were you taught pelvic floor exercises on the ward?

[nankypeevy]

I'm following up some thoughts from this thread earlier:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1546743-Who-here-actually-does-pelvic-floor-exercises

I'm a physio, and, when I was trained, back In The Olden Days, every new mum was seen on the postnatal wards and taught pfexs. I'm not saying it was really effective, the poor woman had been up all night in most cases - but it was (I think) more effective than getting a leaflet in your Bounty bag which seems to be the norm now.

Would you mind sharing whether you were actually taught pfexs, who did it, and what form did it take?

I've got a notion for a revolution - there's far too many women putting up with continence problems 5 years down the line...
tia

I was, this year, by a physio who came round. Also taught me general post csection exercises.

I got told how to in my prenatal classes, by a midwife.

That was the one and only time it got mentioned to me.

I was told years ago by a personal trainer, non pregnancy related - was never sure i was doing it right though! Pregnancy wise, I've read various explanations in books and was told at our NCT class. Best explanation I've had though was at a physio class I had recently at st peters in chertsey for SPD. It was clearly explained including how many to do, for what count and how often. My feeling from my own experiences and those of friends is that we know we are meant to do them and do make an effort but we're never quite sure how they are best done Hope that helps!

I had a leaflet to take home after both of my children were born and that suited me perfectly.

I think my midwife mentioned it when I was pregnant, but I don't remember it being mentioned after DD was born. I did have a good pregnancy yoga / pilates DVD that explained how to do them though.

No. I have no idea if I do them right. What I do like though, is that nearly every day there is a thread about them, so it reminds me to do them.

No, just told to do them but not how to do them, and I was too busy getting the hang of being a mother to ask!

Needless to say I don't venture on trampolines very often!

I was seen by a physio on the ward after a forceps delivery 1st time around. 2nd time, after a home birth, not so much as a leaflet.

I was taught in a women-only NHS antenatal class, and given leaflets. Definitely helped to be prepared while the muscles were still in relatively unscathed condition, so I knew what the exercised were supposed to feel like after childbirth.

Got the leaflet & that was it. (Although think that was probably enough.)

No, not by anyone, before or after birth - just told (before the first) it was important to do them.
Don't know if it helps, but my dcs are 16, 13, and 10 now.

I teach women to do them. I'm a midwife. On a postnatal ward. I teach them as part of the discharge information just before they go home.

Nothing was mentioned by all the midwives and doctors seen throughout my pregnancies. I learned about them online.

i had a chat with a physio who also gave me a leaflet after i had ds4, but no-one spoke to me about them after my others births (with ds3 i went straight home from delivery floor tho)

actually when i had ds1 the midwife told to do them as i had to push for 3hrs.

i think there probably was a leaflet in my discharge info all 5 times tho?

i aksed on the other thread, but i didnt see a reply, could you recomend a good pelvic floor toner, i do the exercises but have been thinking about getting a cone? or something to help and make sure i am doing them properly. i seem to be ok tbf but after 5 children all big (10lb 13oz ds4!) i do want to make sure everything stays ok!

my dc's are 13, 10, 7, 4 and 20mths btw if that makes any differnce and it was with no 4 that i got spoken to by a phsyio, possibly because he was so big? she commented on how good my tummy muscles were and how they handt seperated at all, seemed very impressed actually

Nothing. But I gave birth in Spain, they have different procedures there.

Incidentally, there is a school of thought that says Kegels - the most typically recommended PVEs - aren't actually as effective as they should be and can even make Pelvic Floor Disorder worse.

Squatting exercises are apparently a better bet - more details here

I do Kegels and squats!!

5 mad things so you did - and I found some reviews and then neglected to actually send you them. Hing oan, I'll PM you.

Inmaculada that's an interesting article, with some good points. Not sure that I agree with all her reasoning though. My understanding is that the sacrum moves a matter of millimeters - anatomically it's not moving backwards and forwards like a hinge.

However, what she says is correct in that people with weak pelvic floors often also have weak core muscles which changes their posture and can cause secondary weakening of the big postural muscles like the gluts.

Am away on the school run, will mull it over.
thanks for the article

thamkyou nanky am off out for the day but will reply later. i do agree its an issur that needs addressing much in preg and the post natal period.

Right, the article has me all agitated. This woman is biomechanical scientist, in UK they ergonomists, right?

Biomechanics is looking at the mechanics of the body - how posture at a desk can cause injury, what risk there is to kids carrying massive rucksacks of school kit, what stresses there are on joints in different movements etc.

I don't want to disrespect anyone's work, and, what she says from the mechanics point of view is essentially sound - but, there is a basic lack of understanding about anatomy and bladder control in the article.

I'd disagree with her when she says that the action of the pf is to draw the sacrum in - it's to hold your guts up. It's there to stop your liver from falling out your fanny. THat's why we go on and on about thinking about lifting when contracting your pf, that's replicating the function of the muscle.

She recommends glut work as an adjunct to pfexs. Well, I don't like that much - you can have gluts of steel, and be doubly incontinent. Do as many squats as you like - but, there's nothing to link your bladder control with your butt. That's like saying to solve your bingo wings by doing bicep curls - you'll have an effect, but not really address your problem.

The thing that bothers me about people following her advice and not, ehm, mine is that she presumes that there is an optimal posture for effective exercising the pelvic floor.

Well, I'd suggest that you need your pf to work effectively whether you are in a squat, balancing a book on your head, carrying your shopping and a toddler, bursting for a pee and got the cold or are elderly and have a stooped posture because of your osteoporosis. We don't all have D'Arcy Bussell's posture, but we do all need to be dry!

And, children do not wet beds because of pelvic floor weakness. That's just a nonsense.

PFexs are really important, but they are only part of the continence picture. A biomechanically focused person will have some really valuable insights - but seriously, don't start doing squats INSTEAD of the count of 10, 10 flicks and elevator.

So, in summary - do your blardy exercises, it's the only way.

I saw a physio the morning after, and hospital and community midwives have also talked about it - I was really impressed, as nobody mentioned them last time (different hospital).

I teach Pelvic floor exercises in my pregnancy yoga class.

Fair enough nanky!

Like I said, I do both - if nothing else, squatting's good for firming up the thighs

No.
No bounty pack
No nappy changing
No bathing
No nothing