1: many people that just grit through painful sex or it's uncomfortable. 216 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: I mean even things like inability to achieve orgasm could 217 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: be a sign of Pelic sloor dysfunction. Um. So sexual 218 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: bladder about and recently having a baby, but also just 219 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,320 Speaker 1: getting older. I think we deserve to know as much 220 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: as we can about our bodies so we don't necessarily 221 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: have to wait until we have a huge problem to 222 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: go check up on our public floor. M So, doctor, 223 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: how I want to go back to something that you 224 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: just mentioned around painful sex, because that is something we've 225 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: talked about here on the podcast and I wonder if 226 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:34,080 Speaker 1: you can say more about what causes the painful sex 227 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: as it relates to like maybe clients that you've seen. Yeah, 228 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: so around the opening of the vaginis called the Introitus, 229 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,080 Speaker 1: and that's this tissue right here, and this opening is 230 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:49,199 Speaker 1: so responsive and sensitive to hormones. So let's say you're 231 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 1: getting older, maybe you're forty, five, fifty year approaching menopause. 232 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 1: Sometimes the lower amounts of estrogen and testosterone can make 233 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: that tissue more, let's say, raw or ordable, or it's 234 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 1: just not stretchy enough, so when you try to insert 235 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: something into the vaginal canal, it's not flexible enough to 236 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: really allow pain free penetration. The other thing would just be, 237 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 1: even if it's not related to hormones, your muscles again 238 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: are just two tents because they've been guarding so long, 239 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: they've been trying to protect you. Maybe you've gone through 240 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:22,719 Speaker 1: a lot of trauma, maybe you have anxiety, then your 241 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 1: muscles typically are gonna be tensing up whenever you feel stressed. Anxiety, 242 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: high amounts of nervous energy, all of that. So if 243 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: that's happening on a regular basis, if those muscles are 244 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: too tense, then it's not gonna be opening enough to 245 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: allow pleasurable penetration. And the same thing for the deeper 246 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: part of the pelvic floor. When you achieve deeper penetration, 247 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: are thrusting if there's tension or trigger points. The same 248 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: way we have trigger points like in our neck, our 249 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: back or hamstrings, you can have the same thing in 250 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: your pelvic floor and imagine a penis or a toy 251 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 1: hitting a painful muscle. That's not gonna be comfortable at 252 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: all and that's gonna Block arousal lubrication, orgasm and so forth. 253 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: So how would you work with the client who came 254 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: to you with that kind of a concern? If the 255 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: patient is open to an internal mild fashion release? And 256 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,559 Speaker 1: what that means is with one finger, of course, a 257 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: glove and lubricant, we're assessing the inside of the public floor. 258 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: So we want to know where are you holding your attention, 259 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 1: what likeliest contributing to it. So if you have like 260 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: postural deficits, are again, if you're breathing abnormally or maybe 261 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: you suck your toming in and you don't really realize 262 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: that we do have to address the weaknesses and the 263 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: abnormal body movements surrounding the public floor, but we also 264 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: can't ignore what's going on inside of the vagina and 265 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: inside of the public floor. So then we want to 266 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: try and release that and stretch that with one finger. 267 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: We'll have you do breathing, we might have to do 268 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: some hip rangeing motion while we're trying to relax those 269 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: muscles and then sometimes even the same day, I can 270 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: feel more movement in their public floor. So surprisingly, if 271 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: muscles are really tense, so tense that they're not moving, 272 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 1: well then your contraction is actually gonna be weak because 273 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: the muscle can't move. As soon as we release a 274 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: lot of that tension, you now have stronger contractions and 275 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 1: a better vaginal grip because your muscles can now move again. 276 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: So that's a big part of what we do, in 277 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: addition to the exercises, behavioral changes, posture, trying to help 278 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: them with stress management, all of those things. So when 279 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: you say behavioral changes, what do you mean? Different things 280 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 1: like how they're sitting, that's behavior, how they're standing. How 281 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 1: do they stand? A lot of people have done different 282 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: types of sports, our activities like ballet, where they learn 283 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 1: to just hold everything in, suck it in, such your 284 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: tummy in, or maybe they have body image issues and 285 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: they don't feel comfortable relaxing their abdominal wall. Other things 286 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 1: like what they're drinking or what they're eating. A lot 287 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: of people that have bladder pain are drinking too much coffee. 