The Female Anatomy | V2: The Pelvic Region

A

And Introducing Elvis, the Pelvis!

THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2

• NU OW

THE TH PELVIC P L REGION ON

• NUA FL

W O L • F

F L A OW U N

Foreword Our body works in wonderful ways to keep us going. It does all these sophisticated, complex functions within the span of a second. And all the while, we don’t feel a single thing!

In order to help our bodies to keep working, we have to know how each part functions - why they are there, what they do, and how they should be taken care of.

In our First Volume of The Female Anatomy, we looked deep into parts like mammary glands and the vagina and vulva, showing you the difference between them.

This time, we are taking a closer look at the pelvic girdle.

And someone quite special will join us! This new friend will help you understand the structure of the pelvic region and how it can be kept healthy and happy.

So without any further delay, let’s meet our dear friend and begin our journey!

THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2 | 01

Hello…

I am Elvis, the Pelvis!

I’m absolutely thrilled to see you here and I’m really excited about our journey together.

To tell you a little about myself, I am basically your body's lower abdominal area.

• I protect your digestive and reproductive organs • I take care of your bladder and support your hip joints So, it is on me to make sure that you can stand up straight!

Pretty big job, right?!

Now, let me take you through what makes me…ME! me.. ME! 02 | THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2

I am made of 4 bones: 22 HIP HIP BONES BONES They flap on two sides, like the wings of a butterfly!

COCCYX COCCYX It's the tailbone.

But don't worry! It won't come out like an actual tail!

SACRUM SACRUM The strong back wall of the pelvis!

Looks like a nose, no?

By the way, this thing is called the inlet!

THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2 | 03

Do you see me jumping on that little trampoline?

That elastic-like area?

That is the pelvic floor!

1

It is made of firm and flexible muscles, and it can move up and down

2

It makes perfect space for organs like the bladder and the uterus to rest on

3

It has these holes to make sure that your vagina can breathe and carry on with its work

04 | THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2

THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2 | 05

By the way, did you know the female pelvis is quite unique!

Over the generations, your pelvis began to adapt itself to the process of childbirth. It is larger and wider than the male pelvis. Although the size is larger to accommodate a baby during pregnancy, you should remember that your pelvic size actually tells you about your evolutionary history.

So baby or no baby, your history is written in me! m

Women developed a gynaecoid pelvis Broader, but I am lighter in weight 2

My diameter is wider, more than 80-90 degrees

3

My inlet is oval

06 | THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2

Men developed an android pelvis 1

Heavier than the gynaecoid

2

My diameter is narrower, less than 80-90 degrees

3

My inlet is shaped like a heart

How you evolved, how you move, and how you choose to live your life… all of that made me who I am today!

THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2 | 07

So you see, your pelvis is designed exactly how you need it. It contains some of your most important organs.

Let me introduce you to them!

FALLOPIAN TUBE OVARIES

UTERUS Our best friend!

She makes sure that you get your period.

08 | THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2

Oh, the twins!

They have been taking care of your eggs ever since you were born.

Easily the most balanced one I have ever met.

She connects each ovary to your uterus.

ME!

BLADDER

CERVIX She connects your uterus to the vagina, and makes sure that a sperm can pass through her. Talk about a great messenger, am I right!

You always want to make sure that she is full at just the right amount!

She collects and holds your urine until it is time to release. Don’t anger her, or else she’ll explode (just kidding!).

And I’m here to make sure that your organs are always safe. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it!

THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2 | 09

I spoke to my bestie Dr. Amodita Ahuja. And guess what! She has some amazing tips to help you maintain your pelvic health.

Do Kegels exercises 3 times a day. They are key to strengthening the pelvic floor.

>25

Maintain a balanced Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or less. This will help manage the load on your pelvic floor.

Full body exercises, especially squats, are great to tone your legs and thighs. These muscle groups are important!

Eat lots of fiber, fruits and veggies to stay hydrated and not constipated.

Practice diaphragmatic breathing to relax your pelvic floor.

10 | THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2

Take warm baths. They increase blood flow to the pelvic area and help with issues like chronic pain, vulvodynia and recovery from childbirth.

Check your vitamins. Vitamin D and Calcium are essential for muscle mass and strength.

C D

Practice tai chi. It focuses on pelvic floor awareness, and is really helpful with incontinence and interstitial cystitis.

Practice yoga. Many asanas like child’s pose, butterfly pose, yogic squat and happy baby pose help in relaxation of pelvic floor muscles.

Avoid coffee and alcohol. Eat more turmeric, garlic, ginger, berries and fish.

THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2 | 11

E

We hope you had fun meeting Elvis!

There’s a lot more to learn about our bodies. And for that, the Nua Flow guides are here to walk with you on your wellness journey!

Like Elvis we, too, enjoyed taking you through the entire pelvic region and we cannot wait to share more with you.

If there is anything you would like to tell us, drop a line at tools@nuawoman.com.

Until then, happy reading!

I had so much fun with you! And I know I will see you very soon!

12 | THE FEMALE ANATOMY : VOLUME 2

PUBLISHED BY