Pelvic Floor - how do you get it back up from your knees ?!

[Guard]

Need some help from those who have been there done that - I gave birth at home 3 weeks ago to DD2 - first DD was born by C section so a very different experience ! However - my pelvic floor is so slack it's scary and something I didn't experience first time round. I'm doing Kegel exercises with every trip to the loo and every feed but I'm not getting very far - anyone know how long it takes to get "normal" again / any advice on best exercises to do etc - and I though it was only toddlers that needed potty training !

Keep going!

3 weeks isn't long in the pelvic floor stakes! AT 4 months I still had problems at gym classes when doing star jumps....

Other good times to do them are in the car when in a queue or at traffic lights.

If you are really worried, talk to your HV - you can be referred to a physio who will help you. But I don't think she'll refer you yet - too early.

good luck!

I did kegels after dd and found they really helped 'tone everything up' but they take a couple of months to show serious improvement.

Thanks - didn't realise it takes so long - men have it so easy !

They certainly do

Guard - don't do them every trip to the loo - otherwise you will confuse your bladder by trying to stop peeing mid-flow. Just do this every so often as a test of how well the muscles are working/that you are using the righ muscles. Also being able to stop midflow isn't something that you get back right away after childbirth. It may be an idea to get a physio referral if you have much more problems - they can make sure you are doing the exercises correctly. Things do improve tho - when I was doing night feeds when DS was a few weeks old, I seemed to need the loo before every one, but things have mostly gone back to normal(!)

I've recently discovered that all french women get automatic physio after birth (even after csections) and having just had 10 sessions i can't recommend it highly enough - I had tried 3 months of kegels rather half heartedly to be sure but after just 1 session of physio I saw a huge improvement - don'tknow if going private is an option for you? or just hassling for physio on the nhs?
some exercises I was taught were to lie flat on back with ankles up near bum and knees on floor so legs in kind of diamond shape (does that make sense?) then to do about 50 normal kegels then 3 where you hold for 10 seconds each time, then on to do kegels plus pushing stomach into bed at the same time (kind of flattening back too)then kegels plus swelling up tummy at the same time - this meant I was doing about 200 kegels a session - hence quick results I think!! but to be honest, what I think it really was was a kind of tens machine that they used for 30 minutes each time to tense up all the muscles without me having to do a thing - highly recommend this!

I was told by my midwife to do 30 mini-kegels and 3 mararathoners (10 seconds each, making sure it's the same strength for the whole 10 secs) each day......I've not been too good at remembering though...(and dd is now 7 months..oops!).
mit x

try putting a sticker somewhere you pass often to remind you, kettle, PC, fridge etc. It doesn't have to be graphic! I have red stickers around the house and they were effective for a while but now I just don't see them. I do my excercies while I make ds's bottles.

Kegel ?

I was the same, ds is now 4 months, I was so worried, noone had told me about that - or the @#$% haemorrhoids ! However, things have improved even tho I have not been really good at doing the kegels, so I think it is just a matter of time for your body to recover. A book I have says that by 6 months post part you should be able to do the ultimate test: jump up and down on the spot with your legs apart, coughing at the same time... I was able to do it at 3 months and as I say, I thought I was in a bad way before that!
Good luck

hemaerrhoids are truly terrible especially when the doctor shines a torch up your bottom.

Hi guard, my mum is a physio & did lots of this. It is worth getting an appointment. I think she had some special machine to determine if you are doing them right (sounds hilarious). Her advice to her class was to imagine you are in church and trying not to fart.

what are 'kegels' please?

Kegels are ...... fanny and bum squeezes.
Use the muscles you use to stop yourself peeing and squeeze your, ahem, anus as tight as you can.

American for pelvic floor exercises, Mckenzie.

Thanks, why dont they call them pelvic floor exercises? does the k.e.g.e.l stand for anything?

I had big problems here - I had little "leaks" for about 4 months I think (19 months on I still can't walk and sneeze ... I have to stop, clench, then sneeze ) - but it does get better pretty quickly so here are my tips:

• don't do them when you're on the loo mid flow - this can cause urine infections. Instead try to set a routine of doing them - like when you're doing the dishes, or in the shower, or when commercials are on TV, etc.
• I had physio for my stomach muscles but it also incorporated pelvic floor ... they were pilates based exercises but essentially you lie down, knees up, feet on floor, pull in your tummy muscles (pull in as far as you can go then release about half way then hold) and tighten your pelvic floor at the same time, hold for count of 10, release slowly, repeat 10 times a day. I still do this when pushing the pram etc - kills 2 birds with one stone: jelly-belly and incontinence prevention!
• Make sure you're drinking around 1.5 litres a day - drinking too little can apparently make it worse, and too much obviously can.
• Persevere - honestly they do get better. But will probably never be like it was pre-birth!

Good luck!

I bought a hammock.