288 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: Coffee is a bladder irritant and so you drink that 289 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: all the time, that can lead to blider pain and 290 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: different things. So those are all behaviors. Even setting up 291 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: better sleep hygen like. If you're not getting enough rest, 292 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 1: your muscles are gonna be more irritable, you're gonna be 293 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 1: at a higher risk for vaginal Ph and balances. So 294 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: I try to address as much as I can and then, 295 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: of course, refer out when I'm not qualified to help. 296 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: But behaviors definitely will impact the pelvic floor more. From 297 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: my conversation with Dr How after the break. Yeah, I'm 298 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: glad you mentioned the idea of a referral because as 299 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: you were talking I was thinking there are likely cases 300 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: you've seen where someone has maybe a history of pelvic 301 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: trauma right and that of course we'll cause some of 302 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: the attention and so I wonder what it looks like 303 00:16:57,440 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: for you to work with somebody who maybe has a 304 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: history of Mamma and are you ever working in connection 305 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: with a bustal health professional to kind of tag team 306 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: and help this person to to release some of the attention? Absolutely. 307 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 1: I remember having one patient who came to see me. 308 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,640 Speaker 1: She struggled with a lot of anxiety and her main 309 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 1: issue what she came to me was she was peeing 310 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: like seven, eight times a night, so she wasn't sleeping 311 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: through the night, she wasn't feeling rested because she was 312 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: always up paying and her pelt floor was full. It 313 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 1: was an angry vagina. I mean that thing was guarded 314 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 1: tense tight. Barely could get my finger to do the examination. 315 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,119 Speaker 1: But we got her so much better. She was down 316 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: to urinating maybe once her twice a night and I 317 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:42,120 Speaker 1: discharged her. Now, when I discharged her, pealic floor wasn't perfect. 318 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: So that's not even really my goal is to get 319 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 1: someone perfect, but to get them functional, like can you 320 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: sleep to the night, can you have sex without paying? 321 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: Can you still do the things that you want to do? 322 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: And she did Flye. She came back a few months later, 323 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: maybe like five or six months later and I'm like, 324 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,919 Speaker 1: you know what's going on, and her pelic store was 325 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: exactly the same at which I discharged her. So again 326 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 1: her pelic Flore was still not perfect, but it was 327 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 1: no different than when I discharged her last and I said, 328 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: how are you doing with your anxiety? How are you 329 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: doing with your mental health? And she said I'm struggling. 330 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,359 Speaker 1: I feel anxious all the time, I feel depressed. The 331 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: pandemic is making things worse, and so I referred to 332 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,159 Speaker 1: her to go see a psychiatrist. She was able to 333 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: get on some medication and then almost immediately her urination 334 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: went right back down to once or two times a night. 335 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 1: So it's definitely a joint approach. I'm not gonna treat 336 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 1: in isolation, you know. I'm not gonna treat on the island. 337 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 1: Sometimes the patient doesn't have access to all different forms 338 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 1: of health care providers, but it's definitely great to at 339 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:49,880 Speaker 1: least tell your patients, hey, this could help you if 340 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: you're able to go see a mental health care provider, 341 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: because it doesn't matter how many stretches we do, I 342 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: can dig out all those vagina trigger points. If you 343 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:02,360 Speaker 1: don't address that mental health then it's gonna keep driving 344 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: the peblic for tension or the Pelic for dysfunction. So 345 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:08,639 Speaker 1: I love you. I love all people that do what 346 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: you do. We need more of you and I'm happy 347 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: that it's the awareness is so much better than it 348 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 1: was even just five years ago. The stigma is starting slowly. 349 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: I mean the stigma was still there, but I'm grateful 350 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,719 Speaker 1: for the awareness and the education that we're getting around 351 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: and now. So are there as a part of like 352 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:29,679 Speaker 1: your discharge? Besides, like the behavioral changes that you're talking about, 353 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: are there like everyday exercises that you are instructing clients 354 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: to do, like stretches or other things that you think 355 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 1: would be helpful for our community to know about as well? 356 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: A lot of stretches are gonna be specific to what 357 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 1: they're going through. So, for example, I have a patient 358 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:50,159 Speaker 1: that has evolvadinny, which is just fancy term for the 359 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: outside of the vagina hurts. Maybe the inner lips are 360 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: the clitter risks, if may feel like burning or stinging pain. 361 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,400 Speaker 1: I was focusing a lot on her pelic floor, doing 362 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: a lot of Pel for exercises, and she got minimally better. 