Weak pelvic floor muscles... help...!!

[mum2toby]

Since having ds nearly 2 years ago I have had terrible pelvic floor muscles! Even if I only need a little bit i have to be careful not to laugh too hard or cross my legs when I'm going to sneeze! It seems to have got worse over the past few months and it's starting to get me down. I don't want to have to wear those tena lady pad things for the rest of my life!!! I'm only 25!

Pelvic floor exercises make my skin crawl... I don't know why, but the thought of doing them is like someone scraping their nails down a blackboard!!! CRINGE!

Is there some form of exercise/activity I can do that will strenthen the muscles without me even realising??? Please help!

Mum2toby, have you tried exercise cones? You can get them from Boots .

I love mine. Use them everyday in the shower.

Message withdrawn

I feel ancient too. What are exercise cones? I must go and check them out.

Other option is to have loads of sex and clench around it every time it is in you. The use of it is on purpose and not because I am a prude.

Edgarcat and Meanmum - I feel ancient!!

Cones?? Never heard of them.... I shall investigate. And as for the sex.... that's assuming I 'get' any so to speak!!!!!!!!!

mum2toby - let me know when you find out about cones. I'm so ignorant on everything and I mean everything. Is ignorance bliss???? Not when I dribble unexpectedly it's not.

Meanmum ..

.... I've had a WEE look (ha ha ha!!!) at the website and I've ordered them. They look intriguing, almost like a sex aid!

Thanks Nerdgirl.

Message withdrawn

I think so.... but I'll let you know more soon .

DP will get such a fright when he's sees them!

It's more of a clench than a squeeze. Exactly like a normal pelvic floor exercise but your dh (or whoever you happen to practice on) will love it for a variety of reasons. One of those being, they will feel like they are (sorry to be crass) filling you up and that gives them a buzz as it makes them think theirs is big!!!

I am also challenged in this area and like M2T hopeless at pelvic floor exercises - I forget I'm doing them. I definitely have to tense to sneeze/cough but have found that going to the gym and getting generally fitter has improved matters.

Well, like alot of us I haven't done them as my memory just can't cope with anything else to remember. I know this can be difficult and I have been VERY lucky but I have found mine still works well as I have a 'you know what'( sorry can't even type the word let alone say it, it begins with O) every time we do the jiggy.
I'm 17 weeks PG now and have to hold one abit more but thats because my bladder fills up even I even look at a drink.

Message withdrawn

Exercising your pelvic fllor could be as easy as going for a walk - according to Andrea Robertson, a childbirth educator from Australia. She advocates this very normal for of exercise to tone you up after childbirth.

FWIW, my pelvic floor improved no end last year when I was exercising regularly - running, x-training etc. I had no problem with winter coughs catching me out! This year, after a slack 6 months of sitting around it's all hanging loose again and I have to squeeze before I cough. No pregnancy to cause a problem either.

EdgarCat - I'm game to get one too and will report back. I'm in the over 30's club.

I agre with sueW - it's amazing what a little exercise will do. I don't do a lot but I felt the difference in a couple of months, so whatever you try, you don't have to reach olympic standards to get results.

My DP told me that those cones from boots were featured on V Graham Norton.. LOL

I nearly had another accident yesterday, coz I've got terrible wracking cough just now!!!

Also, EmmaTG - I still manage to have the big 'O' too and they are just as good as before. I didn't realise that it could effect it.

With the cones Edgarcat, you just put them in - that's all. You position them lower down than a tampon. Your muscles will automatically clench around the cone.

You start with the large cone and add weights until you can feel it trying to escape! God I love this thread - the things we have to type!!

Anyway, you progress through the weights and then abandon the large cone and start the whole thing again with the small cone.

It really made a big difference to me.

I do mine in the shower because -

then I do it everyday
you have to wash the cone before and after (obviously!)
you're naked anyway!
you're standing around anyway!
I love my shower and spend an environmentally unsound amount of time in it!

I never found orgasms a problem when my pelvic floor wasn't the best so I'm not sure that's a good indicator EmmaTMG.

Nerdgirl - you're putting me off now by talking about weights. Jeeeeesuuuuus I'm debating getting one at all. I figure I'll just keep going with the sex as my pelvic floor exercises. Problem is that doesn't happen enough.

Sex???? ...... Nope... don't remember that.

Hey, I think my pelvic floor muscles are gonna have a quite a workout when these cones arrive!!! Can you build up too many muscles?? I mean, I don't want to be all musclebound and maybe hurt my poor dp if we ever do indulge in the s word again!

No one says you can't do both Meanmum!!

I forgot to mention that the weights go inside the cone. Just re-read my message and realised some of you might think they dangle on the end!

Now there is a horrible mental picture I really didn't need before lunch!!

I was picturing them dangling which gave me some cause for concern. Feeling slightly better now that I can't visualise them dangling from my nether regions.

Sorry Meanmum, didn't mean to scare you off.

Bad Nerdgirl! Preview your damn messages!

Oooooo Luvly image girls! I was wondering if you accessorize with different coloured weights on the end! How disappointing!

I can't think of anything else to say about this but hope the thread keeps going as I keep laughing out loud every time I read it.

I suppose you could accessorize but always ensure your hair beads complement them!!!!

Wow, hair beads to match!! Genuis!!! ...and what about bells and lights????

...and we could have weight lifting competitions.

Now what was that marketing website called again...?