post childbirth pelvic floor issues- I can really recommend seeing a women's heath physio

[gingerbreadlatte]

Hi
Just wanted to share my experience. I've got some quite bad stretching and other PV issues from giving birh to a huge baby 7mths ago. I've sat on the issues and while knowing it wasnt right hoped it would get better on its own.

Finally got myself to a women's health physio yesterday and she was wonderful.

I am, as suspected, quite "broken" (PVs need a lot of work- but i am so relieved to be getting some treatment.

Can recommend a lovely lady in a private hospital in Surrey if anyone is interested.

PS thanks whomovedmychocolate for the recommendation. You suggested the hospital on another thread, and I've since named changed.

well, I thought it was exciting

gingerbreadlatte it is very interesting to me. I have just booked an apt with gp to be referred to a physio for same issues. I have sat on them for 19 months ! going on monday I can let you know how it goes. I have no idea how bad or good it is.
I am in north london otherwise I'd take your suggestion.

ahh Pippi, glad someone else is. I was so pleased and relieved I was keen to share the excitement.

Well done for seeking help now, I hope your appt goes well and your physio is as lovely as mine.

Did you have a big baby?

not at all. 3.1kg if I remember correctly , or was it 2.8kg? can you tell it was DD2? She was 2 weeks early.
No I just literally sat on her trying to come out for 5 hours numb from epidurals and dopey midwife. The pressure might have done some damage. (sorry tmi?)
That's my self diagnosis. Was fine after dd1.

Pippi- how was your appt?

hi gingerbread latte, my ds (now 11 weeks) was just over 4kg and i had several hours of pushing so things down there are still not all they might be. the hospital sent the physio woman to see me afterwards because those 2 factors meant i was "at higher risk" of problems.

can i ask a personal question? when you say you had quite bad stretching and other pv issues what exactly do you mean? do you mean a stretched bladder? and what does the v in pv stand for? it's probably really obvious but i just can't think!!

THANKS FOR ENQUIRING GINGERBREADLATTE. (ups)

Went okay. A bit embarassing as GP did examine me which I didn't expect (don't know why I didn't). He said my front pelvic floor misckes are good, surprise, but the back ones are not, not a surprise. He has given me Fybogel as I am often constipated (sorry if TMI) for two months - hate the stuff. Have started taking it yesterday. Also told me to do Pelvic floor excercise 6 to 10 times a day - gave me instructions.
Have to go back in 2 months time to see him and if no improvement he'll refer me to a rectum specialist to inspect .

Does it sounds all right do you think? Is that how often one has to do the excercise. Mind you it is hard to remember to do them isn;t it?

how is it going with you?

Hi

Pippi- glad to hear it went ok. His suggestion sounds normal. In terms of the exercises, my physio suggested 3 x day and to sit down and concentrate completely and do nothing else. I have soon realised that I've been doing it wrong and not clenching the right bit, IYSWIM.

Good luck wiht the exercises

Camflower- TBH, I really dont know what PV stood for. I think I might have made it up when i meant to say Pelvic Floor.

Will be quite explicit about what was wrong with me, so a TMI warning.

My whole fanjo was very stretched so that it gapped open - I doubt I'd be able to hold a tampon in. Also the front wall was very stretched and hung down into the entrance.

I also have issues with my bladder being irritated ie. i think i need to go ALL the time.

My issues were really not good at about 12wks and they have improved a lot but not enough so I got refered to a women's health physio.

Do things actually feel wrong to you ? Can you describe it?

Things with me are ok- the phsyio has been great. She said to me that it takes a good year for things to get back to normal and if you are BFing, its takes longer due to the hormones.

I had my first appt and got sent away for 2 wks to do my exercises. Went back this week and it hadnt made much difference so she started electic stimulation. Which was weird!
Bit like having a TENS machine in your fanjo- Im hoping that will help get things underway for me.

oh, about the exercises- my physio suggested inserting a finger to try and grip it when doing the squeezes. Thats when i realised I wasnt really squeezing anything!

sorry for mega post and TMI!