363 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:05,479 Speaker 1: She didn't get completely better until I start looking at 364 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: her neck and shoulder. So if we just give the 365 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: same exercise to everyone, you're probably not gonna achieve that 366 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 1: optimal level of fitness. However, I do have a vagina 367 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 1: CEO release a guy that shows you my top six 368 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: team peblic floor exercises for common public floor dysfunction, painful sex, 369 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: frequent urination, tense public floor MESSAL's anxiety. And that's where 370 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:33,359 Speaker 1: I just use, okay, one of our most common exercises 371 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 1: that I tend to give to people. They look like 372 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: things like happy baby, child's posts, hip flex or stretches, 373 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: stretches that we see commonly. But I give you queueing 374 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: on how to breathe, how to relax your pelic flooring 375 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,439 Speaker 1: and vagina, how to make sure you're doing it correctly, 376 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:52,679 Speaker 1: and also just understanding. What does this have to do 377 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: with your lifestyle as well? So I also give you 378 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: cues on what's gonna attend to right back up, which 379 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:00,879 Speaker 1: is kind of what we talked about, posture and other things. 380 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: So that e good is a great resource. Already, people 381 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 1: have been loving it. I had a patient or a 382 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: client who hadn't been able to have painfully sex with 383 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 1: her husband for over six months. She didn't exercise it 384 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:16,919 Speaker 1: for one day and she was better. So sometimes it 385 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,439 Speaker 1: doesn't require six months of public fat. Sometimes you just 386 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 1: need to move your body M so, based on your 387 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 1: experience and talking with clients and even the work that 388 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: you've been doing online, what do you feel like are 389 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: some of the most common myths that you hear about 390 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: sex and the vagina? That sex is supposed to hurt 391 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: the first time. It's never supposed to hurt. Even if 392 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,920 Speaker 1: it's commonly happening, that doesn't mean that it's supposed to hurt. 393 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 1: There can be anxiety your first time. There may not 394 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: be enough for plag your first time. You may not 395 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 1: know what you're doing the first time. So That's a myth. 396 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: Another myth the penis has to be big in order 397 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: for you to enjoy sex. I mean, to me that's 398 00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: a myth because the vagina and averages like two and 399 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 1: a half inches long. Our Vagina is not this eternal 400 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,679 Speaker 1: canal that just keeps going and going. So That's a 401 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: big myth that I see. Communication, you know, actually having 402 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:14,439 Speaker 1: a connection with your partner, being patient and understanding. I 403 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,880 Speaker 1: think that has more of an impact than just size. Alone. 404 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:20,680 Speaker 1: Obviously we're gonna have preferences, and nothing's wrong with having 405 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 1: a preference, but I think that's a myth. Another myth, 406 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 1: again is that we should be doing keegels and that 407 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: we need to have a really tight vagina. I spend 408 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 1: so much time untightening vaginas. I'm telling you, that's about 409 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:35,120 Speaker 1: any nine percent of my work, and it doesn't matter 410 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,159 Speaker 1: if someone's young or old. That's the common trend that 411 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,439 Speaker 1: we don't know how to let go because we've been 412 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,119 Speaker 1: told how to squeeze for years. We know how to squeeze, 413 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: but how do you know if you're letting go and 414 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: releasing your coloring floor? That is a huge men last 415 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 1: thing I would say is that you need to be 416 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:55,679 Speaker 1: using like sentence soaps and special brands of Feminine Hygiene 417 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: just to maintain a basic level of vagional health, and 418 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:03,400 Speaker 1: that's false. You actually don't need any special soap or cleanser. 