EMMA TEICHMANN / PELVIC PHYSIO

Our Hallie girl 💖 She’s here, we’re smitten AND I feel the best I’ve felt in 9 months (thanks HG) even after major abdominal surgery. I will be on maternity leave for the remainder of 2026 sinking into life as a family of 4. I look forward to hitting the ground running in 2027 @thehealthypeachphysio

So excited to announce that we’re expecting a sweet baby sister for Maxy in March 🌸💗💘 Another HG pregnancy has really tested me, as this time I have a toddler who is also depending on me. I really appreciate the understanding from my patients as I’ve had to reschedule/cancel most appointments over the past few months. I hope to be back at work in a few weeks, but in the meantime I know you’re in wonderful hands with the beautiful @thehealthypeachphysio team. For anyone who has gone through or is currently going through HG - my heart goes out to you. My goodness it’s hard. But to know in March I’ll be holding our little girl makes it so worth the fight.

On Wednesday we welcomed our boy Max in to the world via planned c-section, and it was such a wonderful experience. The one that made me a Mum 🥹 A big thank you to @hatchmaternity , the @matermothers team and our anaesthetist Dave for making the day what it was - stress free and magical. After a pretty rough pregnancy with my HG symptoms continuing up to 34-35 weeks, it feels so good to finally be at the light at the end of the tunnel. So any Mummas out there struggling with what feels like the never ending battle of HG - I promise it will all be worth it when you hold your little one in your arms. Now BRB, off to soak up this newborn phase with my new little bestie 🫶🏻

Had such a wonderful morning with Ali from @devi_shakti_yoga - learning about somatic practices for nervous system regulation, and how to use them with our patients with a history of trauma or stress 🧘🏼‍♀️

If you’re a patient or follower of mine, you’ll likely be aware that the management of pelvic and sexual pain is my main clinical interest. It lights me up and fills my cup - and I’m so grateful that I get to call this my job. Throughout my Physiotherapy degree we learnt a lot about the physical components that contribute to pain and how to manage these aspects. However the further I’ve gotten in to my time in Pelvic Health, I’ve realised that the physical components only make up one part of the puzzle - and that the mind is equally as important to address. So this year I’ve decided to head back to uni to study my Masters in Psychosexual Therapy. I’m hoping that this, coupled with my Physiotherapy skills, will allow me to expand my therapeutic toolbox in the assessment and management of pelvic and sexual pain and dysfunction. It’s been 7 years since I’ve done any sort of formal study, and although it’s like riding a bike I feel like my bike needs a little WD-40 😂 Adding study to the mix of my usual clinical work has been a bit of balancing act but after a few weeks I feel like I’m finding my flow - so hopefully I’ll be back to regular programming in terms of content on here soon! But for now I’ll leave you with a picture of me talking about how much I love “Come As You Are” by @enagoski to anyone that will listen ✨🎙️ #pelvicphysio #pelvichealthphysio #sexualhealth #sexualpain #endometriosis #dyspareunia #sexology #counselling #psychosexualtherapy

Have I harped on about how good lube is yet?! Choosing the correct lubricant for you is so important for your vaginal care and can be an absolute game changer in terms of symptom management. Don’t know where to start? Here’s my review! SILICONE-BASED @uberlube Pros: long-lasting, silky and slippery feeling, condom compatible, water-play compatible, hypoallergenic Cons: not compatible with silicone toys OIL-BASED @olivebeeandme Pros: long-lasting, works as a barrier protection for you skin (can provide extra protection for sensitive tissues), rich and hydrating Cons: not compatible with condoms, can be difficult to clean off sheets/towels/etc WATER-BASED @lovelucylube Pros: both condom and toy compatible, gives typical “wet” feeling Cons: absorbs quickly in to the skin, can feel sticky I also often recommend my patients steer clear of anything with added colours or flavourings, as they can potentially disrupt the natural pH of the vagina and make you more prone to things like thrush an UTIs. Not using a lubricant? Give it a try and thank me later 😉 #pelvicfloor #pelvichealth #pelvicfloorphysio #pelvicphysio #lubricant #naturallubricant #menopause #dyspareunia #sexualpain #vaginismus #postnatal

