Under pressure

A revolutionary sensory therapy is bringing clients a deep sense of wellbeing and inner peace.

Words Monique Balvert-O’Connor

Desiree De Spong loves how her working life is strongly focussed on offering people the chance to be wrapped up and supported, to feel warm, relaxed, calm and even healed.

All that is possible thanks to Desiree’s knowledge of the body’s lymphatic system and her associated desire to help facilitate life-changing results for a variety of people. 

The Tauranga woman is a lymphatic specialist and developer and designer of Flowpresso®. Flowpresso, Desiree explains, is a sensory therapy system designed to reset the body’s physiology to support healing and general health.

The system is a result of Desiree’s desire to combine holistic therapy with scientific rigour, driven by a conviction that lymphatic therapy offers “a missing link in health”.

Essentially, Desiree tells, Flowpresso the product is a special bodysuit – one that comprises individual chambers that inflate in sequence and cover the legs, abdomen, arms and torso. It is non-invasive natural therapy, with reclining clients remaining clothed while enjoying a sensory treatment based on compression, thermodynamic heat and deep pressure (“pressure of a good kind”). Hence the feeling of being wrapped up, hugged and calmed.

Among those endorsing the suit is our constabulary. A research study, which involved 135 first responder candidates, showed the suit improved sleep by 92 percent, reduced stress by 63 percent and reduced anxiety by 55 percent. The WBOP Police became early adopters – that was two years ago – and remain users. Following their lead were other first responders, such as nurses and firefighters – people dealing with community stress and then their own. Referrals also come from counsellors, psychologists and others within the health field. 

So, what’s the magic behind this suit? Flowpresso’s purpose is to release toxins, switch off the body’s fight-or-flight mechanisms, and encourage a rest and repair state, which is the optimum state required for a body’s healing process. Time in the suit once per week for three weeks is recommended. 

For Desiree, Flowpresso is the realisation of her dream to create an evidence-based therapy that helps with mental health and sleep crisis.

It’s a field that’s a far cry from what she did in her “past life”: She worked in IT and finance for the NZ Fire Service.  

“I made the change as I wanted to be involved in something that helped people. I became spellbound when I attended workshops in lymphatics. It was like a lightning bolt moment, as I saw lymphatics as the missing
link in health,” says Desiree, who went on to train in the USA and Australia. 

She’s been a lymphatic specialist for two decades now, constantly building upon what she can offer. Flowpresso is a relatively new development, resulting from extensive worldwide study of existing technologies and their efficacy. This keen entrepreneur soon realised she would need to design an effective device and develop an initial prototype. 

The first Flowpresso suit was manufactured only four years ago. Updates and refinements followed and the full Flowpresso system was launched in February 2020 with support from NZ Trade and Enterprise.

Close to 500,000 sessions per year are going on in the world now, Desiree tells. Exports are predominantly to the USA, Australia and the outskirts of Europe. In the USA alone, the suits are used in about 240 clinics and donned by those in law enforcement there too. Desiree has been hosted on a couple of occasions at the NZ Embassy in the USA to speak to those involved in defence, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting. 

Back home, Desiree and fellow wellbeing advocate Karen Gemmell, own Neuro Bar (with Tauranga, Te Puna and Matamata clinics) where Flowpresso therapy is available. Other clinics have purchased the suits, so Flowpresso is available in various locations nationwide.

Creating something pivotal in facilitating people to experience positive change in their lives is the best thing ever, Desiree says. "It's heart-touching and I’m elated. Users talk about how relaxed they feel after a session – some hadn’t necessarily realised how stressed they were. People say they’ve noticed improved sleep quality and energy, and a decreased stress response. Many feel they’ve been hugged all over.”

“Among other things, hugs release the feel-good hormone, but a lot of people don’t have access to hugs. And as the saying goes, we need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and 12 for growth,” Desiree smiles. 

theneurobar.com
flowpresso.co.nz

Refresh and revive

Whether you’re new to fasting, wanting to target a specific health concern or just in need of a complete health reset, Resolution Retreats’ guided fasting course is the perfect way to get your health on track.

One of the healthy dishes on offer at Resolution Retreats.

Awarded New Zealand's Best Wellness Retreat, Resolution Retreats are experts in delivering award-winning health and wellness programs.  With over 10 years in the game, and having taken care of hundreds of guests, they understand the fundamentals to achieving long-lasting health and wellness, from both a pragmatic and holistic viewpoint.  On top of their core offering, which includes 3, 4, 7, 10, 14 and 21-day programs, has been the introduction of new retreats such as their seven-day guided fasting retreat. The guided fasting retreat is facilitated by their passionate team and functional nutritionist Vinka Wong from their purpose-built health resort at Lake Karapiro.  This retreat is the ultimate refresh and for the very first time is for men and women.  

UNO sat down with founder Joelene Ranby and functional nutritionist Vinka Wong to find out more. 

UNO: What inspired this new program offering and who would your seven-day mimicking fasting retreat be great for and why?

Joelene: The inspiration behind our 7-day fasting retreat program stems from our dedication to providing comprehensive health and wellness experiences for our guests. We observed a growing interest in fasting as a means to improve overall well-being, both physically and mentally. Recognizing the ancient practice's potential benefits, we wanted to create a structured and supportive environment where individuals could embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and healing.

