I need a new saddle, any recommendations?

[KatyMac]

It must be shallower than my existing one, padded and with good suspension as my pelvic floor isn't as it should be

I cant reach the floor!

Bump

I love the Selle Italia Diva saddle - suits me very well for long rides.

Hopefully this isn't a totally unhelpful thing to say, but I used to go for a padded saddle but now use a normal one and wear a chamois pad. I wouldn't go back.

If you are vaguely near a bike shop I would go in and try a few different saddles out and get properly fitted and see what works for you.

Having had kids my pelvic floor is a pelvic flaw! I agree with goodcat and second padded cycling shorts, I have Nooyme and love them, they've been designed for female anatomy! My bike saddle isn't padded, but if I'm doing more strenuous cycling I have a gel seat cover, which combined with my shorts is the equivalent of sitting in a comfy arm chair compared to a string hammock!

I can hardly wear padded shorts all the time! In an ideal word I'll be on and off my bike 3 or 4 times a day - cystitis/VA are not my friends!!

Gel seat cover sounds good

I am hopefully going to the bike shop later or tomorrow

My brother decided to build me the bike he thinks I need not the one I asked for - the seat is now so high I have to land at junctions, coming off the seat entirely - which over time will lead to a puddle - but apparently its the right height

& that is before we start o the handlebars!

Just because it's the correct way to ride doesn't mean I'll find it comfortable!

Bloody brothers!

Sorry back to seats - gel cover I think maybe

I found a bike fitter locally that specialises in womens issues - so fingers crossed xx

I can sympathise @KatyMac as the frame of my ebike is a little bit too large for me too but it was the smallest one that anyone makes that fits my requirements otherwise. The options for short women are limited. My saddle is too low really. Given the choice I would like a slightly smaller frame, more seatpost out and a bigger drop from the saddle to bars, but que sera sera...
Can you get your saddle any lower? How long is the seat post? If it fills the full length of the seat tube it may be possible to get some cut off then you can get the saddle a bit lower.
Another possibility for you might be to get a suspension seatpost instead of a sprung saddle, so you could have a conventional saddle and the overall height of the seatpost/saddle combination might be less. The problem might be that you need your saddle so low that there is no space for the suspension component between the top of the seat tube and base of the saddle. Might be worth considering though.
Hope you get it sorted out soon. After waiting so long for your bike it's such a shame you can't fully enjoy it yet.

The saddle needs to be pretty much at the top of the frame

The bike shop is getting me a new saddle to try, a different stem with a tilted head and a handbar post extender

She kind of liked the bike but thought it not really appropriate when she saw me lift my leg over the centre bar

I used to have a shallow saddle, but after an labial bruising incident (ouch) and experimenting with padded shorts, a gel cover, and saddle angles, I now have a well-padded cutout saddle (Amazon for £15ish). The cutout/hole makes SUCH a difference, would highly recommend if you have an outie vulva. I also have seatpost suspension and springs, I like it bouncy. (I don't have pelvic floor issues yet, mind.)

Sorry your brother is a bit of knob! Have you asked whether it's 'correct' for women, not short men? Women's legs are proportionally shorter. I too prefer to be able touch the ground with my toes - it feels safer for traffic lights and emergency stops. I've found they put saddles higher in the UK than the rest of Europe. When it's too high I overextend my leg when the pedal is at the bottom.

Sounds like you've found a great bike shop/fitter though - good sign that they're letting you try a saddle before you buy. Are their suggestions re handlebar and seatpost to resolve reaching/body angle issues? Because it sounds like the frame is just too long for you. I had a similar problem with a 2010 Dawes women's bike. It felt like a men's frame length, and my arms just aren't that long, most of us have proportionally shorter arms. I've switched to a Dutch brand (Gazelle) - I've found Dutch brands better at women's frames.

(Yes, I got very annoyed trying to resolve my bike issues and spent a lot of time reading women's cycling blogs/forums...)

Ouch!

I cant fully extend my right leg cos of my knee and my left leg cos of my hips

Nearly every health problem I have is in my pelvic region so I'm careful - I'm even held together with velcro internally!!

She said I need my weight further back on an ebike and that my previous bike was a bit like a beach cruiser and that sitting upright or slightly back with my pedals slightly forwards - she wasn't sure exactly as I didn't have my old bike with me

Saddles are a very personal thing. I feel uncomfortable just looking at yours and you'd probably feel the same about mine. And I would rather amputate my own leg without anaesthetic than ride further than the post box on a saddle with a cut out, yet the Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow is one of the most popular women's saddles on the market. I tried one a few years ago and it's without doubt the most uncomfortable I have ever been on a bike. But many women rave about them.
As with most bike related things, fit is the key. Even the most expensive saddle on the planet is no good if it doesn't fit you. Hopefully your fitter can make things better for you, though you may have to just learn to adapt to some degree unfortunately. I know that although it's the best I can get, my ebike fit is not perfect and it feels very different to ride than my best normal road bike which is pretty much a perfect fit. However, I'm also currently limited by my health unfortunately and better a sub optimal ebike than not being able to ride at all! I hated it initially and thought I'd made a very expensive mistake, but I have adapted to it with time. I hope that with the changes your fitter has suggested and a bit more familiarity you'll feel happy with it soon.

I find beach cruisers and sit up and beg (Dutch style) bikes more comfortable too, I don't need really the cutout for those. I think it's because I'm accurately positioned on my sit bones, rather than leaning forward with a tilted pelvis, saddle pushing on soft parts. As @MrsAvocet said, it's all very personal, and what seem like small adjustments can make a big difference.

"Expensive mistake" is where I am at right now

We'll have to see where it goes

I don't think it helps that I'm feeling rough right now

Aww no, I'm sorry to hear this, especially after all that waiting. But try not to be too down hearted. The changes your fitter has suggested and a bit more practice might make all the difference. When I first rode my current ebike I really hated it and didn't feel like I was properly in control of it but after a few tweeks and some time to get used to it I've ridden several thousand happy miles. I was close to returning it initially but am glad I didn't.
I hope you feel better soon

I have this awful video of me trying to get on the bike, I look like my mother and I look old!

The pedals are under my seat not in front of me
My seat is awful, I'm bruised after 30 mins on the bike bum and front
My handlebars are too low even with the extender

And I have to pedal harder to go faster; if I could pedal harder I'd ride a normal bike!

Oh I'm so sorry to hear this. After all the trouble you've gone to to get it. ☹
I don't know what to suggest I'm sorry. From your pictures it looks like a standard kind of bike - I'm sure there is nothing "wrong" with it in absolute terms but sadly it does sound like it might not be right for you.
I'm not quite sure what you mean about having to pedal harder to go faster though? Surely that's a feature of all bikes, e or otherwise - the motor only assists your pedal effort. There's no getting away from that unfortunately, though some motors offer more help than others. When I first got mine it took me a while to get used to using the gears and the various assistance levels in the most efficient way. Is the assistance variable on your bike? Mine has an app whereby you can alter the levels. It might be worth experimenting with different settings if yours is the same, to see if you can make it suit you better. Obviously the more assistance you ask it for the bigger the drain on the battery so your range will go down, but that's better than not being able to ride at all.
Alternatively (or as well) you could see if there is anything within the standard bike components you can change to make it easier to pedal - smaller chainrings or a wider range cassette might help and even things like the tyres can make a difference.

I made and ate lunch then crashed for 3 hours so no bike; tomorrow is complicated so no bike so on Monday I'm going to get a handle on the 2 apps I need, then ensure everything is updated (apparently including the Bluetooth chip)

Then I play!

Sorry im so needy guys- I will get there, well somewhere, and if I have to sell the bike, buy another, tweak my old one, kill my brother - I will do it calmly without too much fuss - I promise