419 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: You just need to not do anything to you don't 420 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 1: put things inside of your vagina. You don't need an 421 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 1: earth ball in there, you don't need a detox ball, 422 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 1: you don't need to put anything in there. Surprisingly, the 423 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: vagina secrease things like lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide. So 424 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:24,359 Speaker 1: the less you do actually the better. In terms of 425 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 1: sentence products and products with a million ingredients you can't 426 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,119 Speaker 1: even pronounce. I think that's a big means that you 427 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: have to do all of this stuff just to maintain 428 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 1: this basic level of vasional health. You know. That's how 429 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,399 Speaker 1: you're getting at something else that I wanted to kind 430 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: of hear your thoughts about, and I'm sure you see 431 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,199 Speaker 1: a lot of it. What kinds of like sexual and 432 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 1: vaginal kind of health disinformation and misinformation do you see 433 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: that you want people to be very careful about? One 434 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: of the things I see is that they only eggs, 435 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 1: just putting you only eggs in the vagina to tighten 436 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: it and again, and if any percent of us are 437 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 1: already two tents, then putting something in your vagina and 438 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:09,639 Speaker 1: just holding a stone in your vagina does not simulate 439 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:12,200 Speaker 1: what your pelic floor likes to do on a regular basis. 440 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,879 Speaker 1: The way our pelate floor works is that it contracts 441 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 1: what it needs to and then it let's go. It 442 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,880 Speaker 1: doesn't just squeeze and hold a contraction. That's like squeezing 443 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:22,919 Speaker 1: your arm and just holding it up all day. Your 444 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 1: arm is gonna Start to hurt, it's gonna become too tent, 445 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,199 Speaker 1: you're gonna lose function and fitness in your arm. So 446 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 1: the same thing happens with the pelic floor. The other 447 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: problem I have with these Yoni eggs is that they're porous. 448 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:35,439 Speaker 1: I mean there's these tiny little holes in them. That 449 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,640 Speaker 1: means the bacteria can get trapped inside of that. Now 450 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: you're putting that in your vagina, potentially disrupting this really 451 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 1: sensitive balance of good bacteria. The good bacteria is what 452 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 1: creates your vational Ph not so soap is actually decreasing 453 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: the amounts of healthy bacteria that's down there. So that 454 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 1: is a harm and I see it, unfortunately, a lot 455 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:03,399 Speaker 1: in our community because we do have distrust with medical providers. 456 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: Doctors don't believe that we're I'm paying, not all doctors, 457 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: of course, but we have been under heard, we've been overlooked, 458 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: so we turn to natural remedies, which I am for. 459 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 1: I Love My tea, I love my assential oils, I'm 460 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: here for natural medicine, but when it comes to the vagina, 461 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,399 Speaker 1: we do have to be careful and make sure that 462 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: we're not just doing something because you know, our cousin 463 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 1: is doing it or someone on Tiktok is doing it 464 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: and actually understanding what is the vagina looking for? And 465 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 1: many times it's not looking for a star war or 466 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: it's not looking for an herb ball. It's looking for 467 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: us to be healthy and to have the sexual boundaries 468 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:44,439 Speaker 1: and to take care of our mental health and to 469 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: use unsented products and really just trust that everybody knows 470 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,120 Speaker 1: what it's doing. For having an issue, it just means 471 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: it needs more support, maybe more testing to see what's 472 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:58,360 Speaker 1: contributing to our problems. Why is this happening, as opposed 473 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 1: to assuming that we need to help our vagina cleanse 474 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:06,159 Speaker 1: itself or detox itself? M More from my conversation with 475 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: Dr How after the break. So is it important, Dr how, 476 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: for us to be peeing after sex? Okay, oh, that's 477 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: a really good one. How you're getting into it. I 478 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: don't think it's a bad practice. So nothing bad is 479 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: gonna happen if you empty your bladder, because you could 480 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 1: likely be emptying out any extra bacteria that has entered 481 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: into the urethra, the sweat, the semen, your vaginal fluids. 482 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: You're lubricant. I mean there's a lot of different fluids 483 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 1: in bacteria that can enter into the urethra. So paying 484 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:45,600 Speaker 1: is not a bad thing and I think it's helpful. 485 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 1: Whether it's scientifically proven or not. I'm not sure that 486 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: it is. So are there any kind of like pre 487 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 1: or posts intercourse kinds of routines or things you think 488 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: that would be helpful for us to know about? It 489 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 1: maybe be practicing? Yeah, before sex definitely gets sexually tested. 490 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:07,199 Speaker 1: Make sure that your partner doesn't have sexually transmitted infections or, 491 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,200 Speaker 1: if they do, that you know about it and that 492 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 1: you know how you're gonna move forward safely, because we 493 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: don't want to make any assumptions. The other thing would 494 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: be is that if you know that you have recurrent 495 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:22,640 Speaker 1: vaginal infections, like, let's say, recurrent yeast infection, is really common. 