The seven-day mimicking fasting retreat is ideal for those who are looking to kickstart their health journey, achieve greater energy, weight loss goals, or experience the benefits of fasting in a supported and controlled environment. The program combines the principles of fasting with carefully curated nutrition, mindful practices, and expert guidance.We decided to extend this offering to both men and women as it's going to be so beneficial to men as well. We wanted the health benefits of this program to be accessible for individuals, couples, friends, as well as to provide another level of wellness for our returning guests. 

Functional nutritionist Vinka leading one of the talks at the retreat.

UNO: This is a mimicking fasting style retreat, can you explain what this means and what guests can expect from a nutritional point of view while on retreat in terms of meals and how the benefits?

Vinka: Unlike traditional fasting, the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) allows you to reap the numerous benefits of fasting while still enjoying carefully designed meals. At the core of the Fasting Mimicking Diet lies the art of crafting meals that optimise specific macronutrients. By carefully selecting nutrient-dense ingredients, our bodies enter a state of "fasting with food." During the fasting mimicking phases, these meals are designed to maintain a low caloric intake while supplying a precise balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats. The intentional macronutrient ratios not only support sustainable weight management but also encourage cellular repair, autophagy, and metabolic rejuvenation. 

UNO:  What does a day in the life of a guest look like on this retreat?  

Joelene: We take things a little slower on this retreat program, as the body is going through a process of overall detoxification. Mornings we meet at the Yoga Chalet for a gentle movement class to welcome the new day, before guests attend one of our award-winning wellness workshops. The afternoon is when we have ‘bliss time’, where guests are encouraged to rest, make use of the extensive on-site facilities, unwind in our spa, or enjoy breathwork, Yoga and meditation on offer. If you and your body need additional support, you have the ability to customise your retreat experience to your individual needs with a wide range of additional health and wellness services available via our Wellness Menu, such as hot/cold therapy, vitamin infusions, mindset coaching, naturopathic consultations, equine therapy and many others to promote relaxation, balance, and a sense of well-being.

UNO: Guests will undertake blood work prior to the retreat, why is this aspect of this programme so important? and what are some of the benefits guests can gain from having blood work interpreted?

Vinka: As part of the fasting retreat, all guests will do a comprehensive blood test that will be analysed by a Functional Nutritionist, Vinka Wong. Unlike conventional blood tests which typically focus on identifying disease after they already manifested, these functional blood tests aim to identify subtle imbalances even before symptoms arise. By analysing a broader range of markers including those related to nutritional deficiencies, hormone levels, gut health, and inflammation, functional blood testing provides a comprehensive picture of your health status. And with this knowledge Vinka can offer you personalised and targeted interventions to enable you to make informed lifestyle changes and implement preventative measures to mitigate potential health risks. Understanding what your individual body needs is a powerful tool for living your best life!

The dining room at their Lake Karapiro site, near Cambridge.

UNO: Is there anything that those completely new to fasting and wanting to experience this retreat and its many benefits can do to help prepare themselves prior to the retreat?

Joelene: This is a great opportunity for those who are new to fasting to be introduced under the care of an expert team. As with all our retreat and health programs, we suggest reducing your intake of alcohol, sugar and caffeine the week before you come. This allows you to enjoy the benefits such as enhanced mental clarity, boosted energy levels, and overall detoxification, earlier in the program. Participants often report feeling rejuvenated, experiencing improved focus, and gaining a sense of renewal throughout the entire body.

To find out more, or to book head to: https://resolutionretreats.co.nz/bookings/808/health-overhaul-men-women-mixed-seven-day-guided-fasting-retreat-with-vinka/

Entrepreneur and disability advocate Charmeyne Te-Nana Williams

Entrepreneur and disability advocate Charmeyne employs over 200 people to support people with disabilities, like her husband, Peter who suffered a brain injury in a boxing match. Whatever It Takes is a fitting name for her business, and the way Charmeyne approaches life. She lives between Mt Maunganui and Auckland.

PHOTOS Garth Badger WORDS Jenny Rudd

At a recent event for our speaker series, This Is How I Did It, Charmeyne told us the incredible story of how her husband Peter Williams’ brain injury and resulting tetraplegia has shaped her life. 

Charmeyne and Peter had baby twin girls, who'd just arrived home from a 5-month hospital stay after their premature birth. And four weeks earlier, the couple had buried their son who passed away after being born at 26 weeks. Charmeyne was at home with their daughters in Auckland, on maternity leave for a job she loved at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in the Māori enterprise team. Peter was down in Timaru at a boxing match, on his path to his plan to qualify for the Olympics. He'd previously won the world title for waka ama (canoe racing) in Tahiti. He was strong, athletic, and world class at the disciplines he put his mind to. He called Charmeyne and announced "I won, so I'm now the New Zealand Super Heavyweight Champion. I just need to go and do a drug test, then I'll call you back."

But he didn't call back. One of his teammates did. Charmeyne said it wasn't what he said that was worrying, it was what he couldn't say. He could barely get the words out. Peter had suffered a traumatic brain injury which left him a tetraplegic.

Her story was so inspiring, we knew we couldn’t leave it in the room. 

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I remember the day Peter went down to Timaru like it was yesterday. It was labour weekend in 2002. That morning, we'd talked about what we had dreamt the night before. We often did that. He said "I dreamt that my spirit had left my body and it was flying across Samoa.”

