very weak pelvic floor - will i ever be able to run without wetting myself?

[Allora]

? :(

I feel your pain! I went to my gp after childbirth as running was out of the question. I got referred to the continence clinic and had assessment - was very useful - there's masses of stuff they can do to help - I just needed an excercise plan and showing how to do kegels properly, but they have weights and exercises and at surgery if needed. Go see your doc - really, not embarrassing (or only a bit) and is very sort-able.

Agree with EllieG. If no joy, try nutritional medicine if you can cross your fingers to go private. I couldn't even lean forward or stand up, never mind run! Don't even think about sneezing. But now, now my friend - I am living the dream! B complex, B12, omega 3 worked for me. Good luck!

thank you - who knew that vitamins could help?! 15 months sice i gave birth and not much improvement. soooo annoying isn't it?

I had my first aoppointment with women's physio 5 weeks ago - turns out I wasn't doing my pelvic floor exercises right at all. 5 weeks on I am doing them as advised, have lost some weight byu joining the gym and I am no longer conscious of my undercarriage at all. Really do go see a women's health physio

Alice can you tell me more? Who did you see etc? Am struggling myself though not as badly as you did and been told surgery pretty much only option after family is complete.

I had done my pelvic floor exercises correctly and was fitted with a TVT (Tension Vaginal Tape) and it is fantastic. I can cough and jump and all sorts of exciting things .

Has anyone got one of those pelvic floor exercisers and do they work?

It comes to something when you are grateful for being able to cough without something happening doesn't it? Please say more about vitamins though Alice - am really interested to hear about that.

apparaently the pelvic floor exercisers are goo as long as you don't have any sort of prolapse. I have a small cystocoele and physio said I really must not use one as it can make things worse

Oh I'm the same, would love to be able to sneeze again without the fear of having an accident.

EllieG and Sleepless, are the exercises something you could explain here or would I have to get shown them by a prof? And how long before you noticed an improvement?

HMSS, was that a big operation that you had?

Eachpeach - I have MS, so it's often hard to know if any given problem is MS, menopause, general decrepitude or what. Originally saw Dr Downing 01904 691591 Nutrition Associates; they will advise you if this is appropriate. I had lots of blood tests, detox with various supplements etc; I think that's typical. The treatment got rid of lots of symptoms and pain, which conventional medicine did not. I'd def. try other advice re physio first as nutritional medicine is expensive.

Thanks Alice I will think about doing this as not keen on surgery at the moment.

OP and others with pelvic floor problems - Get yourself referred to a physio. They don't just show you how to do kegels. They have vaginal equipment that electrically stimulate the inner muscles, as well as other equipment that show you the exact strength you are squeezing at. You squeeze, then see the strength on the screen. The goal is not only to be able to squeeze harder but also to hold that squeeze for longer which is much harder.

Here in France, all women are referred to physio six weeks after birth and such complaints as peeing when sneezing or running are practically unheard of.

I find it hard to believe that some are advocating (and others are taking seriously!) vitamin supplements for weak pelvic floor muscles. As if taking vitamins have ever created muscle tone out of nowhere

And that Dr Downing (qualified for & worked in neuropsychiatry and general practice) who practices "nutritional and environmental medicine" looks like a quack.

Agree as above.

One point though- if you have very bad prolapse the electrical stimualtion won't help.

I had some sessions albeit 20 years back and went on to have a repair.

However, at the time the things that Cote mentions were not offered to me- no biofeedback etc etc.

I agree that vitamins will not help!

I've just been to the GP for the same problem - pelvic floors and some tablets (which make me so unwell I'm taking 1 evert otehr day rather than 2 a day as told!).
The tablets do help though

That is pathetic. Why doesn't your GP refer you to a physio?

"Tablets do help"

Really? Maybe I should start taking them as I'd really like toned abs

there is a role for the tablets in some women depending on the sort of incontinence and their symptoms

SlightlyScrambled - no it is not too much of a major operation. It might involve you being sent home with a catheter for a few days (which my DD found facinating). My recovery was slightly clouded by the fact that they did another op at the same time, which did not go so well. The discomfort and slight embarassment was well worth it for me, because I no longer live in fear of wetting myself and smelling of wee.

Thanks HMSS for sharing.

I better see about the physio first so and good to know there are other solutions if that doesn't work.

I've been on multivitamins for months, including all the vit B's and it hasn't helped my slack bladder. Definitely a muscle problem and not a UTI.

I felt i had a mild prolapse; just felt it after my DS birth. (which totally pissed me off given I'd done pilates twice a week throughout the pregnancy and for years before). Despite doing pelvics religiously, I decided it was worth mentioning to doctor. She checked at 6 week post partum check up and said yes, she could see a mild 'falling' but nothing to worry about blah blah blah. So I went to see a woman's physio privately ( £50 - did a google search for urino genitalia or something like that, sort of physio and found one at the local Bupa nuffield hospital) She was fabulous. Nothing like any of the regular physio's I'd been to. Very specialist. She tested me - she popped a finger inside my fanny - while she made me do all sorts of pelvics. She could really feel where the weakness was. She was very encouraging that it was mild and would certainly improve, so the reassurance was good. And, surprisingly, the exercises I had to do were really different from the ones I'd done in pilates. Much more aggressive. Also - she told me to go back to my doctor and for them to refer me to the unit she works in in the NHS.

Roll on 5 weeks. SOOOOO MUCH better. Occasional peeing if I laugh hysterically and unexpectedly, but otherwise a much greater control. You have to rewire yourself to lift your pelvic floor AT ALL TIMES i.e. picking up baby, and obviously, with a fairly relentless routine anyway, it's a pain to have to do more work. But worth it.

Good luck.

Oh and I got an appointment at the NHS unit within 6 weeks and I'm due to go back again next month.

I got ref for physio and had an hr session every week for a few months. Helped loads. Im a runner now and no problem

Not heard about vitamins helping. It is worth noting most multi vitamins dont have very high doses in them as they are just for general health not aimed at conditions, iykwim So if you are wanting to take certain vitamins for a certain condition it is worth taking them individually

Thanks very much for all these very helpful answers. Definitely going to go for some physio. Feel ridiculous popping in a sanitary towel before attempting any exercising and having to pop to the loo every 5 mins to make sure my bladder is as empty as possible!

I had heard in France you get given the physio automatically. Wish you did here!