496 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: is nothing to be ashamed about. It happens all times, 497 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:28,680 Speaker 1: like the common cold for the vagina. Our bacterial vaginosis, 498 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 1: which can create like a gray discharge or a fishy smell, 499 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:35,960 Speaker 1: also really common, especially among black women and women of color. 500 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: If that's happening, what I want to say is that 501 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: you should look into getting a vaginal Ph test kit. 502 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: It's really cheap, no more than twenty dollars. You can 503 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,720 Speaker 1: check your own vaginal Ph at home and if it's 504 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 1: over four point five, then you definitely don't want to 505 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: be having a hot girl summer, no condom. You know, 506 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 1: doing this right today, doing this tomorrow. Use Protection and 507 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 1: if you know your sensitive, you might want to look 508 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 1: into those non latex condoms. But you definitely don't want 509 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:09,080 Speaker 1: to be having unprotected sex because semen has a very 510 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:12,880 Speaker 1: different ph level than vaginal fluid, and so if you're 511 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: already sensitive, if you already have this history of infections, 512 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: then check your vaginal Ph before doing sexual activity, especially 513 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 1: if you're thinking about doing out protection. But of course 514 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: I encourage using protection as often as possible. After sex 515 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 1: you want a dry as that's that's what you want. 516 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: So we hear about the wall right so, which means 517 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,840 Speaker 1: a wet or a lubricated vagina after sex. You don't 518 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 1: want all that fluid sitting around. So after you're done 519 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: with intercourse, you want to dry off, whether that's checking 520 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: your shower, whether that's getting a warm towel and wiping 521 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 1: off that fluid front to back. That's gonna be helpful 522 00:28:55,840 --> 00:29:00,440 Speaker 1: with preventing infections as well, because bacteria and viruses thrive 523 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:04,920 Speaker 1: on moisture. They really can't survive without a source of water. 524 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: So if you get rid of that, then you're gonna 525 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: be decreasing your chances of getting an infection, which is 526 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:17,760 Speaker 1: a source of anxiety, frustration low confidence for a lot 527 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: of us that are struggling with their vational health. That 528 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: is another great tip that I would recommend before sex, 529 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: if you have pain, definitely do some public floor exercises, 530 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,920 Speaker 1: some stretching, some breathing and know I'm making sure that 531 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 1: you're relaxed and you're not tense. Stretching those hips is 532 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: a really great sexual routine to help you with your 533 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 1: sexual wellness. And what about birth control, DTR? How does 534 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: that impact our sex life at all? Absolutely. I just 535 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 1: was talking to a Guyment coologist yesterday who specializes in 536 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: sexual medicine and she was telling me that when we're 537 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 1: on birth control, specifically for a longer periods of time, 538 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: that lowers the level of Androgens in the body, which 539 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 1: are like male horm but really it shouldn't be called 540 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: male hormones because they're in the body of females and 541 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:07,719 Speaker 1: thems and we need them for our sex drive, we 542 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 1: need them for our minstrel health. We need them for lubrication, 543 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 1: and so if you're on birth control for a long 544 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: period of time, it takes you down lower when it 545 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 1: comes to your hormones. So you can experience dryness, you 546 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: can experience pain with sex. Your clitterest and the vagina 547 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: can atrophy a bit because when you're taking birth control, 548 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 1: it's almost like you go into this temporary menopause. Right, 549 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 1: you're not able to get pregnant right, you're not ovulating right. 550 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,719 Speaker 1: So it's similar to menopause, and one thing that that 551 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: happens in menopause is that the vagina can send out 552 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 1: and that makes it more likely that sex is going 553 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: to be painful because there's less cushion right, the tissue 554 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 1: is not as juicy, for lack of a better medical term, 555 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 1: and so that is something that we don't talk about enough. 556 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: Our VOLVA health, our clitteral health. You know that stuff 557 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 1: is really important is the clitterest. there. clteral atrophy is 558 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: the thing, and it happens to people not just that 559 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 1: are older, it happens to younger people too. So yes, 560 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: birth control can impact our vaginal health. It also can 561 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: change the Ph balance, so it can predispose you to 562 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: more yeast infections. So if you're noticing those changes and 563 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,760 Speaker 1: you weren't having them before birth control, then you can 564 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: consider talking to your doctor about other options. But if 565 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:24,959 Speaker 1: you're on birth control and you're not noticing any issues 566 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 1: with sexual