Her Body Her Story

Heidi is joined by Dr Natasha Feingold, Women’s Health GP at Her Medical in Southport and co-founder of Pause with a Purpose Retreats. Natasha shares her story of losing her mother to ovarian cancer, living with the BRCA1 mutation and going through surgical menopause, and how it has shaped the way she cares for women today.This episode is for women wanting clear, evidence-based answers in midlife, as well as those navigating perimenopause, menopause, brain fog, or a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer.In this episode, we explore:what actually makes a women’s health GP different from a general GPliving with the BRCA1 mutation and the decision to have preventive surgerywhy surgical menopause doesn’t have to mean a menopause horror storywhy there’s no single blood test for perimenopause, and what a good first appointment looks likehow your history of postnatal depression, PMDD or trauma can affect your menopause symptomsbrain fog, sleep, and the million-dollar question: is it burnout or hormones?why one dose for two weeks isn’t a real trial of hormone therapyTimestamps00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:33 What Makes a Womens Health GP04:26 Losing Her Mother to Ovarian Cancer06:59 Why She Chose Medicine09:39 Training Burnout and Support11:54 Discovering the BRCA1 Mutation13:52 Preventive Surgery Decisions16:59 Breastfeeding and Mastectomy Recovery22:32 Balancing Exams and Motherhood25:21 Ovary Cyst and Choosing Oophorectomy26:45 Ovarian Cancer Symptoms and Detection27:17 Ovarian Cancer Signs27:39 Surgery and Hormone Therapy29:25 Surgical vs Natural Menopause31:05 Diagnosing Perimenopause33:37 Treatment Options and Goals36:43 Brain Fog Explained39:32 Stress Burnout or Hormones43:34 Finding the Right Dose47:01 Pause With a Purpose Retreat52:26 Learning to Rest54:11 How Lived Experience Helps55:31 Rapid Fire Advice58:58 Misinformation and AI01:01:57 Final Thanks and Where to FindConnect with Dr Natasha FeingoldInstagram → @drnatashafeingoldBook an appointment at Her Medical, Southport → hermedical.com.auPause with a Purpose Retreats → pausewithapurposeretreats.comPut this into practiceIf you’re wanting to understand your body more deeply and apply this to your own training, recovery or injury prevention, you can explore:Your Free Pelvic Floor Essentials Guide → HEREYour Free Bladder Leaking and Core Weakness Guide → HERERead health blog posts or Work 1:1 with me → HEREStay connectedYou can follow along for more conversations and education here:InstagramFacebookIf you’re wanting any future topics or questions unpacked, email me HERE titled “Podcast topic”. I tailor these episodes to you.Subscribe & ShareFollow the podcast and share it with a woman in her 40s or 50s who just doesn’t feel like herself anymore, or a friend with a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer.Episodes drop every 3 weeks on Tuesdays.DisclaimerThis podcast is for education only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Please consult your health professional for support specific to you.

Did you know that 60% of women who have a vaginal birth will have some degree of bladder descent, and most of them have no idea?In this episode of Her Body, Her Story, Women's Health Physio Heidi wraps up the leaking miniseries with part three: prolapse. Heidi breaks the taboo around prolapse, explaining what it actually is, why it's so common, and why having a prolapse does not mean adult nappies or giving up the things you love.This episode is for those who simply want to understand their pelvic anatomy more deeply, as well as for those who are navigating a prolapse diagnosis, leaking related to prolapse, or fear and uncertainty around what a prolapse actually means for their life.Heidi walks through the anatomy of prolapse, why so many women have it without any symptoms at all, how it can contribute to leaking, and the practical support options available, including pessaries and pelvic floor strengthening.In this episode, we explore:what a prolapse actually is, and the anatomy behind your bladder, uterus and bowelsthe common causes of prolapse, including pregnancy, obesity, chronic constipation and hypermobilitythe different grades of prolapse, and why grade one and two often come with no symptoms at allwhy 60% of women with a vaginal birth have some form of bladder descent, and why that statistic shouldn't scare youhow prolapse can contribute to leaking through a flexible urethra, using the hose and trampoline analogyhow a pessary works, and why Heidi describes it as "a bra for your vagina"the role of pelvic floor strength and lifestyle factors in managing a prolapseTimestamps00:00 Welcome Back and Recap01:09 Prolapse Isn't So Scary02:11 Pelvic Anatomy Basics03:18 What Causes Prolapse04:42 Grades and How Common06:35 Symptoms vs Diagnosis07:52 Why Prolapse Can Cause Leaks09:09 Hose and Trampoline Analogy10:13 Pessaries and Support Options11:03 Pelvic Floor and Lifestyle Steps11:58 Series Wrap and ResourcesPut this into practiceIf you're wanting to understand your body more deeply and apply this to your own training, recovery or injury prevention, you can explore:Your Free Pelvic Floor Essentials Guide → HEREYour Free Bladder Leaking and Core Weakness Guide → HERERead health blog posts or Work 1:1 with me → HEREWanting individualised support for bladder leaking and core weakness? Ask me about the Core Comeback Program, a 12-week online physio-led program with education, exercise and fortnightly group coaching → email me HEREStay connectedYou can follow along for more conversations and education here:InstagramFacebookIf you're wanting any future topics or questions unpacked, email me HERE titled "Podcast topic". I tailor these episodes to you.Subscribe & ShareFollow the podcast and share it with a woman in your life who has been told she has a prolapse and doesn't know what that actually means for her.Episodes drop every 3 weeks on Tuesdays.DisclaimerThis podcast is for education only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Please consult your health professional for support specific to you.