Let me shout it from the rooftops - you can absolutely lift weights when you have a diagnosis of pelvic organ prolapse (POP)!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We know that lifting weights will improve the overall muscle tone in your body, which has a direct impact on also increasing the muscle tone in your pelvic floor. So it’s not only POSSIBLE to lift weights with a prolapse - but it’s likely to help IMPROVE your symptoms long term (if done correctly). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you’re currently symptomatic whilst lifting weights, this doesn’t mean you have to stop completely! This is where your Pelvic Health Physiotherapist comes in to the picture - we can discuss what your goals for training are, check out your technique and plan out what training should look like for you at that time. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here are some of the things I focus on when treating POP in someone who loves lifting weights: ✨ Improving overall pelvic floor strength, endurance and co-ordination (sometimes using vaginal weights!) ✨ Pressure management is key - if you’re holding your breath or bracing incorrectly, you will be putting a lot of downwards pressure on your pelvic floor (likely making you more symptomatic) ✨ Modification of exercises or reduction in weight lifted to help with symptom management ✨ Gradual, progressive loading ✨ Potential fitting of a pessary to help with symptom management ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you’ve been diagnosed with POP and are worried you’ll never lift weights again - please reach out to your Pelvic Health Physio so we can keep you doing the things you love! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #prolapse #pelvicorganprolapse #prolapsetips #exerciseforprolapse #pelvicphysio #pelvichealthphysio #pelvicfloorphysio #prolapsemanagement #pelvicfloor

Hands up if you’ve ever resorted to this to try to cope with the symptom of pain with sex? Perhaps you’ve been told this by a friend or health practitioner along the way? What we know is that the advice of “just relax and have a glass of wine” is ENTIRELY UNHELPFUL. If you suffer from pain with sex, just know that this isn’t the only way you can cope. Reach out if you need a hand to begin your journey to sex that isn’t just pain free, but enjoyable!! #pelvicfloor #womenshealth #overactivepelvicfloor #pelvicfloormuscles #tightpelvicfloor #overactivebladder #endo #endometriosis #adenomyosis #bladderpainsyndrome #dyspareunia #painfulintercourse #painfulsex

A few posts ago I spoke about perineal massage and how it helps to reduce your risk of severe perineal tearing. We know that perineal tears during childbirth are incredibly common, with data showing that up to 80-85% of women will experience some degree of perineal tearing. So what are the different degrees and how can we minimise the risk? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨ Grade 1 tear: skin torn ✨ Grade 2 tear: skin and pelvic floor muscles torn ✨ Grade 3a tear: skin, pelvic floor and <50% external anal sphincter muscle torn ✨ Grade 3b tear: skin, pelvic floor and >50% external anal sphincter muscle torn ✨ Grade 3c tear: skin, pelvic floor and both internal and external anal sphincter muscles torn ✨ Grade 4 tear: skin, pelvic floor, both anal sphincter and anal mucosa torn ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We know that grade 3 and 4 tears are classified as “severe” perineal tears, and need accurate diagnosis at time of injury and timely surgical repair to reduce the long term affects of injury. Severe tears put you more at risk of long term pelvic floor dysfunction - including wind/faecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We know that sometimes tearing is out of our control, however what can we do to reduce our risk of tearing or severity of tearing? ✨ An assessment by a pelvic health physio during your pregnancy to determine your risk profile ✨ Perineal massage (see my last post for stats!) ✨ Learning and practicing correct pushing techniques ✨ Warm compress on the perineum during labour ✨ Your obstetrician may perform an episiotomy if they think you are at risk of a grade 3/4 tear (as they cut off to the side to prevent tearing to the anal sphincters) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #perinealmassage #perinealtear #childbirth #labour #birthprep #birthpreparation #episiotomy #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorexercises #pregnant #pregnancy #pelvicphysio #pelvicfloorphysio #pelvichealth

