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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

I seem to have lost virtually all control of my bladder........Will it come back.??

19 replies

LadyTophamHatt · 19/01/2007 08:41

3 days post birth now, couldn't decide if I was still bleeding really heavily or it was wee too.

Tried to stop mid-flow while sitting on the loo and discovered I can't....hardly at all. Theres a very very slight difference in the flow of wee but there no way i could actaully stop it.

What happens now?
I've been doing pelvic floor wotsits, and have called the MW but I thought I'd get a quicker (and better) answr here.

OP posts:

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sunnywong · 19/01/2007 08:47

Oh Lawks! I dunno

FioFio · 19/01/2007 08:48

This reply has been deleted

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sallystrawberry · 19/01/2007 08:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cloudhopper · 19/01/2007 08:50

Don't panic. This happened to me after childbirth. Apparently it is quite common, so I am sure that many more people will post their experiences.

Mine came back - it took a couple of weeks to come back partially, and about 6 months later I would have forgotten that anything had ever been wrong.

It is best to talk to your HV, who can probably put you on a waiting list for a continence advisor. They are really good at giving advice.

Original poster

LadyTophamHatt · 19/01/2007 08:51

no cs, not sore at all...

feels normal down there.

just can't stop the wee.

never had this prob before.

OP posts:

Rosylily · 19/01/2007 08:54

I remember being like that last time (with no 3) but I recovered and could even go on a trampoline to my hearts content! So I am hoping I'll be ok again this time. 3 days after birth is such early days.

LemonTart · 19/01/2007 08:54

OK - mid flow stop didn?t work for me after a couple of days either and frightened the pants off me. Told the MW, was given an internal test thingy (- bit unpleasant but not painful just a bit awkward if you are shy like me) to determine damage/strength etc. Then given special exercises by a specialist physio lady (lovely woman) and did it religiously for a few weeks. Slowly came back. The occasional incontinence (sneeze and pee etc) stopped after a couple of weeks and so stopped using pads. After a couple of weeks more the mid flow control returned fully.
However, some people do have enough damage that requires surgery and so very very important not to self treat. Good on you for calling the mw. Don?t panic, I am sure it can be rectified with time, healing and exercise - surgery is a rare last course of action but just telling you that it is there and that even then at least you know it can be fixed in the worst case scenario.
3 days is still early. Try not to let it take over your life worrying and see it as a minor issue that is being dealt with so you can enjoy your early days with your new baby xxx (saying that cause it ruined the first week of mine - thought I would never be able to leave the house!!)

2Happy · 19/01/2007 08:55

Had exactly the same with ds, LTH. I had no sensation of needing a pee, just had to go regularly to stop wetting myself . Then while on loo had no sensation of wee coming out, no ability to stop/start flow, and had to rotate around various positions to get bladder to totally empty, otherwise when I stood up I'd leak. Took about a month to get back to normal .

NotQuiteCockney · 19/01/2007 08:58

Ask for a referral to a physio. A friend of mine is a fanny-trainer physio, and says there are loads of exercises etc that help.

It's perfectly normal, carrying around four babies is hard on the pelvic floor, never mind labour.

sallystrawberry · 19/01/2007 09:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OonaghBhuna · 19/01/2007 14:28

Its really early days. I had this with DD1 as she had got her head stuck and was crushing my bladder during labour Ened up with an emergency section. Anyway i had myself convinced that I had permanent damage but within 6 weeks was ok. I would recommend lots and lots of pelvic floors for the rest of your life though I did loads of them with Dd2 who is now three weeks old and I dont seem to have any problems.

Kelly1978 · 19/01/2007 14:41

It's stillv ery early like the others said and wasn't ds4 quite big? I had this with ds1, who was 9lb7. For a couple of weeks I couldn't go out very far at all, because I was jsut peeing myself It did clear up pretty soon though, and I rarely ever remembered pelvic floor exercises, so don't panic yet.

belgo · 19/01/2007 14:48

I know you had a hard birth, and that does weaken the pelvic floor.
NEVER try and stop the flow of urine once you've started weeing, as this can cause urinary infections. Do your pelvic floor exercises in between going to the toilet.

If the problem persists, there is an awful lot that can be done to help, and make sure you get this help if necessary.

OonaghBhuna · 19/01/2007 21:31

Belgo, thats really interesting as I have been told by several Drs to do hold my pee as a good pelvic floor exercise, but thinking about it now it would make sense that it could cause urinary infections. Umm wont be doing that again.

2Happy · 20/01/2007 16:38

Oonagh, that's what they said to me after my delivery - the advice used to be to stop your stream when on the toilet, but that they really don't recommend it any more and instead tell you to practice squeezing and holding at other times now. They also said not to squeeze too hard, that the exercises are more effective when you squeeze firmly but not over-clenched!

grouchyoscar · 20/01/2007 17:05

LadyHat don't worry

It's still early days and everything must feel very open and exposed iykwim

My tip is stock up on huge maternity pads or tena ladies

The pelvic floor exercises will help, just ask your midwife to advise you if you're doing them properly. OK TMI time...I have bladder control issues due to MS, 3 years after DS's arrival I get to see a gynae physio (yeah a Fanjo Phys!) she did ...tests...ahem that showed I wasn't doing them properly as my brain doesn't talk to my muscles properly, I was compensating with my thighs, stomach muscles and backside We managed to establish contact with my head and bits again and I'm pretty much fully in control now tho I still cart a change of bottom half and a stack of tenas with me (security trousers!)

It will come back and there are loads they can do to help and it doesn't involve surgery in most cases. Give it time and if yuou're still concerned ask for a physio referal from your GP

Good Luck and congrats on the baby

rachelhill · 20/01/2007 20:34

Ladyhat, it will get better! I was like a leaky tap from month 7 of pregnancy - seriously, I could fart and wet myself, or even wet myself by breathing too deeply - fiercely inconvenient when in Sainsburys!

BUT....now, 3 months post partum, absolutely fine and dandy

Remember that if you are bruised and battered it might not hurt but things might not function properly. Best thing is to wait a while and see, probably a week or so at least. But do mention it to the midwife, they can have a poke around (hey, why not, everyone else probably has by this point) and just check you haven't done some long term damage.

Oh and my mate did some long term damage and she had surgery and she reckons it was the best thing ever for her sex life (which clearly was slightly marred before by the constant widdling!)

DollyPopsOut · 20/01/2007 21:19

LTH, this happened to me and I had a section! Huge baby (9lb 13oz) and quick trial of forceps, but the damage was already done. It is very scary when you think you have just been bleeding and you realise that there is wee there too.

I was much better about 2 weeks post birth. 99% better after about 4-5 weeks and the 1% was only when sneezing or coughing when I needed to week. Now I am 7 mths preg again, it has gone a bit wonky but am confident that I can fix it post birth.

I hope you are feeling much better now. Have read your thread on expressing too and am so glad that that is going well. Your pelvic floor will recover in time - it just needs a few days or weeks to get over the trauma.

Many congrats on your wee man.

pregnabrain · 31/01/2007 22:27

I'll add my story to the chorus of 'don't worries'. I had a horrible long labour with my dd, culminating in 2 1/2 hours of pushing (with epidural so didn't know when to push). The darling girl decided to fly out at the end of all that, taking the inflated catheter straight out with her.
I had really bad incontinence to start with. Had no idea when i needed the loo, couldn't feel anything, no way of stopping it coming out. But...got referred to a great physio and soon started feeling much better. It takes hard work and loads of boring exercises but you can sort this problem out. Good luck - don't get downhearted!
PS.Dollypopsout - had to at 'wee' man in the context of this thread.

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