Do you get a sudden rush to pee the moment you hear water, put your key in the door, or walk towards a toilet?In this episode of Her Body, Her Story, Women's Health Physio Heidi continues the leaking miniseries, this time unpacking overactive bladder and bladder urgency, a completely different type of leaking to the stress incontinence covered in part one.This episode is for those who simply want to understand their bladder more deeply, as well as for those who are navigating a sudden urge to pee, leaking on the way to the toilet, or common triggers like water, keys or arriving home that send them running.Heidi breaks down how the bladder actually works, why urgency isn't always a pelvic floor problem, and the everyday habits and drinks that could be training your bladder to become more sensitive.In this episode, we explore:how your bladder normally fills and signals you to go, using the balloon analogywhy overactive bladder is often a bladder issue, not a pelvic floor issuecommon triggers like water, keys in the door, or arriving homehow caffeine, artificial sweeteners and alcohol can increase bladder irritabilitywhy "just in case" peeing trains your bladder to feel urgency too earlyhow skulling large amounts of water can trigger sudden urges, and how to check your hydration using urine colourhow pelvic floor tension can also contribute to an overactive bladderPut this into practiceIf you're wanting to understand your body more deeply and apply this to your own training, recovery or injury prevention, you can explore:Your Free Pelvic Floor Essentials Guide → HEREYour Free Bladder Leaking and Core Weakness Guide → HERERead health blog posts or Work 1:1 with me → HEREStay connectedYou can follow along for more conversations and education here:InstagramFacebookIf you're wanting any future topics or questions unpacked, email me HERE titled "Podcast topic". I tailor these episodes to you.Subscribe & ShareFollow the podcast and share it with a woman in your life who rushes to the toilet or leaks on the way there, and hasn't found a real answer yet.Episodes drop every 2 weeks on Tuesdays for this minseriesDisclaimerThis podcast is for education only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Please consult your health professional for support specific to you.