function, cltural health, public for health, then by 567 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 1: no means don't worry and go out fearing, but it 568 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:35,960 Speaker 1: definitely impacts our health because it impacts our Mormons. Got It. 569 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,040 Speaker 1: So what questions would you suggest we be talking with 570 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 1: our physicians or health care practitioners in our yearly kind 571 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,280 Speaker 1: of vaginal wellness checkups? What kinds of question should we 572 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: be asking? I think we should be asking why are 573 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: we in pain? Okay, so a lot of us have 574 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 1: five woids, a lot of us have painful periods, a 575 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 1: lot of us have painful sex and if the doctument 576 00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: is not able to answer why you're in pain, it's okay. 577 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: Doctors don't know everything, but can they do more testing? 578 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 1: Can they do maybe an endometrio biopsy? Can they do 579 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 1: a public ultra sound? Can they refer you to a 580 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: public physical therapist if you have sexual pay, if you 581 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 1: have painful periods and you're taking birth control? Okay, that's 582 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:21,959 Speaker 1: impacting your symptoms and that's helping you to tolerate your 583 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: periods better. But your period should not feel like you're 584 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,840 Speaker 1: having a baby. It should not be like you're taking 585 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 1: off from work, you're curled up in a ball, you're vomiting. 586 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 1: Can we do more testing? Can we test my hormones? 587 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 1: Can you refer me to a Dietitian? There's so many 588 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 1: things that we can ask. No, I would say don't 589 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: settle for that easy answer of Oh, let's just watch 590 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:45,720 Speaker 1: it or let's just see if things don't get worse. No, 591 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 1: you don't want to wait until things get worse. You 592 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:52,080 Speaker 1: want to achieve wellness now if you can. So those 593 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 1: are a few questions that I would recommend. And definitely 594 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: looking into your nutrients. So vitamin D deficiency is so 595 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 1: kind and it's related to period paint, it's related to 596 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 1: our associated with fibroids, it's associated with sexual dysfunction. Vitamin 597 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 1: B as in boy, that's really important. Your iron levels. 598 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:14,440 Speaker 1: A lot of US grew up anemic. We don't like 599 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: taking our iron bills. We're like, I am not swallowing 600 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: that thing. Since take your iron please. It's gonna help 601 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 1: you so much, even with your fertility and all of that. 602 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: So get those hormones and get those nutrients tested. I 603 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 1: have to advocate for my own self and say I 604 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 1: want you to check my vitamin B, I want you 605 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 1: to check my vitamin B as. And boy, sometimes you 606 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:36,680 Speaker 1: gotta ask, and nothing's wrong with that. They should be 607 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: open and we wanted to join that. MM HMMM. So 608 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 1: you've already talked a little bit about foods that you 609 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 1: know are related to our vaginal in sexual health. What 610 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 1: kinds of foods do we need to eat more of 611 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 1: our consumeless of related to wellness, related to have Regina 612 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 1: in sexual health? Okay, so I'll start with what we 613 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 1: should likely try and at least manage our limits, and 614 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:01,840 Speaker 1: I'm gonna Start with sugary stuff, because sugar can change 615 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:05,720 Speaker 1: our hormonal balance. It can lead to increase estrogen levels. 616 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 1: If we're having too much sugar in the Diet, that 617 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:11,720 Speaker 1: can increase our insulin, which can then increase our estrogen. 618 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:15,440 Speaker 1: And if we have something called polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which 619 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 1: is pcos number one cause of infertility, that is like 620 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:22,640 Speaker 1: at the core of really getting on top of your condition, 621 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:27,280 Speaker 1: managing your blood sugar and managing your insulin resistance. So 622 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 1: decreasing the amounts of sugar nutrient. And you know nutritionists, 623 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 1: they recommend no more than twenty six grams of sugar 624 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:38,759 Speaker 1: per day. Y'All, one Latte as starbucks can have as 625 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:42,280 Speaker 1: much as sixty grams of sugar in it. That listen, 626 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:46,360 Speaker 1: starbucks doesn't care about your womb, doesn't care about your vagina, 627 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 1: doesn't care about your Ministrul tycle so look at how 628 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:52,000 Speaker 1: much sugar you're having. You don't have to get rid 629 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,719 Speaker 1: of it completely. Sometimes it's just okay, I don't need 630 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 1: this solda today, or maybe I don't need five cocks. 631 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:00,200 Speaker 1: Maybe I'm just gonna have one. So sometimes the just 632 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:03,120 Speaker 1: so smaller changes. And then next thing I would say 633 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: is inflammatory foods. These are gonna be your processed foods. 