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Periods started again after childbirth - delicate question

20 replies

Tommy · 02/08/2004 09:50

I'm sure this is quite normal (I hope!)but here goes... My period came today - the first one since I got pregnant with DS2 (now nearly one), I put a Tampax in and....it's fallen out Am I really that big and baggy down there? Will it make any difference if I get the Super Plus or am I destined to a life of towels (which just remind me of being 12 again before my Mum let me use tampons)? Help please!

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mummytosteven · 02/08/2004 09:53

i think this may well be a pelvic floor issue, i'm afraid. so things may improve if u do more pelvic floor exercises. in the meantime, towel technology has improved radically in recent years - always ultra are pretty fab imho

Jimjams · 02/08/2004 09:58

Mooncup? They do a post vaginal birth size...... once you get to grips with them they're more comfy than tampons.

bbensley · 02/08/2004 09:59

I love bodyform ultra, haven't used tampons for years so can't help much.

I'm sure its normal. It would be impossible to push something that big out of somewhere so small and for it all to go back to exactly how it was

Tommy · 02/08/2004 10:02

Have read about the Mooncup on here before - where would I get one of those?

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Tommy · 02/08/2004 10:03

Thank you byt he way for reassuring me that I'm normal!

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mummytosteven · 02/08/2004 10:04

not trying to suggest it wasn't normal - in fact not even dared to try a tampax yet

Tommy · 02/08/2004 10:05

I'm not offended MTS - I was extremely lazy with the pf exercises so I guess it's my fault anyway!

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bbensley · 02/08/2004 10:07

my only slight concern is that some called Tommy is having periods

mummysurfer · 02/08/2004 10:08

was just going to suggest the mooncup
here it is

Tommy · 02/08/2004 10:29

I'm not all that I seem....

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Tommy · 02/08/2004 10:31

Thanks Mummysurfer, I will look at that later - need to pop out and buy some STs now

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mears · 03/08/2004 00:03

Tommy - you should do PF exercises every day for the rest of your life. You have not missed the boat. Once you regularly do the exercises you will get your tone back and then be able to use tampons.

JanZ · 03/08/2004 09:17

Tommy - did you have any damage at birth? I had forceps, an episiotomoy and a tear.

I asked on Mumsnet about tampons and was told that this wasn't normal - this would have been when ds was about 2. I got a referral to physiotherapy (which for various reasons, I didn't get to see properly until more than 3 years post birth).

It turned out that I had ZERO muscle tone in the front pelvic floor muscles. Because of my Pilates classes, I had none of the "normal" sypmton (stress or urge incontinence) as the "back" pelvic floor muscles had effectively taken over, and I had subconscioulsy learned coping techniques like clenching before sneezing or coughing. I had also lost the "cough" reflex.

I have now been doing various exercises over the last few months, some with a "biofeedback" device (a visual aid to check that I am doing them right) and my muscle tone has improved on the one side to nearly a 3 (out of 10) and on the other side, where the tear was, to a 2 (and the physio admitted that she had feared that I would get no recovery on that side). It does involve discipline and perseverance - but it does work.

By the way - be careful about the Super Tampons - unless you change them REALLY frequently, it just means that they get heavier and will fall out even easier!

Do some pelvic floor exercises yourself and see if you get some improvement - but it may be worth asking your GP for a referral to your Gynae Physio.

Tommy · 03/08/2004 12:59

Thanks mears and Jan. the birth was remarkably straightfoward - DS2 more or less flew out of his own accord after a 2 hours labour. The damage may have been done by DS1 of course - forceps and enough stitches to finish a patchwork quilt. I WILL get back on the PF exercises )how do I remember to do those?!) and hopefully see an improvement. I'm also going to check out the mooncup thing as I HATE towels - especially in hot weather (yeuch!)

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ChicPea · 03/08/2004 23:21

Jimjams and Mummysurfer, how on earth did you find out about the Mooncup?! I have never seen anything like it! Do other women know about this? And is it really better than tampons? Amazing!

Beetroot · 03/08/2004 23:27

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Beetroot · 03/08/2004 23:27

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Bozza · 04/08/2004 22:13

ChicPea there have been loads of threads about mooncups in the past. I used one successfully up until getting pregnant with DD - have not yet had a period since. And Tommy just to reassure you exactly the same thing happened when I first tried to use a tampon after having DS but I soon toned up.

ChicPea · 04/08/2004 22:33

I forgot all about this thread today but did think about it grinning ear to ear while running my bath last night! I shall do a survey amongst my friends as I bet they have never heard of them.

Can somebody please explain how it works, I mean, how long do you leave it in before taking it out to empty contents? Is this safer than all those chemicals/bleach in tampons?

Tommy · 04/08/2004 22:33

Have ordered my Mooncup! Also - thanks Beetroot. the trouble is I know HOW to do them but I just haven't bothered TO do them Will really try from now on...or maybe I should just get pregnant again and oput off worrying about it for another couple of years

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