To think pelvic floor exercises won't help

[BrollyGood]

I'm 45 and since having my second child 12 years ago I leak urine sometimes after urinating and sometimes randomly.

The weird thing is that I don't leak when sneezing or on a trampoline like so many women experience. So that makes me think it's not pelvic floor related. I tried a pelvic floor toner machine a few years ago that was advertised as being recommended by the NHS. I would go so far as to say it was pleasurable to start but then after a few minutes I could feel the buzzing of the machine and it was uncomfortable. I also can't stand doing pelvic floor exercises - it just feels weird.

I have had abdominal and transvaginal scans and there's no cysts or polyps. I've also started feeling a heavy feeling on my bladder especially at night, similar to when the baby's head is on your bladder during pregnancy.

Surely this can't be pelvic floor related when I've no problem with sneezing etc. But what then can it be?

Read up about a prolapse.

Otherwise, listen to the wonderful Elaine Miller.

Go to a women's health physio to find out

Thanks, I'll check her out tomorrow. Regarding the prolapse, I had an internal and the gynae said I have stage 1 anterior prolapse but said it shouldn't really cause much problems.

Just googled a few - seems like they don't really do physiotherapy on you? They'll just be directing me to do pelvic floor exercises?

Pelvic floor exercises are physio for women - a woman's health physio will also check input and output, how often you pee, the state of your pelvic floor inc if you have a prolapse and if necessary how often you should be be peeing and how to retrain your bladder. They can also check if you're fully emptying your bladder and show you how to do pelvic floor exercises and see if you're doing them correctly.

Do you get constipation? This can really affect your pelvic floor.

With any physio it’s the effort you make out of the session that counts. Weird doesn’t mean painful though does it. Even if they could manipulate you it won’t be enough. I have seen a pelvic floor and regular physios, helpful and it’s self directed exercise mainly. So many people think physio just means go along and then wonder why much isn’t happening yet. It can take many months.

I think you are a bit unreasonable to decide it isn’t pelvic floor related when you haven’t explored it properly. It took several months of both biofeedback, weights, physio sessions before I got significant improvement after the birth. Yes using the machine gives some strange sensations, so turn down the strength and keep persisting. Really think you should see a pelvic floor specialist physio.

How do you know it can't be a pelvic floor issue, if you won't try pelvic floor exercises because they feel "weird"? 🥴

I second the pelvic floor physiotherapist. It's not just them ordering you to do kegals.

I have exactly what you describe and I'm under the care of a urogynae and pelvic floor physio. So I'd say it was pelvic floor yes.

I've just been to a gynae physio appointment . As part of it she tested that I was doing pelvic floor exercises correctly ( I had to do a set of them whilst she had a finger inside me )
I've downloaded the nhs squeezy app and have to do a set of 20 , 3 times a day , so 60 of them.
3/4 months before I will see a difference/ improvement .
Then carry on daily ( assume forever ) to maintain.
Not enough information is given to women about the importance of our pelvic floors.

Could be prolapse as well, particularly if you start to find it's also harder to poo and you feel the stool is trapped just at the exit point. You can't tighten up a prolapse with exercise or machines.

I had the same issue with wee after child 2 and found that when the natural emptying of my bladder SEEMED complete, in order to actually empty my bladder completely, I had to lean back for about a minute and then forward again to complete the emptying otherwise it would leak. This is due to the vaginal wall pressing on the urethra tube exiting the bladder - a bit like pinching a hose

So I had a prolapse repair done surgically years ago.

Just as an aside I have a prolapse and pelvic floor exercises make my symptoms worse. Pricate womens health physio was amazing for me. NHS not so much. It's finding the right physio for you.

Hey not OP, but this sounds like what I've been dealing with for years... Exactly like it.

What exactly prolapsed for you? Is it possible to happen if you haven't had kids?

I thought my pee problems were just anxiety. I didn't know what was causing the poo problems. I struggle to seek medical care for things so never asked anyone about it, but your description is exactly what I'm dealing with.

I have a prolapse and seeing a women's health physio since the birth of my 1st child. The gynaecologist told me I do not have a prolapse but I had symptoms and so went to see a physio and she confirmed yes I do. I think it could well be your pelvic floor, I don't leak when I cough or sneeze but I get the feeling of needing to go very easily and it hangs around even after I have been. I think the symptoms are different for different people. My only advice to you would be, after you have been for a wee, stand up and sit back down and see if any more comes out. It sounds like maybe you are not able to empty your bladder fully

Excuse the TMI comment but if you can get the stuck poo to come out by hooking your thumb into your vagina and pushing the poo out using thumb pressure through the vaginal wall, then it's definitely a prolapse. This can be surgically repaired by taking a tuck in the vaginal wall. If you're still sexually active they don't do it quite so tight (for obvious reasons!) but they warn that the prolapse can come back as the vag wall stretches in later years. Mine has done so I'm back to 'rocking' and occasionally 'hooking' Whatever you do, don't have a pelvic 'mesh' implant as a repair. This method has destroyed sex lives, marriages and caused physical agony in a large number of women. Court cases ongoing!

Agree with this. See the PF physio. Do the PF exercises. Look into oestrogen pessaries

I'm 15 months postpartum. During pregnancy DS was very low from very early on and I was weeing every 30-45 mins. Up until recently I still couldn't go more than 2 hours without a wee.

About 6 weeks ago when scrolling Instagram I came across a female health physio who posts different pelvic floor exercises daily. I had always meant to do them but am just so busy it hadn't happened so I started following her and so every day she pops up on my feed and I do them. It takes under a minute a day and it's honestly improved my weeing frequency so much I feel back to normal 4-5 hours hold! I can't believe it!

Basically what I'm saying is they do work. And you don't need a fancy contraption.

Thanks very much for all the replies.

I have a harder bowel movement more often than I used too but I wouldn't say I have any bowel issues.

I will try the squeezy app. I was recommended it but thought £2.99 was a bit of a rip off when it should be free on the NHS.

Any recommendations in East London/Essex for the physios?

What else do they do besides ordering me to do kegels?

What type of things did your private physio do for you please?

I had a full analysis of my urine output, check I was doing my exercises right (I wasn't, I couldn't even feel my pelvic floor), ideas for emptying my bladder properly and what to do when I woke in the night and needed a wee, and she gave me a gadget (non electric) to help with awareness, and helped me actually stick to doing my exercises.
I haven't given birth, so there was no question of a prolapse. But it wasn't just leaking when sneezing/coughing for me, it was feelings of urgency and needing to wee when there was very little there.

Find a good physio.
Control how often you wee, don't go for 'just in case' wees.
Find out how to do kegels.

Don't have surgery unless you absolutely have to. Mine failed in 4 months and I'm back to pressing on my perineum to poo each time. (there's no fecking way I'm sticking my thumb in my vagina 🤢)

Kegels do help massively. My stage one anterior prolapse is much improved with kegels. Sadly they don't help my back to stage 3 posterior prolapse.

Sorry to hear about your problems @Ilovelowry . Interesting that you say not to do 'just in case' wees. I think I'll be more mindful of that alright.

I've just downloaded squeezy so just need to get on with it now! Thanks for your help.

They examine you. Legs akimbo, they wear gloves with lubrication and they press gently in different parts of the vagina to feel your muscles contracting.

It's very sensitively done. Mine has aromatherapy oils in the room and the heater on and twinkly music. I love her.

Sounds like it’s been going on for 12 years as you said since the birth…and you haven’t actually tried pelvic floor exercises? What advice have you actually had from a dr / physio and have you followed it?