634 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 1: These are gonna be processed meats like sausage, bacon, Burgers, 635 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 1: things that are heavily fried. That's gonna lead to more 636 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 1: inflammation in the body around the ovaries near the uterus. 637 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:24,440 Speaker 1: All of that and if we want to start nourishing 638 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:27,440 Speaker 1: a healthier vagina, especially when it comes to our vaginal 639 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:31,719 Speaker 1: Ph we don't want to have an inflammatory environment. That's 640 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 1: also something that can lead to vaginal dryness. So your 641 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:38,840 Speaker 1: body sets up these mechanisms that tries to protect you. 642 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 1: It's like, okay, if there's already a lot of inflammation 643 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:43,640 Speaker 1: in the body, we don't want a penuts coming in here, 644 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: we don't want a sex toy coming in here, so 645 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: let's make it as dry as possible. And so that's 646 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 1: your body actually trying to protect you. You might notice 647 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:54,160 Speaker 1: that if you change up your diet a bit, making 648 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:58,000 Speaker 1: sure you're still getting enough food, enough calories, but you're 649 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 1: changing the type of foods, you ain't noticed more vaginal lubrication, 650 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:04,320 Speaker 1: other things that I talked about in my vagina food 651 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: egot is getting enough fats. So our hormones are made 652 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:12,839 Speaker 1: from fat. So if you're not getting enough foods, let's 653 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:17,799 Speaker 1: say olive oil or Avocados, are nuts. Um, yogurt is 654 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:21,280 Speaker 1: a great source unsweet and Greek yogurt great source of fat. 655 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 1: That helps us to make estrogen and make the hormones 656 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:28,720 Speaker 1: that support our sex drives, support our menstrual cycle, support 657 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:32,640 Speaker 1: our fertility. So I would start there by saying, okay, 658 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:35,400 Speaker 1: what am I eating that's inflaming my body? Can I 659 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:37,759 Speaker 1: decrease that. And what can I eat? More of that? 660 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: Comes from the earth? Does it come from a tree? 661 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:43,640 Speaker 1: Does it come from the ground? EAT IT, eat more 662 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: of it, and you don't have to be vegetarian or Vegan. 663 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 1: I'm not vegetarian or Vegan, but just saying, okay, today 664 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:51,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna try and get plant based protein for one 665 00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:54,400 Speaker 1: meal out of the day. Instead of getting my chicken 666 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:57,759 Speaker 1: or my beef, I'm gonna get black beings, or maybe 667 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get toad food, or maybe I'm gonna get 668 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 1: it even a protein shape that may have plant based protein. 669 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:06,239 Speaker 1: So there are several things that we can do to 670 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:08,840 Speaker 1: just improve our vaginal health when it comes to food. 671 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 1: There was a really huge study that came out recently 672 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:14,280 Speaker 1: and they looked at thousands of women that were trying 673 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 1: to get pregnant, but they weren't ovulating. So if you're 674 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:19,760 Speaker 1: not ovulating, you're not dropping that egg, you're not gonna 675 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 1: get pregnant. What they found is that when women substituted 676 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:26,560 Speaker 1: animal protein for plant based protein, they had a fifty 677 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 1: percent higher chance of populating. So again, it doesn't mean 678 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:32,880 Speaker 1: that you have to go vegan and starting brass, but 679 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:37,920 Speaker 1: can you substitute every now and then the meat for 680 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:40,680 Speaker 1: plant based protein, and I talked about that as well 681 00:37:40,719 --> 00:37:44,440 Speaker 1: in my vagina food egot different forms of protein that 682 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:46,960 Speaker 1: are not meat, because I think we grow up thinking 683 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 1: protein is only meat, but meat does not equal protein 684 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 1: and protein does not equal meat. Protein is found in 685 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:56,480 Speaker 1: a lot of plant foods. Now, is there anything we 686 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,000 Speaker 1: can eat that will increase our iron intakes so we 687 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:03,719 Speaker 1: do not have to swallow the big iron heels? You 688 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:07,319 Speaker 1: are really, really funny. This is a great question. I'm 689 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:09,880 Speaker 1: gonna tell you about three foods that I think it 690 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: would be great, but before that I just want to 691 00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:15,759 Speaker 1: say liquid iron is a great way to get your 692 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,040 Speaker 1: iron in a way that doesn't make you nauseous, doesn't 693 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:21,120 Speaker 1: make you constipated. Chase it down with some apple juice 694 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:23,080 Speaker 1: or some water or whatever. That's a great way to 695 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:26,000 Speaker 1: get your ironing because most of the time foods are 696 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:28,719 Speaker 1: just not gonna have enough iron and one serving when 697 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:32,520 Speaker 1: you're low on iron. But Spinach is packed and iron. 698 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:36,480 Speaker 1: It's a great source of iron. Black strap molasses, that's 699 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:39,359 Speaker 1: a good source of iron. Again, not the tastiest thing, 700 00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:42,000 Speaker 1: but you guys, iron is a mineral. It's not gonna 701 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 1: be very tasty. Tasty. Yeah, imagine eating metal. I mean, 702 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:49,480 