After I'd spoken to Peter when he won, I remember being so excited. I thought he hadn't rung back because he was out celebrating. Then his teammate called me and said "You need to get down here." At that point I had no idea what that meant. I didn’t know what I was walking into. 

I’ve been so lucky and blessed, because my family has been amazing. My sister was staying with us at the time and she looked after our babies. I jumped on a plane and went down to Timaru. 

Since that day, my life has really been in stages. Stage one was going down to Timaru. 

STAGE ONE

The Rude Awakening

Some of the questions that came to mind at this time were: What the hell is a traumatic brain injury? I had no idea. I had never worried about Peter because he was so strong.

What the hell is this health system? I had no idea what I was walking into. I went into the hospital, he was in ICU and I just didn’t know what to expect. We weren’t allowed to stay there, so that was really daunting for me. 

If it wasn’t enough that we were trying to deal with what was going on with Peter, it was all over the news. My brother rang me up and said, “Have you seen the newspaper?” On a front page was an article that said Peter was actually a Black Power member and had sustained his brain injury through an initiation. So he’s trying to fight for his life and here’s this article on the front page. Where did that even come from?

I rang a friend of mine whose husband was an All Black who’d had some bad publicity, and he put me onto his lawyer who represented us for nothing. We went to court to get them to retract what they'd printed.

By this time, I had to send my girls off, at eight months old, to live with their grandparents in Wellington so that I could work out how to help Peter. Thank god for my whānau, because if it wasn’t for them, I’d never have been able to get through these early stages.

STAGE TWO

The BS

I thought the system would focus on what's best for Peter, me and our whānau. But it didn't feel like that at all. You'd think you’d go from stage to stage – from hospital, to rehab, to home but, actually, it's not that way. Every time I went to another stage of what I thought was our recovery, it was just the same shit on a different day. All I knew was that I loved this man and wanted to keep my family together – that was my priority.

It wasn't just the medical system either, it was our society. Arriving in Auckland, a friend asked me if I was going to stay with Peter as a partner. I was shocked. They asked if I really knew what I was getting myself in for.

We left Timaru after a month and moved into ICU in Auckland for a month, then Peter moved to a rehab facility in West Auckland just before Christmas 2002. I thought that was going to be awesome, but it was really bad. The staff weren’t used to family members sticking around, but I was there every day. I became known as ‘the bitch’ – true story. In my mind I couldn’t understand why, because I was just trying to figure out how I could make sure that Peter was well looked after. What I started to realise was that everyone was doing what they thought was best, as opposed to what was best for me and my family. 

Trying to find financial support to keep my family going was really difficult. When my maternity leave was over and I had to go back to work, I thought I’d go to Work & Income to get help with child support but was told I wasn't eligible because I was earning too much. I’m on $50k and I’ve got an adult who has a serious disability and two children. How is that a high income?

Then I was offered redundancy, which I took, because it meant I could go on benefit. I fought with my pride. I had never been on a benefit. But I knew that if I didn't, it was really going to affect my family's well being and my ability to care for them. I was exhausted and I needed to, so I did. And rather than pay me the extra $100 a week on top of my wages I could have been earning, they paid me about $70,000 a year to be on benefit and to support my kids. That seemed dumb! 

You expect and trust that the experts are giving you the right advice, but I learned that that’s not the case. I found out some time later that Peter had been eligible for child support the whole time. We had to go to court to recoup it. What a waste of time and money for everyone involved.

STAGE THREE

Kete of knowledge

Finally, the penny dropped. When you’re in a rehab facility, you have a multidisciplinary team. You go to these whānau meetings and sometimes you might be the only member of the whānau with 12 clinicians around the table, who are all telling you what you should do. I was in one of these meetings and everyone was talking about how aggressive I was. I could feel myself shrinking into a corner in the chair, just fading away. My cousin was sitting next to me and she said, “You know, what some people would describe as aggressive, others would describe as proactive”. That was a turning point for me. I thought, that's right. I’m being proactive. I’m not being aggressive, I’m just fighting for what I know is right.

From then on, I started to listen, observe and figure out the things that Peter would respond well to in terms of his rehab. I thought about how I could take all these little bits of advice and information and fill up my kete of knowledge to move forward for Peter.

As well as learning from the model he was under, I looked around the world for different care models that fit what I believed he needed.

My aunty, who’s Māori and a social worker, said, “Have a look at this and tell me what you think.” It was a Māori model of care called Te Aho Takitoru which had been developed by her team as a social work kaupapa. What really jumped out to me was that the mana of the person being cared for was at the core. Reading it solidified in my mind what I have been trying to do since Peter's accident - I was fighting for the mana of this man. I just wanted him to be recognised as the man of the family, as a dad and as a partner. That’s all I was asking – nothing more and nothing less.

STAGE FOUR

Home is where the heart is

I thought going home was going to be easy – but it wasn’t. Having been in hospital and rehab for nearly three years, we’d applied to ACC to fund the modifications we needed for Peter to live at home. It was just before Christmas and I got a reply from ACC saying they’d declined our application. The application had taken forever, and they'd said no. I felt it was because they were solely looking at the injury and how to manage that injury. It was being done adequately, they felt, in the rehab centre. I could see though that there was so much more to the picture surrounding Peter's injury. What about his well-being, his wairua (spirit) and the mental health of my family as a result of the care decisions?

