Still incontinent after 15 months - depressed!

[UppsyDaisy]

My first DS is 15 months now. I've got stess incontinence, leaking from the bladder whenever I run or cough or sneeze. I've been through a GP and consultant to a physio with whom I did a program of excercises. She eventually referred me back to the consultant. I'm still on the waiting list and I'm getting really sad about it. All I want to be is back to relatively normal. Has anyone else had treatment other than physio? Did it work? Will I ever be able to go for a run again?

I don't have experience of this, but bumping for someone who does.

You poor thing. I had stress incontinence for a few months after ds's birth - thankfully it just sorted itself out. No advice for you, but bump

I have only , very recently (last week) gone to the doctors for my long term (ten years) stress incontinence. All I have so far is recommendations on the exercises, having just found out that I was doing them ineffecually for the last 10years Grrrr.
I think the next thing is electric shocks to the needed muscle or something like it.

Yes in a way it's a bad thing there are so many articles about it in magazines as you don't know you're not doing them properly until you sit with a physio.
Is there anything else that can be done?

Hi, I had this quiet bad after delivering my first child weighing 9lb 10. When I saw the physio they gave me an Aqua Flex system (prescribed free on NHS) and it was great within a few weeks I felt better and started to get back to exercise a month after. I still have it and used it after my second born and will use again as you can make sure you complete pelvic floor exercises correctly - otherwise it falls out .

Have a look at this www.stressnomore.co.uk/acatalog/AquaFlexCones.html?osadcampaign=001&gclid=CLLrqZ2YuZACFQuuQwo d51gmLw

Your doctor can prescribe it to help you jump, sneeze and cough without fear.

Hi TanE, I've got that adn after physio I have no probs holding in the small cone with all the weights - but I've still got problems. I'm going to keep trying it but the physio said she didn't think it would do much good

I've just had surgery to correct mine after failed pelvic floor physio. It worked a treat and I can recommend it. It's called TVT I think and I can tell you more if you're interested. Had 2 weeks off work and all better now.

Hi UppsyDaisy

Sorry to hear about your problem. I have the same issue - it's a massive shock, isn't it? It's not something I ever thought would happen to me.

The exercises really improved things for me a lot, but have never got rid of the problem completely. I got to the stage of being almost back to normal (even managed to jump on a bouncy castle without leaking!) but now I've gone and chucked all the good work down the drain with a second pregnancy!

I've seen a world renowned uro-gynae expert (she happens to work at my local hospital) and she has said that TVT would be the next option, if things get worse again after second baby is out. I'm not sure there's anything else to treat it...

What does your physio say about it? Just keep doing the exercises?

One question - are you still breastfeeding? I did notice an improvement once my hormones levelled out after stopping breastfeeding. You might find the same?

I've felt a lot better about the whole thing after seeking counselling (I realised I wasn't dealing with the shock of what had happened to me very well by myself). It's worth considering if, as I did, you find you are getting really down about it.

Good luck with it all.

ps. forgot to mention that she suggested putting in a large tampon when you are planning to do any kind of exercise that would put strain on your pf eg running. Apparently this can really help support the bladder enough to stop you leaking when you run. I've never been a runner so haven't tried it, but worth a go i should think.

have you tried the tens type thing yet? that is much better than the squeeze/release stuff on its own, i 'think' you can even buy them from the nct catalogue these days to use at home, oh the fun