Speaker 1: if you eat metal, it's not gonna taste just start 703 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:52,880 Speaker 1: chopping on metal, it's not gonna taste very good. Beats 704 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:57,440 Speaker 1: are great source of iron, but also nitric oxide, and 705 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:00,520 Speaker 1: we need that to expand the blood vest, which is 706 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:05,839 Speaker 1: needed for sexual function, arousal lubrication. This overall general help, 707 00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:11,160 Speaker 1: even for exercise and high blood pressure. So beat, beat, juice, spinach, 708 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: get your grain smoothies in and yeah, just take your 709 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: eyes and stuff with me, no way around it. So 710 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:23,640 Speaker 1: this has been so much fun. Dr How so much 711 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:26,920 Speaker 1: great information. Tell us where we can stay connected with you. 712 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:29,279 Speaker 1: What is your website, as well as any social media 713 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,160 Speaker 1: handles you'd like to share? Yeah, so my website is 714 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:37,280 Speaker 1: Vagina Rehab doctor. Everything lower case Vagina Rehab doctor. There 715 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:39,880 Speaker 1: you can contact me if you want one on one consults, 716 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:43,240 Speaker 1: and I also keep you updating on upcoming bad stretch labs, 717 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:47,080 Speaker 1: bad strength labs and my master classes on my website. 718 00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:50,640 Speaker 1: Then mainly and primarily, I'm on instagram. That's my main 719 00:39:50,719 --> 00:39:53,959 Speaker 1: way of just stay in contact with the world and 720 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:57,880 Speaker 1: entertaining my own self with reels and different things. So 721 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:02,399 Speaker 1: I'm Vagina Rehab doctor on Instagram and on Tiktok. If 722 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:04,239 Speaker 1: you send me a message on Instagram, I may not 723 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:05,880 Speaker 1: see it in time, but you can send me an 724 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:08,960 Speaker 1: email if you have any questions. Vagina Rehab doctor at 725 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:11,799 Speaker 1: Gmail Dot Com, and those are the main ways that 726 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:14,759 Speaker 1: you can find me. So what do you have coming 727 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:16,480 Speaker 1: up that we should know about? I know you do 728 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:18,400 Speaker 1: lots of fun classes and things. What do you have 729 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:21,840 Speaker 1: coming up for us? Yeah, so my next virtual masterclasses 730 00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:25,840 Speaker 1: on October second and it's a vaginal fitness masterclass, and 731 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:28,560 Speaker 1: so in this class it's gonna be virtually recorded. If 732 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:30,880 Speaker 1: you can't make it, it's recorded and sent to everyone. 733 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,120 Speaker 1: The name of this masterclass is things your Mama couldn't 734 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:36,520 Speaker 1: say about your PA China, and a lot of what 735 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:38,480 Speaker 1: you couldn't say was that, you know, thinking about sex 736 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,080 Speaker 1: is healthy and it's normal. So in this class I'm 737 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:43,239 Speaker 1: gonna be teaching you how to support your sex drive, 738 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:46,960 Speaker 1: in your libido, with foods, with understanding it better how 739 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:50,720 Speaker 1: it works, and also exercises. Were also gonna be talking 740 00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:54,200 Speaker 1: about how to do a self internal HELV explore exam, 741 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:59,479 Speaker 1: so how to check the inside of a vagina for strength, weakness, tension, pain, 742 00:40:59,719 --> 00:41:02,040 Speaker 1: core nation and then we're gonna end the class with 743 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:05,920 Speaker 1: colors for fitness exercises to better support you with sports 744 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:09,480 Speaker 1: and sexual activity. So that's on October two and you 745 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:13,560 Speaker 1: can find more information about that also on my website. Perfectly. 746 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:15,319 Speaker 1: We will be sure to include all of that in 747 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:17,279 Speaker 1: the show notes. Thank you so much. Like to how 748 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:23,160 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. I'm so glad Dr how was able 749 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:25,960 Speaker 1: to share her expertise with us today. To learn more 750 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:28,640 Speaker 1: about her and her work and the classes she has 751 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:31,399 Speaker 1: coming up, visit the show notes at therapy for black 752 00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:34,799 Speaker 1: girls dot com, slash session to seventy six, and don't 753 00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:36,879 Speaker 1: forget to text two of your girls and tell them 754 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:40,200 Speaker 1: to check out the episode right now. If you're looking 755 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:42,960 Speaker 1: for a therapist in your area, check out our therapist 756 00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:46,439 Speaker 1: directory at therapy for black girls dot com, slash directory. 757 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:49,240 Speaker 1: And if you want to continue digging into this topic 758 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:52,080 Speaker 1: or just be in community with other sisters, come on 759 00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 1: over and join us in the sister circle. It's our 760 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:57,320 Speaker 1: cozy corner of the Internet designed just for Black Women. 761 00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:00,319 Speaker 1: You can join us at community dot therapy for black 762 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:04,440 Speaker 1: girls dot com. This episode was produced by Frieda Lucas 763 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:07,880 Speaker 1: and Alice Ellis, and editing was done by Dennis and Bradford. 764 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:11,000 Speaker 1: Thank you all so much for joining me again this week. 765 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:13,719 Speaker 1: I look forward to continue in this conversation with you 766 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:16,279 Speaker 1: all real soon. Take good care.