So glad I found this thread!

Have been back and forward to the GP about pain/discomfort/general feeling of weakness down below. To this day they have done nothing except say that you will never go "back to normal" after having a child. I have also had some bleeding, and an abnormal smear result, so I am due to go for a colposcopy soon. I feel that they have used this as an "answer", but I know that there is more to it than that.

I have a permanently aching tailbone and sacral area, and the muscles at the front (tummy and pelvic) just don't seem to work at all. If my smear had come back normal, they were going to refer me to a gynae, but now all the focus is on the colposcopy. I am hoping that once that has been carried out I will still be able to be referred, as I feel that 16 months after giving birth I should be able to have a normal sex life!

oh lordy, the things that having a beautiful baby do to your body!

gingerbreadlatte - poor you it sounds like you've really been through the mill. did you have an assisted birth? (mine was ventouse)

my turn for tmi! i've had several infections since giving birth, bladder and uterine, but i feel my bladder is stretched and contains much more than it used to (i couldn't wee during the second stage of labour and they had to put a catheter in). now i don't really feel the need to go until i am bursting

also it was feeling irritated at the entrance to the bladder, and kind of swollen, like there was something in my vagina. sometimes it feels like there is an air bubble trapped in there. which is a bit weird, cos i'm sure there can't be.

i also had an episiotomy, with one stitch inside, so maybe it was that feeling irritated - don't know cos i daren't get a mirror out to look inside!!

during the second half of my pregnancy i frequently felt like i had been kicked in the fandango, and a huge downward pressure so i guess i should probably have done more pelvic floor exercises then. hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

the priceiswrong - know the feeling about the permanently aching tailbone - got a big baby and several hours of pushing to thank for that. i was in agony for weeks afterwards (much worse than the stitches) but it gradually gets better. i got myself a coccyx cushion off a company on amazon (£19.99) and it's been a boon. i'm still using it in fact and wish i'd had known there was such a thing straight after birth. in fact i wish i'd known that coccyx pain was even a possibility. i read everything i could about pregnancy and childbirth but there was no mention of it.

Dont think there is such thing as TMI here

Camflower- wow that sounds nasty. your "airbubble" sounds a bit like my issue. Hope you can get it sorted, sounds like you#ve had quite a lot of trauma..

Cam and Price- I've had the tailbone issues too after the birth. Also had that during pregnancy. Seen my osteopath since and its helped but I still get it from time to time.

Theprice- If I was you i'd really press for a referal for a womens health physio. Sounds like you could do with some help.

Pippi how are the exercises going?

Gingerbreadlatte I am a bit deflated tbh as I cannot see any improvements. I know it is early days and even though I am doing my excercises I must admit I sometimes forget. TMI on the way: I used to go to the toilet regularly before dd2. Since she was born It is every 4 days average, which is a lot I find. GP noticed that immediately hence the fybogel. Not sure it is helping that much yet. And thinking about it I am not sure what is the connection between a weak muscle and that. I am sure there is though.

My theory is that dd2 had been pushing into those muscles for a long time therefore damagin them. GP doesn;t know but said it could be a long lasting effect of the epidural !

I'd be happy to be referred, if nothing else for the extra checks they do and for the specialised opinion.

Not happy though. Feeling miserable that I feel ancient at 35.

Hello Pippi
Sorry to hear that you are feeling low.

Try to keep at it. My physio said you need to do 6wks of regular exercises to see a change. It could be that you need a kick start like me, which has been the electro stimulation. I've only had 2 sessions but things are a tiny bit better now.

Another friend of mine has the constipation issues too and its sounds miserable. Are you drinking loads of water?

I'd really try to get referring to an expert who can assess you and guide you more closely. GPs are great but dont have the level of expertise to look at this. Do you have any private healthcare cover? This really helped me get my referal.

Keep posting though. Its a miserable thing and with the constioation too it must be awful. Will fax some virtual (high bran) chocolate muffins