Wild Woman Reborn

𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐨 - 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭

In my work, most women I see have a low libido. Commonly it is at the end of a long list of digestive problems, being tired all the time, PMS, other menstrual issues and sometimes accompanied by being less resilient to infection.

The most common reason UNDERLYING a low libido is due to chronic stress. When we have chronic stress our autonomic nervous system is weighted to the sympathetic nervous system and we have 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 - an almost 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 as if we were perpetually running for our lives from a tiger.

Many things trigger our body to be in chronic stress and sometimes the biggest drivers are not even things we are aware of.

When our body is in sympathetic overdrive, the parasympathetic system - the other part of the autonomic nervous system - is not "on enough". It takes care of regeneration, repair, digestion and reproduction.

There are many ways to bring the body out of sympathetic overdrive and it is important to find what your particular drivers are and find the help that is right for you.

Quote of the day by Aimee Mullins - if you're keen to learn more here's a great link to a clip on YouTube - It was worth 6 minutes of my time to take a look :-)
https://youtu.be/51ybBLEav-M

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞

Silent suffering. Confusion. Shame.

Not knowing that the problem you have is common.

Unaware that help is available.

Difficulty finding help.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨. Even as a medical doctor, I suffered in silence, my concerns brushed off my by gynaecologist and other doctors I saw, unable to find help and get the specialist help I needed. Dismissed, misunderstood and embarrassed.

I was told that my pain with penetrative s*x 6 months after having had my first baby was because I had psychological problems adjusting to being "three" and that everything looked just fine. My gynae talked about episiotomies healing pretty well with time. When I told her I had not had an episiotomy but 4 tears and a 40 hour labour, she brushed me off and could not get me out of her practice fast enough.

We didn't get a chance to even talk about my urinary incontinence and problems with core strength and how this was affecting my daily life. The ten free physiotherapy sessions funded by the German government to support pelvic floor health after childbirth had not been enough for me.

We didn't talk about how I was doing emotionally after the traumatic delivery where I nearly lost my life due to a massive post partum haemorrahge. She missed the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

A lack of awareness amongst health professionals about the true implications of post birth complications is a huge issue, especially in the community, as there is a lack of ability or knowledge to address these issues. Other health professionals have an aversion to talking and addressing issues relating to s*x, s*xuality and female health.

Obstetricians in hospitals who may assist complicated deliveries, don't often get to hear about the long term aftermath of 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 interventions because follow up for women is in the community.

𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬

I went on to have complications after my second and third babies - both elective caesarian sections.

Problems with
- adhesions
- a 9cm ventral abdominal hernia
- an unawareness that my bladder was full until I went into
urinary retention
- pelvic instability
- chronic back pain
- reduced or**sm intensity
- overworked hamstrings that tore leaving me unable to
walk or stand properly for a year until major reconstructive
surgery was done

From the outside, I looked normal, but 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧.

𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝟑𝟐.

𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞...

but unlike many others, it has a silver lining.

𝐈𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

I am grateful to the amazing doctors and surgeons, physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, myofascial therapists and other integrative practitioners I managed to find on my journey who took me seriously, showed empathy and had the skills and knowledge to help me. It was a team effort with each person playing a key role.

I have learnt so much.

I would not be the same person I am today without my experience.

I practice medicine differently.

I have grown and am enriched as a result.

I want to show my vulnerability and share my story to inspire other women so that their journey does not need to be so hard, or as lonely.

I have had to find inner strength and resilience, learn to trust my intuition, ask for what I need and want, find the help I needed, learn to respect healthy limits and overcome shame.

𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞 is the reason there are so many women out there suffering today. It's not s*xy to talk about these problems, but we need to.

Through showing our vulnerability, woman all around the world, can increases awareness, get the help they need and start their own journey to true empowerment - going that level further - and becoming s*xually empowered.

'It's not normal, it's common and can be treated': Powerful movement for better afterbirth care Powerful petition for better post-birth care gains momentum.

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭?

Do you know that sense of unease when you know something is wrong?

Maybe you said YES and you know it should have been a NO?

Or someone says something to you or touches you in a way that just does not feel right?

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭

And then there are times when you say YES and it feels exhilarating.

Or you have the courage to say NO or STOP....

and you feel liberated and relieved at the same time

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 IN 𝐨𝐮𝐫 OUT 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Developed by Betty Martin, the Wheel of Consent can be applied to any aspect of your life - from interactions with colleagues, friends, children, family and in intimate relationships.

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭?

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐞?

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧.

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹, 𝗿𝗲-𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻? ✨

You can be all of this when you know what a s*xually empowered woman's 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 is.

With so many offerings these days for women from blogs, to books, classes, courses, coaches and practitioners, you would think that women can become s*xually empowered pretty easily, right?

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰?

You can be the true expression of yourself, be confident within yourself and your own body, experience deep s*xual pleasure, move with a magnetic sensual energy and live authentically with a sense of purpose that touches people's lives in powerful ways.

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲

It's time for women to be able to reclaim their s*xuality and freely allow it to permeate their lives in empowering ways instead of it being hidden, vilified or misconstrued.

𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 - it's at the very core of being human. Imagine what the world would look like if each of us 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 in empowering ways?