See what Mumsnet testers think about INNOVO®’s new pelvic stimulator. Non-testers: win the machine, worth £249! NOW CLOSED

[RebeccaEMumsnet]

This thread is for the ten Mumsnetters who were chosen by INNOVO® to test and keep their new pelvic floor stimulator, which is designed to alleviate stress incontinence.

Stress incontinence is the term used when leaks accidently occur from coughing, sneezing, laughing, jumping or doing heavy lifting. These simple movements put pressure on the bladder and, should your pelvic floor muscles be unable to tighten enough, will cause a leak. Stress incontinence can also be called bladder weakness or urinary incontinence. INNOVO® is a new pelvic floor stimulator that works to strengthen the muscle and put an end to those pesky leaks.

Here’s what INNOVO™ have to say about their product:
‘Innovotherapy is a non-invasive way to restore your pelvic floor, treating the primary cause of urinary leaks rather than just masking the symptoms. Using a hand held controller that is attached to a two part garment, Innovotherapy sends targeted impulses via conductive pads (attached to your upper thigh and buttocks) to safely and effectively activate the muscles of the pelvic floor. It is a proven technology which has been designed to optimally strengthen your pelvic floor with 180 perfect contractions per session, allowing the device to do your pelvic floor exercises for you.
Results from a research study prove that women who experience stress incontinence will experience significant improvements in as little as four weeks by using INNOVO® five days a week for 30 minutes. After 12 weeks of treatment the participants were defined as being ‘dry’ or ‘almost dry’. So it won’t take long to get your confidence back’

Testers were asked to use the product for thirty minutes per day, five times per week, over a twelve week period – the recommended treatment programme from INNOVO®.

Testers, please answer the following questions:

• How did you find the process of learning to use INNOVO®? Did you receive support where needed?
• What did you do to pass the time while using INNOVO®?
• What did the sensation of using INNOVO® feel like?
• Have you noticed an improvement in the strength of your pelvic floor after testing for 12 weeks? If so, when did you first start to notice the improvement? What activities/ actions can you do now that you couldn’t before?
• Would you recommend INNOVO® to a friend with bladder sensitivity?

Non testers, in order to be entered into the prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win an INNOVO® worth £249, please tell us how the machine would improve your life by strengthening your pelvic floor.

All testers who complete the feedback process will be entered into a prize draw where one tester will win a £300 Love2Shop Voucher.

Thanks, MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Members of our Mumsnet Blogger Panel also reviewed the INNOVO® . You can read the reviews by clicking on the blog names below:

[[http://www.hexmumblog.com/2016/07/time-restore-floor/
Hex Mum]]
Northern Beauty Blogs
Mad House of Cats and Babies
Chammy IRL
Rachael Jess
Testing Time Blog
M's Memories
Over 40 and Mum of One
3 Princess 1 Dude
Thoughts from Random Woman
Autism Mumma
Tantrums to Smiles

Non-tester. I have hypermobility, 2 natural births and have tried everything from pelvic floor exercises, cones, to internal electro stim. As my periods are now every 3 weeks regular use of the internal electro stim is impossible. I'm trying to avoid surgery for bladder prolapse for a number of reasons related to hypermobility, scarring,some pain relief does not work properly etc. I would love to find out if this device would work for me. Exercise is a problem due to poor bladder control and as I am now in my 40s I need impact exercise to stave off osteoporosis. Except I can't do it without wetting myself. Currently sneezing requires me to stop walking and clench. A bad cough is quite simply soul destroying let alone a vomiting bout. The INNOVO could not only change my life and self confidence now but could help me have a healthier old age as I could increase my bone density through impact exercise. Currently I find the constant leaks too uncomfortable and demoralising to do enough.

I would love to imagine a life where, I could sneeze without clenching every muscle I can in the hope that a little bit of wee doesn't escape, or join my children at the trampoline park without fear of damp pants. The system sounds a amazing and it would be great to have a chance of trying it out.

Just saved this thread so I can read all the feedback.
I would love to try one of these but will never be able to justify spending that sort of money as its really tight atm.
I would love to be able to enjoy spending time with the kids on the trampoline in the garden, or jumping jacks, or spinning class without leaking. I'm only 30 and feel a lot older

Non tester here. After three children my pelvic floor is fairly slack! I did buy some of those weighted cone things but didn't really notice a difference. To be able to go out without a bloody panty liner in would be miraculous. To jump, sneeze, run, laugh even be sick without weeing myself would just be amazing! My husband has seen my body in all sorts of conditions but he has no idea about my incontinence it's like the last taboo.

Non-tester: I can echo what a previous poster said - it's sad that so many of us are in the same (leaky) boat. I too wish I could play catch with my son without leaking, and not have to stop and concentrate hard before sneezing (still doesn't always work!). Would indeed be life-changing to get a decent pelvic floor back.

Non-tester here too - my pelvic floor has all the strength and elasticity of a wet paper bag - and I hate it. I do my best with Kegel exercises, but it doesn't help.

As an earlier poster said - I hate feeling like an incontinent OAP. I hate having to wear pads all the time (and I use sanitary towels, rather than arena or similar, because I am just too embarrassed to buy the latter. I fear it will only get worse.

I had three big babies which really hasn't done my pelvic floor any favours, I regularly dribble!. I blame my husband as he was 14lb at birth!.