When ACC turned down our application, I thought if I don’t do something now, my family is just not going to survive this. 

My brother-in-law worked for 60 Minutes and asked if they could do a story on us. I had turned down offers like this in the past, but I was desperate. So I said ok on the condition that Peter's integrity was maintained, and that the focus should be on getting Peter home.

At one stage during the research, I could see there was some focus on the fictitious Black Power connection. So I went marching up to the Black Power pad in Mt Wellington, knocked on the door and asked their leader to speak on 60 Minutes and set the record straight that Peter was not connected to them.

In the end, the show only talked about ACC for about a minute and how our application had been declined. It took three years for them to decline it, and honestly about two days to approve it.

Finally, we were going home. I got so excited. But we then headed into a new world. The world of agencies. In 18 months, we had around a hundred people come through my house. My girls were verbally abused, and Peter was physically and sexually abused. We went through another grueling court process to bring the sexual abuser to justice, but she got off on a technicality. That whole process was so traumatising for me. It was like I was the criminal. This woman wasn’t held accountable in any way, shape or form, and neither was the agency. That was it. No more. I had to take all my learnings and bring them together to provide a new model.

We weren't the only family going through this either. I knew there were others looking for the same as us, so I put together a business proposal to set up a programme bringing together everything I learnt from Te Aho Takitoru, my research and experience in hospital, at the rehab facility, and the agencies.

Ten years after Peter's accident, I set up What Ever It Takes, a home-based rehabilitation service.

STAGE FIVE

Doing Whatever It Takes

Our vision for our company was to set the standard internationally for how we care for families, regardless of their situation. 

The biggest difference between a mainstream clinical approach and the Māori model we use, is we take into consideration all aspects of what’s going on in the whānau’s lives. A mainstream model looks at what's best for that injury in isolation. But that’s not reality for our families. We don't focus just on physical things like the brain or the spine. This person lives at home with a whole family, so we consider that whole picture. What help do they need to access their entitlements? What is the best wrap-around care that this particular family needs? How does the family operate? What are their dynamics? What are their values? What do they need to support them to live how they want to live?

We work mainly with Māori and Pacific Island whānau. They’re already compromised and they’re further compromised with this disability. I’m a supporter of whānau looking after whānau. I think if you want your whānau member to look after you, then let them look after you. There have been lots of debates about whether whānau members take advantage of the situation, but that’s really not my experience.

Our business model has allowed us to really flourish through the lockdown periods. We’re essential services, but we have a single team for each whānau we look after, so during lockdown we went right back to our aspirational goals and how we were going to do that within the confines of our four walls.

Each time my company gets audited, we receive continuous improvement on continuous improvement. That’s not just great, that’s exceptional in our sector. My goal is to create pathways for the future. I want us to be able to really pave the way for other organisations to come in and support families. 

STAGE SIX

A deep breath

When my girls were at intermediate school, I realised that I had become so absorbed with what was going on for Peter that I was being counterproductive. That's when I started to think about my happiness. All they’d known their whole life was this environment of conflict where I'd been fighting for Peter. It was incredibly hard, but I moved out. It was the right thing for Peter to be able to work with his team from then on, and for our girls, and me.

My journey continues. It's been 18 years and time moves on. My father and my grandmother have passed away. My twins are leaving school. 

I never thought that I’d meet somebody or fall in love, but I have. I’ve had feelings of guilt, but Peter and I were only young when this happened; he was 27. I’ve always committed to being married to Peter. But I got to a point where I thought, I don’t want to die wondering if there could have been more.

When we first met, Rob said to me, “I need to tell you something, I’m having a baby,” and I went, “Oh well, I’m married. I’ll have your baby if you have my husband.” And he goes, “Sweet.” So that’s been the basis of our family. We have five kids now with our big, beautiful, blended whānau. We have all this extended whānau on Rob’s side, and we have Peter and our extended whānau on my side, including Peter’s two sons Puna ma Faleasi and Siagogo. 

It's unconventional, but it works because we make it work. I feel that’s probably my biggest learning: you just have to make things work.

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No reira ngā mihi nui, ki a koutou. Mo te whakarongo mai ki ahau. Thank you for listening to me. Go home and tell the people that you love how much you love them. I’ve learnt how to care for my family and it's the pathway that I intend to to follow forever more.

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What Ever It Takes

There's such determination in the name of Charmeyne Te Nana-Williams's business. And love, when you consider who the beneficiaries are of this determination. What Ever It Takes employs over 200 people across the North Island to deliver a programme of home-based care for people with severe and complex disabilities. What makes it different is the whanāu-centred approach. The family is involved in all aspects of the care, because Whatever It Takes looks at the needs of the whole family, rather than keeping the spotlight on just the injury.

This programme has been developed by Charmeyne and her team to give control, mana and quality of life to those suffering from and affected by major brain traumas and other life-changing disabilities. Their struggle to be allowed to take Peter home to care for him showed Charmeyne that there was a need for a different model of care.

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Gimme some skin: UNO’s autumn hair and beauty favourites

Skin essentials

The Dynamic Detox Duo is the latest addition to the Osmosis Wellness collection. Two high-potency supplements designed to improve your internal health, they’ll help you achieve the best skin of your life - from the inside out.

