Can I take up running?

[ConnorRipley]

I had a hideous forceps delivery six years ago that left me with a third degree tear, and a rectocele and enterocele (sp?).

I had nine months of physiotherapist after the birth and my physiotherapist cautioned against running because of the micro impacts - she talked of ’chickens coming home to roost’ post-menopause

Three years ago I had surgery to repair the enterocele and the rectocele. The surgeon said I had a urethrocele (sp?) too but it wasn’t severe enough to need surgery.

Anyway since then I’ve been terrified to do any kind of high impact exercise. I do some yoga and Pilates for my core as well as swimming, but Yoga and Pilates classes are expensive and swimming is a faff I sometimes can’t be arsed with. I miss being able to just chuck on my trainers and go for a run like I used to pre-kids.

If I were to start running again would I really be setting myself up for a lifetime of pissing myself?

Anyone have any advice or experience?

Not a lot, sorry.
I also had post birth repair for a tear and was told 12 weeks later that I had no strength at all in my pelvic floor. I also had diastasis recti.
I had 8 months of physio with no real improvement and left it at that. I intended to swim and do pilates, but like you, found I wasn't exercising.
I am now 21 months post birth, and decided I just need to get fit, so I am doing RED January (Run Every Day).
Starting small, but so far so good. I hope to counteract by doing the physio exercises when I can too.
Good luck. I hope someone comes along with practical advice. I did hear you can get pessaries and special running shorts but I don't know anything about it really.

It’s only jan 6th but how are you getting on? Any issues on your runs?

None so far, but I really think it depends on the time of month. If necessary I will just take it very easy.

Hi OP. I too had a forceps delivery which left me with a posterior and anterior prolapse which I had repaired in 2013. My gynae was very, very specific that high impact exercise, especially running, was completely off the cards for life. I am also not allowed to lift weights due to the exertion through my core. His view was that my prolapse would come straight back and repairing a repair is rarely successful as he would be operating on scar tissue.

I go to spin classes and swim and my repair is holding up well so far.

Yes that’s the advice I had too :(

OP I have no experience or advice but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what you are going through. The life-long repercussions of labour are just not discussed enough. The 'its only one day' is a bollocks narrative that has won and is rubbish.

It is so shit isn’t it? I did hypnobirthing and all that shit and I really believed that as long as I kept the right mindset I’d just ‘breathe’ my baby out in a textbook birth.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

pisses self

No one talks about the long term effects. I had an ELCS with my second and was right as rain within three weeks. As opposed to a lifetime of worrying my fanny’s going to turn itself inside out if I break into a jog.

/rant.

Yes it's terrible. And not the easiest thing to explain when people ask why you don't run anymore.

I know it's a bit 80s, but what about power walking? Less impact, but still get the cardio and muscle benefits?

I've got a (male) friend that power walks as dodgy knees make running impossible for him. His power walking is about the same speed as my running !

And I've been reading about Jeffing recently and there's a lot of talk about a "shuffle" type pace that seems (and I'm out of my depth here) like it would be less impactful but a pace up from power walking.

This guy's got me convinced: