Running with poor pelvic floor- what is your solution

[Runlikeareindeer]

So my pelvic floor isn't great after two vaginal deliveries, one that was forceps. I do my exercises (prob too late)

I'm running again and it is often difficult to control. I've tried tena lady (well the Aldi version) but sometimes that becomes sodden and then I have a great lump in my pants.

Is there anything I can do?

I'm doing my exercises as Gussie said but I've noticed my problems seem to be getting worse since I started back exercising any jumping even with emptying my bladder immediately before hand is making me leak a lot a few months ago it was little leaks but now it just gushes out :-( no matter how hard I try to hold it. Is the exercise making it worse? This is ridiculous at my age should I persevere for a few months before speaking to my go? Also wondered if its normal for issues to get worse when your period is due as that seems to make things worse for me

I would review your exercise routine and change it to a pf friendly routine if it were me. Damage limitation and re strengthening your pf and your priorities if you don't want to go down the operation route.

Physio advised me no jumping until your pf was in good shape.

What are you doing that requires jumping? As, if it is aerobic, you can usually modify it to a no jumping alternative.

And you May aswell go to gp sooner rather than later as a referral May take a while and a physio can check you are doing your exercises properly.

On a good news front, after clenching every time i see this thread, i started using my aquafkex again and got the weights up to the highest yet. weight lifting fanjo

Marie winsor 15 minute workout Pilates DVD. Use it daily and you will run without wetting yourself. It got rid of my prolapse I swear!

I thought Pilates was not good for a prolapse?

I'm doing the 30 day shred so jumping jacks, running on spot, skipping etc...I really need to be able to get that cardio in at home. I'm glad I'm not having any more children if having 2 has done this :-(

Every time i see this thread it makes me do pf clenches!

Me too kelper

I'm chuffed the thread's running as long as it is! Am quite sure a wee PF section on MN would be useful, but, then, I'm not exactly objective .

Day - yep, many people find their symmptoms change during their menstrual cycle. Oestrogen/progesterone swinging around changes the elasticity of your ligaments and tendons, so, your pf sags down ever so slightly. Agree, avoid jumping if you can, stepping would be better? Got stairs at home?

Mink - have a shiny, the wee heavy aquaflex is darn near Ninja Level of Fanjo Fu.

Milly - good point. Pilates done well can be brilliant for prolapse. Really good - infact, there's a USA medic who has a DVD of pfilates, pf pilates www.pfilates.com/. It's good, evidence based exercise (he, erm, got a bunch of women to do pilates with a sensor up their snatch to measure the forces created and designed the exercises round the results.) The music's a bit annoying (to me) but, it is good.

the problem with pilates is that if you are not strong enough to hold the pose you'll cheat. And, that's usually breath holding and poor posture,which can be enough to pop a prolapse out - same issue as with rowing machines.

so, if you've got a great teacher or trainer, go for it. If you've got a busy class and aren't really getting much attention from the leader, be careful, doing them on your own with a video - be really careful. As with any exercise, stop if you've got pain.

Day I understand you wanting to get fitter but the exercises you are doing are not good for prolapse and if your suffering now it could be potentially so much worse when you hit peri menopause and then menopause as things naturally drop significantly as hornone levels change.

The aim is to prevent further prolapsing and strengthening those pf muscles which if too much jumping and high impact exercise will cause further stretching of the ligaments and possibly further prolapse.

Women don't tend to know what our bits look like, never know what a prolapse looks like. ANd, it's hard to motivate yourself to protect against something intangible.

So, in the interests of motivation...don't click if you're squeamish, surgical images.

grade2 prolapse

grade 4

complete prolapse of vaginal vault

Here's the link to the cillit bang for your eyes...

imgur.com/gallery/QkWxU

Going swimming tonight! Inspired by you all!

Im too scared to look on that Gussie. Just cant do it ha ha!!!

OMG I did it I did it ha ha.

feel a bit sick actually.

And sqeezing away like a mad woman.....lol!!!!

I am seeing a specialist physio at present for my pelvic floor, I do Pilates as I also ended up paralysed after birth and learning to walk again and rebuild my other muscles was higher priority than the incontinence issues. However now I am finally on the mend walking wise I am now sorting out the pf hence seeing the specialist.

My physio gave me this link as to what exercise was ok and what was not while working to sort out my pelvic floor.

My Pilates teacher has been great at making allowances for those exercises that I cannot do and finding alternatives until my pf is up to it.

www.pelvicfloorfirst.org.au/pages/what-are-pelvic-floor-safe-exercises.html

I hope this helps those that want to exercise but don't want to make the situation worse.

I warned you for a reason, Milly...

eye watering stuff.

Of course, the grade 2 is something that's considered medically normal in the States in a woman who's had 2 vaginal deliveries. And, that's something you might see with a hand mirror, so, assuming you know what your bits looked like pre-baby you can spot it and go and see GP.

The complete prolapse is something that is usually confined to women who have had a hysterectomy and lost the ligaments that hold the top of the vagina up. Horrific.

But, erm, yep. Makes you comply!

OohAah - blooming heck, PARALYSED? Glad you are recovering, that just sounds beyond grim.

Thanks for linking the pelvic floor first site- it's a cracker. The Australian government put shedloads of cash into continence after finding it cost them $64bn dollars a year.

they indluded the cost of the associated depression, heart disease, orthopaedic injury, relationship breakdown and subsequent single parent families, loss of earnings, people moving into nurseing care as well as the obvious pads, investigations, surgery and medication costs.

UK government think our costs are £17m.

They are wrong.

What is "normal" in terms of pelvic floor function?

Are there tests you can do yourself to see if everything is ok?

Thanks for the link.

Gussie, how do you feel about sit-ups?

Great question, Katnip.

Normal is - no leaking of pee or poo and no pain in your bits or deep in your pelvis (not even if using tampons or during penetrative sex).

That includes when running/jumping/sneezing/puking/shouting/orgasming/week before your period/pissed and dancing like a loon/trampolining/bungee jumping.

That's pretty much the test, it's more a functional measurement than being able to generate x amount of power.

Add to that, do you pee less than x8 day or x1 night? More than that's abnormal

Can you wait between 2-4 hours between feeling the urge to pee and actually being bursting? (yep, it's a long time. That's the norm)

Do you avoid caffeine or alcohol because you know it'll make you leak? Or, do you limit how much liquid you drink for fear of leaking?

And, are you aware of a dragging sensation down below?

If you don't get any of those, you're ok.

HOWEVAH...

you STILL need to do the exercises once a day, every day. Because, as you age, the muscles sag...and, it'll get you in the end.

About half the women over 50 wet themselves. Whether they've had kids or not. Menopause is a bugger.

Go on, #doyerblardyexercises.

doctrine - another "it depends".

They are ok to do if you have good core strength and no prolapse.

But, they do cause a spike in your intra-ab pressure if your technique is poor.

So, fix your feet, tuck your chin in, just lift shoulders up, breath out as you go up and in as you lie back down.

All that touching your elbows to your knees looks impressive but doesn't work your abs, it's your hip flexors that work once you're past lifting your shoulders up.

TBH, all the pilates core stability stuff is better for tummy flattening. Way better.

Gussie mine is two but didn't happen until menopausal symptoms started at 51. It happened because of an episode of twenty four hour vomiting and a big sneeze . Two vaginal deliveries with one cord round neck which wasn't spotted for a couple if hours so much pushing and getting no where. Was fortunate that pf was fine until menopause. No leaking issues either luckily.