Regenerate

Regenerate addresses your body’s internal filtration system - your liver. It accelerates liver repair and maintains optimal liver health with the perfect balance of bioavailable collagen, amino acids, fat-soluble vitamins and alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG).

Recovery

Recovery is a complete prebiotic blend of essential fatty acids including omega-7. Regular use supports whole-body health at a cellular level, restoring gut health, recovering the loss of facial fat-pad volume and providing additional liver support.

All the better

Just when we thought Osmosis Skincare’s best-selling, award-winning serum, Rescue, couldn’t get any better, they’ve added breakthrough ingredients to amplify its legendary repair capabilities.

Throw compromised skin a lifeline with this uniquely powerful serum proven to neutralize toxins, calm inflammation and activate epidermal wound and DNA repair to dramatically improve skin texture and age spots. Now it also improves radiance and protects skin from environmental stressors and blue light damage.

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Eye on the needle

Take a closer look at the latest treatment from Mt Maunganui’s Lucy Shalfoon-Roberts, aka The Skin Girl.

UNO: What do we need to know about NanoFusion?

LUCY: It’s a unique skin treatment that delivers amazing results, and unlike traditional needling, there’s no downtime. It creates nano-scale channels in the skin, improving the penetration and absorption rate of active ingredients. Along with massage and vibration, it promotes skin healing and collagen production to help you look rejuvenated and refreshed.

Who’s it suited to?

It’s great for all skin types, and can help with specific concerns such as pigmentation and acne.

Why is now a good time to do it?

This is a great autumn treatment because you don’t need to worry too much about preparing the skin ahead of time or avoiding the sun pre and post-treatment. Just swipe over a good-quality BB or mineral make-up afterwards and you’re away.

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Get your bounce back

UNO chatted with Sam Crapp of Shine Hair Co. about how we rehab our hair post-summer.

UNO: Why is my hair so dry after summer?

Sam: Our hair has a protective coating called the hydrolipidic layer and the summer months - with all the sun, salt water and chlorine can cause this coating to become depleted. This results in extreme colour fade, and dull, lifeless locks. Your hair will be crying out for moisture!

What can we do about it?

Wella’s new ColourMotion range with Wellaplex goes beyond anti-fading - with regular use it actually improves hair quality in three areas that are specifically important for coloured hair; colour protection, shine and hydration.

Immerse yourself in relaxation at Zen Float Spa

Words Nicky Adams Photos Salina Galvan

The first time I tried “medicinal” floating was in Israel in the Dead Sea. It wasn’t a hit, as I had open blisters on my feet – which, it turns out, do not mix well with concentrated salt water (ouch!). My second experience took place in a floatation pool, where I realised that effortless (and painless) floating could well be the key to ultimate relaxation.

So when I discovered Tauranga’s Zen Float Spa, I knew I had to get in on the local action. 

It’s the go-to for our local elite athletes, from Sarah Hirini and the Black Ferns Sevens team to All Blacks Sam Cane and Brad Weber. Professional sports players are familiar with the benefits of floating for muscle recovery and are aware that magnesium in this quantity (500kg per spa) is incredibly good for easing aches and pains; they are also tuned into the wellness and mindfulness aspects of floating. 

Zen Float Spa has been open for three-and-a-half years and is run by owner/operators Reece and Nicole Fleming, based at their home in the Mount. A family business, Reece runs the back office, with Nicole the warm and welcoming face of the business. Clients cover the spectrum of chemotherapy patients looking for pain relief, people needing to destress, and those simply seeking an hour of pure relaxation.

I like to be prepared, so packed everything from towel to toiletries. However, at Zen, everything is provided, right down to ear plugs – in fact, all I needed, Nicole told me, was an open mind. This extends to the dress code; I quickly realised that wearing togs, while a preference for some, for me would feel a bit like jumping into the bath while clothed. 

Nicole gave me a thorough rundown of what to expect, explaining how the sensory side of the treatment is vital. The water in the float pod is set to body temperature so you can’t feel where your body starts and ends. The experience is based around sensory deprivation; as you float in healing Epsom salts, gravity-free and in absolute darkness, the weight quite literally drops from you, both physically and mentally. As your body drifts, it absorbs these incredible minerals in the fastest, most efficient way – through your skin’s surface. 

Any concerns over hygiene were allayed, as Nicole explained that after each client, the pod undergoes a 15-minute cleansing and filtration cycle. In addition, every visitor is required to shower before floating. 

Another question I had was whether I should shut the pod – I can tell you now, if anyone was going to get stuck in one, fumbling to get out, it would be me. It turns out that I had nothing to worry about – if I didn’t feel comfortable, I could prop the pod open, but if I wanted to close it, the lid reopens with ease.

Fully briefed, I was left to my treatment. The water was warm (I was worried I might be cold, as I like my showers white-hot), and I placed a foam halo behind my neck for extra support. I opted to close the lid, and lay back to the sound of the low, melodic background music, in darkness so absolute that I couldn’t tell if my eyes were open or closed. 

Sure enough, I floated with ease – initially I didn’t know what to do with my arms, as they felt heavy by my side, so I lifted them above my head like a starfish. Once I found my happy place, I simply drifted – conscious, as the music faded away, that the only sounds were my own breathing and heartbeat. 

