Endometriosis Awareness Month | Meet Charlotte
From Pain to Empowerment: Charlotte’s Journey with Endometriosis
Charlotte Machin French is a very special member of our She Moves community - . Charlotte bravely shares her journey with endometriosis, from years of misdiagnosis to learning how to manage her symptoms through movement, nutrition, and self-care. Her story is a powerful reminder that endo is real, painful, and often dismissed. Through self-advocacy, movement, nutrition, and the right support, she’s learned to work with her body, not against it.
Could you share a bit about your journey with endometriosis—how it started and what your experience has been like?
I feel like I must have had endo from my very first period. I was 13, and it was Christmas Day. I remember nearly fainting from the pain, and on Boxing Day, I was lying in bed with my Nan, getting up to vomit in her ensuite while she comforted me. My periods didn’t feel extreme or super heavy, but they always came with pain.
I went on the pill at 17, and maybe that dulled it a little, but it wasn’t long before I was dealing with breakthrough bleeding and pretty constant pain. At University, the worst part was severe and unpredictable IBS. It baffles me now that I was going to the GP about both bleeding and pain as well as IBS symptoms, and they never connected the dots. They just kept switching my birth control.
It wasn’t until a nurse at Family Planning mentioned endometriosis that I started thinking about it seriously. Around the same time, I had two friends who had undergone surgery for endo as teenagers, which made me even more curious.
I was so fortunate to have health insurance and a friend who’s a surgical nurse, and she recommended a gynecologist she truly trusted. I asked to be referred to her, despite my GP thinking she was a little wacky. It turns out she was in the news at the time for being outspoken against surgical mesh, which we now know caused serious scarring and chronic pain for people undergoing pelvic surgery.
Within six weeks of seeing my gynecologist, I was booked for surgery and diagnosed with severe endometriosis. I consider myself lucky that this happened when I was only 24, before it caused permanent damage to my fallopian tubes or fertility. The surgery didn’t completely cure my pain—I still had to manage it with the pill and later the Mirena—but it brought me back to a more manageable level of pain.
Before surgery, I hadn’t managed a whole day out of bed from September to December. Afterwards, I was finally able to start my teaching career without suffering from chronic pain every day.
How has endometriosis impacted your physical and mental health, particularly when it comes to exercise?
In high school, I was a dancer, and back in the late 90s/early 2000s, exercise was all about weight. I never felt like I “needed” to exercise because I was slim, and I danced, but my endo and IBS made me lose so much weight that people started accusing me of having an eating disorder because I looked so unhealthy. It was a pretty hard time because of that.
After my surgery, I put on weight and looked healthier, but throughout my 20’s I didn’t consider exercise beyond the occasional yoga class.
After having kids (my first when I was 30), I finally realised the importance of exercise, especially core and pelvic floor strength. I lost my core strength so quickly and was shocked at how much I needed to work on it.
A (now) good friend started yoga classes from her garage when my number two bub was three months old and that became my time out. It was as she transitioned into her Pilates training that I started learning about the core and pelvic floor.
During pregnancy with my third, I discovered She Moves on Instagram and started following out of interest.
I had often needed physio/osteo treatments for tight pelvic and pelvic floor muscles due to my endo. Through online prenatal Pilates, I learned that my pelvic floor could actually be too tight. I also realised that my first and second births may have caused pelvic floor injuries, which in turn increased my endo pain. I had been so focused on strengthening my pelvic floor that I hadn’t considered the need for release and relaxation.
I don’t know if it was related to the endo as well, but I also developed an irritable uterus, constant Braxton Hicks, and SPD pain, making exercise during my third pregnancy really difficult.
Hmmm… since then, I’ve been learning to work with my cycle. Releasing my pelvic floor while strengthening my glutes and core has actually helped with my monthly pain, which I never would have expected.
Have you discovered any strategies or practices (including exercise) that help you manage your symptoms?
Diet: I initially did the FODMAP elimination diet, which must be done with a dietitian, and was then able to reintroduce foods I had previously reacted to. A low-inflammatory diet definitely helps, along with fibre, hydration, and movement to keep digestion flowing.
Supplements: My amazing gynecologist, the late Hanifa Koya, was ahead of her time in promoting a holistic approach alongside surgery. She insisted I take Vitamin B, Magnesium, Zinc, and CoQ10 to help manage my symptoms. I stopped for a while in my 20s, but when my pain worsened after having kids, I started again. Magnesium and Zinc have been particularly helpful.
Vitex (Chaste Tree): Since having children and learning about PMDD, I started taking Vitex for hormonal balance (on recommendation of my GP). Along with supporting my mood, I’ve noticed that my bleeding is lighter and my periods are more regular.
I’m in the early stages of perimenopause, where cycles become shorter, heavier, and more painful, but when I take Vitex cyclically, these symptoms improve, and my cycles return to a more regular pattern.
Period underwear: I spoke to a pelvic physio about trying a menstrual cup, but she mentioned that many women with endo find it worsens cramping. Switching to period underwear has been a game-changer, and I focus on pelvic floor relaxation stretches when the pain is at its worst.
Osteo/Chiro/Pelvic Physio: These have all helped me, especially since my pelvic ligaments were affected by my endo, contributing to pain. Specialist women’s health physios have been incredible, and pelvic physio was particularly beneficial in releasing my ligaments and psoas internally.
Reading: Two books I found amazing are:
Lara Briden’s Period Repair Manual
Lara Briden’s Hormone Repair Manual
How has living with endometriosis shaped your relationships and what support has been most meaningful to you?
This is tricky. It’s pretty hard having to take time off work. People don’t get that it’s not “just period pain”. I am a teacher at a girls high school and rather than hide it, I will actually say to my girls “gah I’m really sorry I have mad endo pain today so I’m struggling”. I want to get the message out there.
When I was at my worst, before surgery, it caused a breakup with my partner because I was in chronic pain and he dismissed it entirely.
Now, my husband and kids understand, and we talk openly about pain and periods.
I have made many friends who are also endo gals. In fact, some of my closest friends and family have ended up discovering their own endo because of how openly I talk about it. I feel like it’s strange to say that it has influenced my relationships positively but I feel like it has brought us closer.
What message or advice would you like to share with others in the She Moves community who may be navigating their own endometriosis journey?
Be the squeaky wheel. Demand a referral to a gynecologist.
Try all the lifestyle approaches - for me the medical approaches (pill and mirena) just masked the symptoms and they got worse and worse. The exception to this is laparoscopic surgery. It’s the only way to go. Demand a referral to a gynaecologist.
If you haven’t raised your symptoms with your GP yet, get health insurance first. Many people struggle to be seen through the public system, so private referrals can be life-changing.
Avoid plastic and BPA. Especially for young girls—it can impact hormone health.
For more information and support, visit Endometriosis NZ 💛
Helpful links
Endometriosis NZ: Movement Plans
Endometriosis NZ Facebook Group
Women’s Health Action - Endometriosis
