Ep206 - Magical Power of Breathing for Female Sexual Health with Nicole Fleischmann, MD

The Shift from Healthcare to Wellness for Women: "Women are really leaving healthcare to go towards more wellness type, you know, specialists, because they're not getting the care, the compassion, the. You know, it's a lot of gaslighting that goes on because many of these problems happen to women after menopause, some of them after childbirth."

In this episode, host Dr. Yishan welcomes Dr. Nicole Fleischmann, a renowned board-certified urogynecologist and urologist, to delve into a topic that’s rarely discussed: the hidden connections between breathing, pelvic floor health, and women’s well-being.

Dr. Fleischmann, author of "The Second Mouth: A Woman's Journey to Decoding a Hidden Language for a New Era in Women's Health," shares her groundbreaking perspective on how the way we breathe—specifically through our diaphragm and belly—can have a profound impact not just on relaxation and sleep, but also on pelvic health, urinary incontinence, and even sexual well-being. Together, Dr. Yishan and Dr. Fleischmann bust long-standing myths about Kegel exercises, posture, and what it really means to have a “strong” pelvic floor.

They also explore why so many women live with undiagnosed pelvic floor issues, the culturally ingrained habits that might actually be harming us, and how simple but intentional breathing techniques can empower women to reconnect with their bodies and improve their quality of life.

If you’re curious about better sleep, nervous system health, and what it really takes to care for your pelvic floor, this episode is packed with valuable insights and practical tips you won’t want to miss. Tune in for an eye-opening conversation that just might change the way you think about your own body.

Here are 3 key takeaways you don’t want to miss:

Breathwork Isn’t Just for Relaxation: Practicing diaphragmatic (belly) breathing can help regulate our nervous system, ease anxiety, and even improve sleep—plus, it plays a critical role in pelvic health.

Rethink Kegel Culture: Most women are taught to “hold” and tighten their pelvic floor, but Dr. Fleischmann reveals that learning to release—not just contract—these muscles (through breathwork!) is essential for long-term wellbeing.

Empowerment through Education: Many pelvic floor issues are linked to lifelong habits established in childhood. Understanding our own body’s signals and retraining those habits can make a powerful impact—sometimes reducing the need for medical or surgical interventions entirely.


“I do think everyone needs to have a little bit of education about what their pelvic floor is, how it works, you know, how it develops. And these things can be taught without seeing anybody.”- Nicole Fleischmann, MD


WHAT WILL WE LEARN

00:00 - Breathing Techniques: Powerful Tools for Sleep and Anxiety
00:01 - New Insights: Breathing’s Role in Women’s Sexual Health
00:03 - Meet Dr. Nicole Fleischmann: Advocate for Holistic Pelvic Health
00:04 - Urogynecology: Specialized Care for Women’s Pelvic Issues
00:06 - Pelvic Floor Problems: Affecting 50% of Women Worldwide
00:07 - The Education Gap: Why Women Don’t Know Their Own Anatomy
00:09 - Misconceptions: Harmful Postural Habits Passed Down Generations
00:11 - Toilet Training Revisited: Holding and Pushing Behaviors Start Young
00:12 - Why Pushing to Pee Is Harmful: The Risks of Lifelong Habits
00:13 - Functional Release: The Missing Milestone in Growing Up
00:15 - Interoception: The Key to Understanding Your Inner Body States
00:16 - Second Stage Toilet Training: Letting the Bladder Do Its Job
00:18 - Breaking the Habit Loop: Re-Toilet Training at Any Age
00:19 - Breath and Posture: The Real Language of Body Awareness
00:20 - Mixed Signals: Why Sympathetic Clenching Blocks Parasympathetic Release
00:22 - The Kegel Culture Questioned: Why Tightening Isn’t Always Better
00:23 - True Release: Why Proper Breathing Must Be Paired with Pelvic Floor Relaxation
00:24 - The Sniff Pathway: A Simple Breath That Opens the Pelvic Floor
00:29 - Everyday Sniffing: Why Diaphragm Breathing Should Be Constant
00:34 - Breathwork for Blood Flow: Pelvic Health Beyond Just Incontinence
00:43 - Top Misconceptions: Weakness Myths, Butt Clenching, and Core Compression Revealed



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Yishan Xu, PhD, DBSMsleep, sleep disorder, sleep better, sleep apneaComment