It is no exaggeration to say that this is, indeed, the epitome of “unplugged”. I felt relaxed but, at the same time, totally in control. 

When my float experience ended, I easily found my way out of the pod and, to my surprise, my skin felt silky. 

Floating really is an individual experience, and one that I feel everyone will take something unique from. I took bliss – oh, and two pots of calming Magnesium Balm from the Zen Float Spa product range.

zenfloatspa.co.nz

Born ready

Mother, midwife and Instagram influencer Carmen Lett talks to UNO about her new venture, Hatched Online.

WORDS JENNY RUDD / PHOTOS RACHEL DOBBS

When you’re heavily pregnant with your first child, you want: 1) a baby handbook, and 2) to lie on the sofa. Knowing this, Carmen Lett, a midwife and the mother of four young children, has founded Hatched Online antenatal and parenting classes.

“As a midwife on the postnatal ward at Tauranga Hospital, I noticed a lot of parents coming through who didn’t know much about what happened straight after birth. I’d often find myself on the ward showing people how to change nappies or swaddle a baby to help them sleep, or teaching them what a newborn’s feeding pattern might be like or that babies are often wakeful on night two of their life. I realised that lots of these fundamentals weren’t being taught in antenatal classes.”

There’s nothing quite as shocking as realising you’re responsible for another person’s life. You’re sent on your merry way from the hospital with a tiny baby and not so much as a “Do you know what you’re doing with that?”; you’ve probably experienced more stringent checks when taking out a DVD at Blockbuster. After going through the most physically and emotionally intense time many of us will ever experience, you’re promoted with immediate effect to being in sole charge of someone who’s completely helpless, unable to feed themselves and can barely communicate their needs.

“Because first-time mums tend to do lots of research and antenatal classes cover it really well, people were really clued up about the birth process, but there was a real knowledge gap in terms of what to do after you’ve had the baby,” says Carmen. She knew that empowering mums and dads with this information would remove much of the fear.

“I’ve been running Hatched On Location antenatal classes in Tauranga for the past few years, and they’re always full,” says Carmen. “Expectant parents are keen to learn everything they can about birth and the early days of parenting, but there were lots of couples who missed out because their partner worked shifts, they lived rurally, or the pregnant mum was on bedrest.” Once she realised so many people weren’t getting this vital information, she set about launching Hatched Online, with her husband, Aidan, a tech start-up whizz, handily in the mix.

Hatched Online’s antenatal classes – which also include that invaluable postnatal education – are delivered in the form of 13 videos, each about half an hour long. They’re the same as Carmen’s Hatched On Location classes, with a few bonus extras. Whether you snuggle down and watch one every evening, or binge watch the whole lot over a couple of days, once you subscribe, you can view them as often as you like for six months (and given baby brain is a real thing, it’s safe to say most parents-to-be would be happy to take advantage of being able to watch certain modules more than once).

“The friends you make are an important part of antenatal classes, so for my online parents, I’ve set up a Facebook page that everyone gets access to, and I do live Q&A sessions so you can ask as many questions as you like,” says Carmen. “The great things about Facebook is that all those questions and answers stay right there, so you can go back and read them all.

“I often hear that parents feel pressured to do things in a particular way. So it was also important to me to offer information on all the options,” she continues. “For instance, if you want a home birth, or an elective cesarean, I provide all the information, then you can make your choice one way or the other. We focus on healthy babies – without guilt.”

Carmen’s Hatched On Location classes are nearly always full, and not just because she serves snacks and hot drinks, and gives out goodie bags filled with baby products. If you had to pick anyone to teach you about babies, you’d pick her. She’s been a midwife for 10 years (“I’ve known I wanted to be a midwife since I was 15 years old”), and as a mother of four – Rosie (5), twins Asher and Jude (4), and Taj (2) – has some pretty colourful birth stories of her own. “I’ve had a C-section, vaginal births after a C-section, ventouse, epidurals, the lot,” she says.

Carmen also runs popular mummy blog The Lett Tribe, and thousands follow her Instagram account @carmenlett, where she makes it clear she loves her job. “Gimme all the babies!” she says.

FIND more information about Carmen’s Hatched Online and Hatched On Location classes at: HATCHEDANTENATAL.CO.NZ

Davinci Clinic: the cooler way to shift stubborn weight

WORDS Pip Crombie PHOTO Logan Weaver

We all have stubborn areas of fat which we just can’t shift, even with regular, intensive exercise and a good diet.

While surgical procedures like liposuction and abdominoplasty are popular for removing excess areas of fat and tightening loose skin, they do require a general anaesthetic and significant recovery time.

Good news. There are now some non-invasive techniques for helping to get rid of areas of stubborn fat, typically around the waist and tummy, thighs and upper arms and double chin. One of the most popular techniques is CoolSculpting, using a technology called Cryolipolysis®.

Widely acknowledged as being safe and effective, CoolSculpting is the only FDA-cleared procedure to use controlled cooling to safely target and eliminate diet and exercise-resistant fat.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Fat cells freeze at higher temperatures than the surrounding tissues. CoolSculpting technology safely delivers precise cooling to gently and effectively target the fat cells underneath the skin. The treated fat cells are crystallized (frozen), and then die. Over time, your body naturally processes the fat and eliminates these dead cells, leaving a more sculpted you. As a body-contouring procedure, it offers an effective solution to shifting stubborn bulges, has no down-time, requires no anaesthetic, no needles, is suitable for most people, friendly to your budget and perhaps most enticing of all, is performed with only minimal discomfort. 