I would love to test one of these as I have had trouble with my pelvic floor for years. I have had two anterior repairs (before I was thirty) due to childbirth. My pelvic floor hardly lifts at all. I am no longer young but wearing pads and always looking for toilets is a real trial.

id like to win this for my sister.due to a urine problem when little she had to use the toilet non stop throughout the night up and down up and down.this made her floor incredibly weakened due to lota of the time not needing the toilet. thiswould give her that confidence she lost as a child

I find this product massively interesting.
Having 3 children over a 9 year period has taken it's toll on my body, as it would. I have taken every conceivable measure to get my body back, but am defeated by one thing.

I weight train, and have spent years on various bodybuilding techniques, focussing on my core. I do PF exercises as part of my training, and I have worked very hard to get the body I want. From the outside, I am a 40-something woman with a body that could pass for 25. However, the outcome of a major episiotomy with a forceps birth has resulted in invisible damage that cannot be fixed by PF exercises alone. I have a rectocele, which changed my life many years ago, but I can manage it (to an extent), through exercise and having ridiculous hygiene routines. I refuse to have surgical repair, due to the very high risk of complications. Having seen this happen to two close friends has ensured that I will not be following that road. Ever.
This seems to be something that could actually make a significant improvement to this situation, which I have been desperately trying to manage/disguise/tolerate for many years.
If you let me give it a go, I could certainly demonstrate whether this is a viable alternative to the horrible surgeries that many woman undergo. If it is, I can imagine that these will sell incredibly well.
Goodness knows, I would be willing to try anything to finally get my confidence back. I have a great bikini body through a lot of work, but this situation creates a great deal of embarrassment, and I can't fix it myself. It has changed my life for 14 years, and I'd be so delighted to find a non-surgical solution.

The reviews suggest that maybe this could be a real solution to an extremely common, and highly unpleasant problem. If it is, I would happily shout it from the rooftops, repeatedly, and would be incredibly grateful for the opportunity.

Non tester here.
I'd like to win one please after reading the fab reviews as then maybe I can get my leakage under control and my DD won't have to console me when I burst into tears for having wet my pants for no apparently reason.

I am 50 now and the leakage is just getting worse. I would love to try this device. I'm unemployed at the moment so it's unaffordable to me at the moment. My GP has suggested a similar gadget or a minor op - I'd much rather go the gadget route.

I hate wearing pads so can often get through 5 pairs of knickers in one day - I really hate the feeling of dampness and it's a nightmare when I go to the gym.

non-test - this would make a huge difference when i catch a cold and cough - my coughing shows me how weak my pelvic floor is - worse when i sneeze! I'd love to go trampolining with my kids one day again!

Non testers here! I used to love, love, love my yoga and pilates classes before I had DS and DD. After two births however, my pelvic floor muscles just aren't the same- I can't keep up the way I used to. I would love to be able to go back to my classes and enjoy some me time, concentrating on what I CAN do thanks to the INNOVO® rather than what I can't!

Non-tester.

All I can repeat is what I have been told by two different Women's Health specialist physiotherapists: electrical stimulation devices have their place but are no better than simply DOING YOUR EXERCISES (or 'doing yer blardy exercises' as a certain MNer is fond of tweetingsaying).

IME losing weight and actually doing PFE has improved my undercarriage beyond all recognition, in a good way, obviously
4 kids, 3 vaginal births, aged 50, perimenopausal - that's me!
Now have an issue with urgency though….

Non-tester! It's really the little things in life that make a huge difference, and for me the little thing would be not having to get up to go to the bathroom so much in the middle of the night! It would have such a knock-on effect and give me a much better nights sleep so that I'd have more energy to face the day head on, all thanks to the effect of the INNOVO®.

Non Tester here!

Would love to win as I discovered I had a weak pelvic floor when I tried to jump on our new trampoline with the children!! I'd love to be able to jump along with them, and have fun and giggles instead of leaks and running away with shame!!

Non-tester here - would love to go back to my old life of long walks, dancing and spontaneity.

Non tester here! The INNOVO® would help me so much by giving me strong bladder control. Sneezing, coughing, laughing, exercising- it's embarrassing, inconvenient, uncomfortable and difficult to deal with and I'm scared that it will only get worse in the future! I'd love to stop that from happening.

Non-tester here...

Sob story alert Ex-partner left me when I was pregnant to get with someone else...

I'm only 27 but the ongoing worry of any bladder weakness and having to "DTD" with a new person, after two kids, is really affecting my confidence =(

Non tester here. I was gutted when I realised I'd missed the opportunity to apply to test this, but I would certainly love to win one! Having read the reviews, it only makes me want one more

Non-tester. I am currently using an internal machine after failing my pelvic floor exam post-pregnancy. However it's not very convenient and this sounds like you can wear it and get on with your daily routine.

I've just looked at the website.

It's not cheap.
5x30min every week.
You do have to lie or stand still.
Looks rather cumbersome.

I'd be happy to be convinced that it's great if INNOVO were looking for a later tester

I'm a non-tester, and I would really benefit from INNOVO because the effect of weak pelvic muscles is cyclic and horrible- it is made worse by my stress, which in turn causes leakages, which in turn causes more stress- and so on! This would make such a big positive change on not only my physical health, but my mental health too