A little pelvic thrust for a lot of money

Well, I have now seen the future and as I have said many times before, it is not good.

First, it was the bikini wax. Then it was the Brazillian. My friends, the maintenance of your vagina has just become more expensive.

Welcome to the era of the gyno spa. That's right ladies. GYNO-SPA. We're talking a gym for your vagina. And where else would you find one, other than New York City.

After seeing how successful (and profitable) teeth whitening chains had become, Dr. Lauri Romanzi, a gynecologist, decided to invest in pelvic fitness. In a 'spa' set up next to her clinic, she takes her clients through pelvic exercises which she calls the 'dental floss' of feminine fitness.

"At the spa, the signature treatment will be a $150 gynecological exam — in which a client contracts her pelvic muscles around Dr. Romanzi’s fingers — to determine by feel whether muscle tone is weak, moderate or strong."

The exercise consultation is especially being marketed to new mothers who need to tighten up. You can even get cosmetic laser treatments to tighten up the skin of your vulva *gulp*

Scared. I am very, very scared.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/fashion/03SkinOne.html_r=1&ref=style&oref=slogin

Re-educate your pelvic floor? Move to France

Well, the French should be commended for more than just having good wine and a healthy taste for smelly cheeses...they are funding perineal 're-education' for postnatal mums. Perineal re-education? That's right. Classes to strengthen the pelvic floor. For many women, this is a particular poignant reminder of childbirth as weakened pelvic floor muscles can lead to leaking from a stretched birth canal. American doctors tell women to do Kegel exercises; the French fund 10 sessions with a specialist. According to the New York Times:

"France spent $3,464 per person on health care in 2004, compared with $6,096 in the United States, according to the World Health Organization. Yet Frenchmen live on average two years longer than American men do, and Frenchwomen live four years longer. The infant mortality rate in France is 43 percent lower than in the United States."

What a fantastic idea! I have heard countless stories from women in my study who have experienced embarassing instances of leaking. Moreover, this is one of the reasons many women want to have elective caesars; the fear of perineal trauma. Surely, this would be a great way to look after women post-natally and take care of one of the niggling issues of birth that is rarely talked about.

I think writer Pamela Druckerman sums it up the best:
"This American has certainly been converted. Do I want the government in my crotch? Of course I do. "

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/13/opinion/13druckerman.html?_r=1&ei=5070&oref=slogin