If you’re one of my patients, odds are we’ve probably had a chat about lubricant. Sexual pain? Use lube! Dilator therapy? More lube! Post-menopausal? Use lube! Post-natal? Use lube! Just want to make sex more enjoyable? Use lube!! Often (especially in a lot of my younger patients) there can be a bit of embarrassment around using lubricant. “If my body is doing what it’s supposed to I shouldn’t need it, right?” Unfortunately this is not always the case - hello arousal non-concordance! There are lots of things that can contribute to changes in your natural lubrication in sexual contexts (including where you’re at in your cycle and if you’re on hormonal birth control just to name a few!) It’s also important to know that not all lubricants are created equal. The type of lube that I recommend to a patient will be dependent on your current symptoms and situation. Confused about where to start? Keep an eye out for an upcoming post where I’ll run through the pros/cons of different types of lubricant and my favourite of each! #physicaltherapy #pelvicphysio #pelvicfloorphysio #pelvicpain #pelvichealth #pelvicfloor #lubricant #menopause #postnatal #pregnancy

I’ve seen a few patients in clinic recently who have started their dilator journey for treatment of Vaginismus on their own, but have come to a point where they are finding they are no longer progressing or the idea of moving to penetration seems impossible. Here are my top two reasons why I think this may be happening! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨ You’re pushing in to pain The term “no pain, no gain” DEFINITELY does not work with dilator therapy. Often we see patients who insert the dilator until they are feeling mild-moderate pain, stop there and try to breathe through that pain until to relaxes, and then repeat this over an over. We know Vaginismus is often a protective mechanism against pain - so if you’re pushing in to pain with your dilator therapy there is no way we are going to be able to undo the “penetration = pain” concept to our central nervous system. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨ Because making space is only one part of the road to enjoyable penetration! Imagine if a sports player coming back from a knee injury was told “now that you can do one full range squat you are able to progress straight back to contact sport” - it just wouldn’t happen right? After you are able to make space, we then have to look at a lot of different factors which may include being able to make this space quickly, speed of penetration, different positions, the control aspect that comes along with penetrative intercourse, and actually enjoying penetration (not just tolerating it). The list goes on and people will have different “stick” points depending on past thoughts and experiences. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Need help with dilator therapy? I’m currently offering both in clinic (in Grange, Brisbane) and Telehealth consults (if you’re in Australia but not local) and would love to help you on your journey! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #pelvichealth #pelvicpain #vaginismus #endometriosis #pelvicfloorphysio #pelvicphysio #painfulsex #dyspareunia #dilators #dilatortherapy #physicaltherapy

Some new research has come out in recent years on the benefits of perineal massage - and it found some promising results! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Perineal massage is a technique that we use from around 34-35 weeks pregnant to prepare your perineum (the space between your anus and vagina) for delivery. Not only does it help you to find your tissue flexibility in the weeks leading up to your labour, it’s also a great chance to practice your breathing and muscle relaxation techniques (to know what is going to work best for you!) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We tend to teach perineal massage as a part of our birth prep appointments (from 34-35 weeks), and you are welcome to bring your partner or support person along to this appointment so we can teach them how to perform perineal massage too (as it can be a little difficult towards the end to reach yourself when bub is getting big). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you’re pregnant and interested in learning how to prepare yourself well for birth, reach out so we can get you started on your birth preparation. Not pregnant - but know someone who is? Send this their way! 🤰🏼 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #perinealmassage #perinealtear #childbirth #labour #birthprep #birthpreparation #episiotomy #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorexercises #pregnant #pregnancy #pelvicphysio #pelvicfloorphysio #pelvichealth