SAFETY FIRST!
Make sure you go to a specialist nurse who is trained to develop a customised treatment plan for your areas of concern, advise on the suitability of CoolSculpting and work within your budget.

There are lesser versions of the CoolSculpting technology available on the market. If you are investigating options, you will see that only CoolSculpting is permitted to use the term Cryolypolisis®. Be wary of imitations and counterfeits and devices which lack the safety mechanisms of CoolSculpting. The extensive training necessary for CoolSculpting ensures that our nurses are very skilled in recommending which areas will respond to treatment and how many treatments are required. This provides consistency in results and optimal outcomes for you, the patient. Two or more treatments are usually scheduled and results are not immediate, but generally become evident over weeks as the fat cells die and are eliminated. So it’s not immediately obvious that you have had any ‘work done.’ Both men and women are loving the results of CoolSculpting at the Da Vinci Clinic. Take a moment to enquire to find out if it’s the answer you’ve been looking for to combat those unwanted bulges. 

davinciclinic.co.nz 

Midwife Anne Sharplin: 2,000 babies and counting

WORDS Jenny Rudd PHOTOS Brydie Thompson

The New Zealand College of Midwives recommends a caseload of about 40 babies per year. Most midwives retire having delivered hundreds of babies. Anne Sharplin has attended the births of more than 2000 babies and is still going. That’s about 50 babies every year of her 35 year career.

Anne has slept knowing a phone call may wake her at any minute and she’ll walk into a highly-charged and unpredictable situation for most nights of her adult life. And has lost up to a whole night of sleep about every five days, depending on when the babies decide to come into the world. Then there are the ante and postnatal visits required for other pregnant mums on Anne’s books, which must be conducted during the day over the rest of the week.

This sounds like a demanding job even with no other commitments, but Anne, incredibly, was a solo mother of two little boys from the get-go. And there weren’t the child-care options in the eighties that we have today. The pressure must have been incredible. But reading her youngest son Adam’s account of his childhood, as well as many of Anne’s birth stories, the same description comes up time and again; of a calm, powerful, kind, and assured woman.

Indeed it has been a battle, during the writing of this article, to keep Anne on the topic of herself. She doesn’t see herself as exceptional, and insists we talk more about midwives and the choices of maternity care at home she believes all women should have. She talks of herself in very humble terms and took some persuading to feature in the magazine.

WHAT DOES A MIDWIFE DO?

Anne’s description of her own job could not be more understated. “You have to be quite present - you need to react to lots of things that are happening at the same time, although it often appears you are doing nothing at all.”

According to the dictionary, a midwife is a person qualified to aid the delivery of babies and look after women before, during and after childbirth.

Anyone who has either had a baby, or seen a baby being born, will realise that this official description lacks the wild and intense emotion which can accompany pregnancy and childbirth.

A midwife assesses and manages risk with the highest possible stakes, on a second-to-second basis, over an undeterminable period of time. The ideal working conditions would be total quiet, to assist the concentration required to manage all the unpredictable goings-on. However it’s more likely to involve bestial screaming, sobbing men, and a lot of strange fluid. 

The midwife may be called upon at any time of day, and so must always be prepared. She may be called to work at 2 am in torrential rain, or on Christmas Day in the middle of present opening. No matter - the midwife must drop everything, and go to work.

It makes some other jobs look a little frivolous, doesn’t it?

“Being on-call is a way of living which takes surrender.

You can plan a big family Christmas, only to be called away at 6 am.”

BIRTHING CHOICES

“Midwifery facilitates a process of wellness. That’s what motivated my choice of study. After qualifying in Oldham, Manchester in 1981, I returned home to Auckland and started to attend homebirths with Veronika Muller, Joan Donley, Carolyn Young and others.

“The choices women have now are vastly different to when I starting practising. I had my first son, Joseph, in Auckland in 1983. My midwife was Joan Donley. At the time, a doctor had to be present at all births. There were few midwives and doctors who offered a domiciliary (home) birth service and the pay was poor, and inferior to that of midwives practising in hospital.

“In 1986, I was living in Thames with my son Joseph and his father. Three women from the Bay of Plenty asked me to attend their births as at the time, the only domiciliary (homebirth) midwife had stopped practising because of the low pay and lack of support.

“I came down with my son and stayed at my brother-in-law’s house with my nephews Alex and James, and my niece Annah who is now a midwife herself. Between the three women, they lent me a blue Morris Minor and I took my little boy with me to attend each of their births.

“We moved to Tauranga the following year. It was such a busy time; my sister had died, her children were here and I wanted to be close to them. I was pregnant with Adam, had a toddler, and attended eleven home births that year, right up to being eight months pregnant myself. I was frequently exhausted and we had very little money.”

REFORM

The Nurses’ Amendment Act of 1990, championed and implemented by Helen Clark the then Health Minister, changed everything. Midwives had autonomy, so no longer needed a doctor at the birth. And they were given equality of pay when attending home births. Suddenly it was possible to earn a proper living.

