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Original poster

so today i had to deliberatly pour my coffee down myself to disguise the fact that i...

34 replies

hidingforthis · 10/10/2007 20:02

...lost control of my bladder .

i am only 27. i had ds 15 months ago. he was big and i had an episiotomy. for a week or so after birth i was incontinent but since then it has been ok. occassionally a tiny bit leaks out if i cough or jump but that is rare and just a bit.

no idea what happened today. i was not desperate. i was gently running between meetings. suddenly i felt myself start to wee and could not stop it. i have never been so embarrassed in my life. i was wearing a skirt. i instantly threw my coffee overmyself so that nobody would notice my legs were wet. it was terrible.

has anybody else suddenly had this problem months after giving birth? is it likely to happen again? could it be permanent?

i was horrible. i am only 27 and i am fit .

OP posts:
fibernie · 10/10/2007 20:06

Poor you. I'm afraid I can't help but bumping this in the hope someone else can.
Sounds like something you should get checked out by a GP to be honest.

callmeovercautious · 10/10/2007 20:07

Hidingforthis - please don't be embarrassed, I suspect you were busy, didn't go to the loo as often as usual and then with the running it was just too much!

Go regularly throughout the day and keep doing the pelvic floors! I am sure no one noticed and if they did so what? You are a relatively new Mum and it happens a lot.

If you are worried go and see the GP though, even if only to have a rant about it!

Hope you did not burn yourself.

belgo · 10/10/2007 20:08

I'm so sorry to hear this, it happens to an awful lot of women unfortunately. Please go to see your GP and ask a referral to a physio therapist who specialises in continence. Part of the treatment is pelvic floor exercise, which, IMO, all women need to do correctly and regularly(daily).

Mummyof2boys · 10/10/2007 20:08

aww huni, i dont know how to help either, but would def go see gp or health visitor. bump for you x

goingfor3 · 10/10/2007 20:08

Get t checked out as soon as poss. I really feel for you and can't even imagine how mortifed you must have felt

CappuScreamO · 10/10/2007 20:08

I did this in an exercise class once after dd1 and I didn't even have a vaginal birth

I went insane for pelvic floors after that

liath · 10/10/2007 20:09

Oh poor you! I'd send a sample to your GP in case you have a wee infection (scuse the pun).

hertsnessex · 10/10/2007 20:10

please see ur GP, this can be sorted. dont worry, it happens to lots of ppl.

cx

myjobismum · 10/10/2007 20:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lulumama · 10/10/2007 20:12

oh honey
it happens more than you would think, as most women don;t like to talk about it

please see your doc and get referred to gynae or urologist or physio

and do pelvic floors, lots of them

Original poster
hidingforthis · 10/10/2007 20:22

thanks everyone. i suppose i will have to go to gp. i am so scared it will happen again. i am afraid to go to work tomorrow.

what if the gp can't fix it? this is so horrid.

i am sitting here doing pelvic floors. serves me right really, i have always been so lazy about them.

OP posts:
Lulumama · 10/10/2007 20:23

it doesn;t serve you right at all.. some pelvic floors are stronger than otehrs..

was baby engaged for a long time before birth, did you have assisted delivery?

there is a thread at the mo, in media/ non member requests asking about experiences of post natal incontinece, you are so not alone

there are plenty of things that can be done to help

please don;t be embarrassed, your gp will have seen it all before

Original poster
hidingforthis · 10/10/2007 20:30

i can't remember how long he was engaged for. i was induced. he was 10lbs 2oz. i was in labour for 48 hours, pushed for two hours then had forceps. i tore and was cut.

the thing is that was over a year ago and i have been basically alright 'til now.

OP posts:
Lulumama · 10/10/2007 20:34

sometimes , if a baby is engaged for a good long while before birth, then the pressure on the pelvic floor can be greater and cause m ore weakness

if it is a one off, might well be easier to sort out.. do let us know how you get on at the docs, also to rule o ut any infection etc.

good luck x

choosyfloosy · 10/10/2007 20:38

Been there. there are a LOT of us who have. i have more of a problem with 'the other end' but it is getting loads better. see your gp, please do, that's what they are there for, but they will undoubtedly refer you, I hope to a specialist physio.

outed · 10/10/2007 20:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
hidingforthis · 10/10/2007 20:55

DP and I had just started TTC again. I guess we should stop now as this is only likely to get worse with another pregnancy . How am I going to explain that to DP?

OP posts:
hertsnessex · 10/10/2007 21:09

if its a one off, dont stop ttc. keep doing your pelvic floor and rule out infection at your gps

cx

3littlebats · 11/10/2007 02:46

And do everything you can to make sure you don't lift ds unnecessarily - he is big and heavy now, but old enough to climb, walk etc rather than being lifted/carried.

Your GP can refer you for physiotherapy. Don't be embarrassed.

FrightAttendant · 11/10/2007 06:41

No, no no...please don't stop TTC! I was so worried that my bladder would be worse after Ds2, as I had a mild weakness/prolapse type thing (just inside the vagina, it's very common as the walls get stretched and so the other things like bladder etc can bulge into it a bit - it doesn't mean things start falling out of you!!)
But actually it made no difference at all.
I have heard many times that the first pregnancy (not even labour tbh, but the pregnancy itself) causes whatever damage is going to happen, and subsequent ones do no further harm.

I have also been amazed at the power and speed of pelvic floor exercises to sort anything like this out.

Don't give up!

brightwell · 11/10/2007 06:45

Depending on where you live there may be a continence advisory service, specialist nurse lead team that you can self refer to. GP surgery would have contact details, HV should also have details.

belgo · 11/10/2007 08:11

hidingforthis - I've just seen that yiu are TTC - could you be pregnant already? Maybe that's what is causing the problem now.

As for the pelvic floor exercises - even when your problem has improved you will still need to carry on with the pelvic floor exercises, every day forever.

callmeovercautious · 11/10/2007 10:05

Good point Belgo, it would explain the one off incident. But so could an infection.

Lots of reasons not to think it will happen again so please get it checked then carry on enjoying ttc!

Sheherazadethegoat · 11/10/2007 10:10

pilates are a really goood way of strengthening the pelvic floor and all the other bits adn pieces that get knackered by giving birth. i find going to a class that talks about the pelvic floor for a whole hour v. effective as otherwise i just forget about the whole kegel thing . good luck ttc and please don't be embarrassed.

princessmelBABY · 11/10/2007 10:13

Poor you that sounds really awful for you.

I agree about a trip to the gps. And maybe wear a tena pad just in case it happens again. Untill you get it sorted.