How long did it take for pelvic floor exercises to help?

[WeepingInASunlitRoom]

If they did help?

In my 40s, had vaginal births, didn't ever keep up with pelvic floor exercises, put up with a bit of stress incontinence because I thought it was normal, put on weight, approaching menopause and here I am with a mild bladder prolapse waiting on my referral to a women's health physio.

In the meantime, I'm doing pelvic floor exercises and wondering how likely it is that they will be enough. I have a set of Kegel 8 weights and am doing ten slow, ten quick and ten relaxation exercises (don't think I have the hang of the last ones at all) x3 a day.

When I see the physio, she can of course check my technique but I think I'm doing them right. The weights have an indicator tail which waves downwards when I do the squeezes as it's supposed to.

Reading online, it looks like three months of physio is recommended before they look at other treatments like injections or surgery. Does anyone have any success stories they could share?

And I know weight loss would help - it's complicated for various reasons but I'm doing my best.

www.kegel8.co.uk

I got one of these after my births. It claims to be able to access muscles that you can't with manual exercises and it 100% helped me. They use this kind of thing on the continent where all women get pelvic floor rehab after childbirth.

Thanks. I am really hoping pelvic floor exercises will be enough, as I really don't want to end up having surgery.

I think this depends on a number of factors. Sometimes hormones are at play so something like local oestrogen may be beneficial (may need to see your gp on this) The assessment and plan for physio will be hugely beneficial.

Where precisely? I'm willing to believe there's a country or even a couple where this is routine. The claim that every country in Europe except UK, Ireland and Iceland offers mothers pelvic floor rehab strains my credulity.

Thank you, that's reassuring. I wish I'd gone for physio a long time ago!

I sorted this by buying a cheap and cheerful casio F 91W watch (£6) and I set it to beep every hour. I kept it in my bra and every time it beeped I did 20 reps.

Thank you, I'm glad to hear it! A lot of stuff online about prolapse seems a bit pessimistic and I've been feeling bleak about it.

@Precipice no need to be so aggressive 😅 France and Switzerland for sure. I have friends living there. I didn't say all women on the continent or every country on the continent, I said on the continent... (in places) all women... 🙄🥴 point is that this type of instrument works if the OP is interested in it