Do you leak when you cough, sneeze, laugh, run or exercise, and you've been told to "just do your kegels"?In this episode of Her Body, Her Story, Women's Health Physio Heidi kicks off a leaking miniseries, breaking down exactly why stress urinary incontinence happens and why doing kegels alone doesn't fix it for so many women.This episode is for those who simply want to understand their bladder and pelvic floor more deeply, as well as for those who are navigating leaking with coughing, sneezing, laughing, running or exercise and haven't been able to find an answer beyond "do your pelvic floor exercises."Heidi breaks down the five real reasons behind stress urinary incontinence, using simple analogies (a balloon, a bicep, a hose on a trampoline) so you can understand exactly what might be happening in your own body before jumping straight to kegels.In this episode, we explore:the stats on leaking that nobody talks about, including how few women actually ask for helphow your bladder works like a balloon, and why increased pressure can lead to leakingwhy a weak pelvic floor is only one possible cause of leaking, not the only onehow a pelvic floor that is too tight can actually become weak, using the bicep and handbag analogywhy an uncoordinated pelvic floor can cause leaking even if it's strong enoughhow sphincter weakness and hormonal changes like menopause or breastfeeding affect leakingwhy a flexible urethra ("hose on a trampoline") means kegels alone won't stop the leakingTimestamps00:00 Why Leaking Matters01:50 Stress Incontinence Basics04:00 Weak Pelvic Floor Myth04:39 Tight Yet Weak Muscles06:35 Timing And Coordination08:32 Sphincter And Hormones10:35 Urethral Hypermobility13:42 Supports Beyond Kegels14:23 Wrap Up And Part Two16:04 Final Notes DisclaimerPut this into practiceIf you're wanting to understand your body more deeply and apply this to your own training, recovery or injury prevention, you can explore:Your Free Bladder Leaking and Core Weakness Guide → HERERead health blog posts or Work 1:1 with me → HEREStay connectedYou can follow along for more conversations and education here:InstagramFacebookIf you're wanting any future topics or questions unpacked, email me HERE titled "Podcast topic". I tailor these episodes to you.Subscribe & ShareFollow the podcast and share it with a woman in your life who leaks when she coughs, sneezes, laughs or exercises, and hasn't found a real answer yet.Episodes drop every 3 weeks on Tuesdays.DisclaimerThis podcast is for education only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Please consult your health professional for support specific to you.

Have you been told your test results are "normal," but you're still in pain?In this episode of Her Body, Her Story, Women's Health Physio Heidi is joined by Isabelle, wife, mother of three teenage boys, founder of Prayer and Grace, and a survivor of endometriosis and interstitial cystitis. Isabelle shares her long and deeply personal journey through years of unexplained pelvic and bladder pain after a chronic UTI, multiple surgeries and procedures, motherhood, faith, and what it actually took to feel at home in her body again.This episode is for those navigating pelvic pain, chronic UTI's, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, painful sex or bladder symptoms that doctors haven't been able to explain.Heidi and Isabelle walk through why pain can persist even after the "damage" has been surgically removed, and the practical tools that helped Isabelle move from constant pain and fear to a pain-free, intimate and active life.In this episode, we explore:why Isabelle's test results kept coming back "normal" while her pain was very realthe difference between endometriosis and interstitial cystitis, and how they can influence each otherwhy pain can persist even after surgery, Botox and nerve blocks, explained through the "car alarm" analogyhow stress, mental health and past experiences shape how much pain you feeltools for desensitising painful sex, including touch retraining and graduated dilatorsnavigating painful sex, silence and shame within a Christian marriage and upbringinghow food, stress and movement can flare interstitial cystitis, and how to manage flares without panicTimestamps00:00 Guest Intro And Symptoms01:14 Procedures And Diagnosis02:56 First Flare During Move05:12 Endometriosis Surgery Relief09:59 Interstitial Cystitis Found14:18 Why Pain Persists21:36 Stress And Relationships24:48 Desensitizing Painful Sex28:59 Stress and Pelvic Tension30:09 Daily Homework for Healing30:39 Bladder Irritants and Food Triggers32:18 Managing Flares Without Panic33:12 Tools for Comfortable Intimacy35:57 Faith Culture and Sex Education41:44 Ask for Help and Keep Advocating44:58 Rebuilding Strength and Fitness45:15 Motherhood Business and Delegation48:54 Joy Practices and Final Flash Questions51:06 Closing Thanks and TransformationConnect with IsabelleWebsite → Prayer and GracePut this into practiceIf you're wanting to understand your body more deeply and apply this to your own training, recovery or injury prevention, you can explore:Your Free Pelvic Floor Essentials Guide → HEREYour Free Bladder Leaking and Core Weakness Guide → HERERead health blog posts or Work 1:1 with me → HEREStay connectedYou can follow along for more conversations and education here:InstagramFacebookIf you're wanting any future topics or questions unpacked, email me HERE titled "Podcast topic". I tailor these episodes to you.Subscribe & ShareFollow the podcast and share it with a woman who has been told her pain is "normal" or that her tests are clear, and is still searching for answers.Episodes drop every 3 weeks on Tuesdays.DisclaimerThis podcast is for education only and does not replace personalised medical advice. Please consult your health professional for support specific to you.