“Being on-call is a way of living which takes surrender. You can plan a big family Christmas, only to be called away at 6 am. My sons made me breakfast in bed one Mother’s Day, which was interrupted by a phone call; I gulped it down, gave them a quick cuddle, threw on some clothes and left. Many have retired by now as it’s demanding to live on-call.”

“I have always cared for six women per month. Care starts early in the pregnancy and continues until six weeks after the baby is born. I have tried to reduce to four women a month, but I often get requests from families for whom I’ve been the midwife for two generations. Because I’ve been around a while, I have attended the births of aunties, cousins, sisters, nieces. However you can’t be present at every single birth; on the days I can’t attend, I rely on my midwifery partner Lyn Allport. We have also had support from many other wonderful midwives.”

Now a grandmother to Shore, Anne enjoys taking him to weekly swimming lessons, and in the future plans to present the vast data she has collected from her 2000 births, along with her observations as part of a university degree. Once completed, this will be an important body of work, full of Anne’s heartfelt intelligence. It’s no wonder the French for midwife, la sage femme, translates as wise woman.

PINARD HORN

“The pinard is an excellent tool; a simple, hollow horn shape which amplifies sound. A type of stethoscope, it’s designed for auscultation: the act of listening to the body’s internal workings - in this case, the baby’s heartbeat inside the mother. Widely used across Europe, it never breaks down, doesn’t need to be plugged in and is totally trustworthy.”

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BIRTH STORIES:

Sarah Wilson

When my younger son Henry was born in 1999, Anne held an ice-cream container between my legs while Henry’s father drove us to Tauranga hospital in Anne’s van. My labour lasted just 20 minutes and Henry wasn’t breathing when he was born. I attribute Henry’s life to Anne’s calmness and directing of the wildly frightening proceedings. He was incubated for the first week of his life; we couldn’t touch him, and I had severe blood poisoning. At the time of Henry’s birth we lived near Anne’s home in Simpson Road in Papamoa. Anne’s son Adam and my daughter Billie became great friends during those years.

Rhonda Collins 

On Christmas Eve, I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and induced in hospital (my date was 31st December). My midwife, Lyn Allport had Christmas Day off, so I called Anne who was my fill-in midwife at 5 am on Christmas Day. Throughout the labour, Anne stayed with me. She was wonderful - so kind and supportive and gracious. At 9.42 pm, my daughter Mackenzie was born with the aid of forceps. Anne and my husband Anthony shared a Christmas dinner kindly provided by the hospital during the day, and drank lots of tea. I caught up with Anne a few weeks later and bought her a beautiful tea cup and saucer to say thank you.

Pauline Scott and daughter Sophie

I met Anne in 1983, before she moved to the Bay of Plenty. In 1990, following a series of health care reforms, New Zealand midwives were recognised as independent practitioners. Anne was at the forefront of this long and challenging battle for midwives’ autonomy. As a childbirth educator, I had a special bond with Anne. This became closer when I discovered I was pregnant at 41 with my third child after an eleven-year gap.

On 25th January 1992, Sophie Ann Joy was born at home. Anne's calming influence was invaluable, especially as Sophie's shoulders got stuck as she was being born, but there was no hint of panic. Anne offered support and encouragement, not telling me what to do, or demanding me to hurry along. Her total calmness and trust in the birth process allowed me do what my body was designed for.

Sophie has been born less than a minute in this picture, and I'm rubbing her back gently to help her take her first breath. Anne's hands are to the left of the photo, in a pose of calmness and reassurance. It is a special moment, surrounded by family and with the person I most trusted in the world: Anne Sharplin, mother, midwife and one marvellous woman.

Danielle Hart-Murray trained to be a midwife with Anne (who also attended two of Danielle’s siblings)

It was Anne who inspired me to become a midwife, and I was lucky enough to complete my final year working alongside her. Anne taught me skills which simply can’t be taught in a classroom. The way she works with women and their whanau is exemplary; no other midwife I have worked with shows the amount of passion and dedication for ensuring the care is truly woman-centred. She goes above and beyond for the women she cares for, but would never say so herself. A role model not just to midwives, but to all women.

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On our Facebook Page, we posted a request for photos of Anne’s babies. Some of the hundreds of comments about Anne:

• Such a beautiful, humble lady.

• Anne you have inspired, cared for, encouraged and supported so many woman with your abundance of skill, knowledge and passion.

• A very special lady with a gift.

• Her patience and strength is inspiring. She empowers women to do what they are made to do without the fear that is unfortunately part of modern pregnancy and birth.

• Anne is amazing, a beautiful, knowledgable and intuitive soul.

• Absolute gold, we had just arrived in New Zealand, and she even gave us a lovely queen-sized bed! Love you Anne x

• A wonderfully calming, reassuring influence.

• We are so lucky to have her! She is the best of the best!!

• I love this lady.

• Anne always came with a quiet confidence that nothing was too difficult to take on and she proved this time and again with all the adversities that came my way. Dealing with my own health issues as well as my babies’ successful outcomes resonates with my children, who are now choosing her, she is simply the BEST !!!

• I met Anne nearly 18 years ago and she came highly recommended by Māori mums because of her respect for Te Ao Māori. We welcomed her into our home and she would go on to help us bring three of our children into this world at home. So when our first moko was announced we knew she would be the one to also help us. We are so grateful for all her care and aroha.

• Such a beautiful being.