After you gave birth naturally - what changed?

[quickchat]

OMG I have just watched 'embarrassing bodies' and seen a 23 yr old with a vaginal prolapse. My poor 88 yr old Gran had that but I didn't know it happened "quite commonly after child birth" . Now during the interview with this poor girl she said after her OP "I can actually have a bowel movement without problems for the first time in years". I had a C-section with first and felt absolutely no different down below afterwards, obviously but with my 2nd it was natural and I have definitely felt everything feels a little lower. I feel like my bowel movements are very sluggish, sorry TMI.

I just accepted this but after watching that and im now 28 weeks with #3 im thinking, shit, im going to end up inside out! Obviously my pelvic floor is already a bit knackered. I want to go running without weeing myself!!

How did you feel downstairs after?

(sorry)

I've had 2 naturally and feel normal, I think...but I never gave down there a whole lot of attention beforehand so don't really feel I can do a direct comparison.

I would say my pelvic floor got a bit weaker so I do try to remember to do my pelvic floor exercises all the time but no problem with bowel movements or anything apart from the first scary post-birth one with stitches still in place .

Hope you don't end up with a prolapse. It's probably worth mentioning the "lower" feeling to doc or midwife.

I never felt my pelvic floor was particularly strong before DD, as I could never really 'get' the exercises. However, I'm trying really hard now I'm pg with #2 & feel it might be getting a bit better, although still leak a little when sneezing on a full bladder

Don't think I felt anything is lower, or problematic myself, although I did have some internal stitches that changed the general sensations down there anyway, so maybe I would have noticed otherwise iyswim.

Def mention it to the MW & get doing the exercises!! :)

A few weeks after, I went for a wee, wiped myself and instead of the feeling all together as it were, it felt like ^ I thought Fook me I've caved in.

Although, thinking about it, occassionally, I would wee a little when running too... I had thought about getting one of those kegel devices to do the exercises properly, but they're not suitable for use in pg. Will just DIY it until after baby comes & hope for an easy birth!! :)

Ha, wish I could have an elcs but when I did query this the consultant looked at me like I said "could I have one of your kidneys please". Followed by "why on earth would you ask for that, No".

OK then.

I worded it wrong. I could actually run without weeing myself and after listening to friends after a few glasses of wine Im quite lucky and unique with this after a natural birth. Apparently my friends are all weeing freely with every laugh we have! I don't think (she hopes) I have any major probs YET but I am thinking since I do feel a little different that one more baby and I will be wearing tena ladies and avoiding exercise.

panthan Oh god your right, I remember that. It was horrible after the birth. I didn't dare look, I imagined Id have seen daylight .

Oh no I can't do this again, it's all coming back to me. If I stand on my head will the baby stay breech? I need a CS.

leaves to find paper bag

Oh I'm sorry quick, things seems to have filled out a bit now.feeble attempt to reassure OP.

Felt absolutely fine, have experienced a bit of leakage in this pregnancy but now my cough is cleared up and I've been a bit more Dili gent with pelvic floor exercises it's not so bad.

I don't think a c-section is always a magic solution, as pregnancy is hard on that muscle group. A have a friend who had an EMCS but who did no pushing, who can't pee without laughing.

Or laugh without peeing even.

quick I managed to run, laugh and do all manner of things without weeing myself when not pregnant so there is hope.

Not being able to pee without laughing made me actually lol, furryones!

If you want an elcs I don't think they have the right to deny you? [[http://www.nursinginpractice.com/article/nice-backs-womens-right-elective-caesareans "For women who ask for a CS in the absence of any clinical indication, physical or mental, the guideline says they should be asked why they are requesting the operation, and be provided with full information about the risks and benefits. They should also be offered the opportunity to discuss the procedure with other members of the obstetric team. If, after this, they still want to have a CS, they should be allowed to have one."] This is from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines, updated last Nov. From the same link "Women requesting a caesarean should be offered counselling and told of the risks involved but the ultimate decision lies firmly with the mother-to-be."

Sorry, let's try that link again [[www.nursinginpractice.com/article/nice-backs-womens-right-elective-caesareans

No differences here after 3 vaginal births.

My stomach, on the other hand, now looks permanently pregnant, but that would be the same with a CS, I imagine.

I've had a DD and twin boys all within the space of 2 years, all naturally and my nether regions feel totally normal. I wee when I want to, not when I sneeze. But I am dogged in my approach to pelvic floor exercises, perhaps because at the women's physio I go to they've got a sign in their lobby that says "I laughed so much the tears ran down my thighs."

skullandcrossbones, that pregnant look is often diastasis recti, which I do have, because I had two whopping twins at 38 weeks. The gits

Apart from needing to cross my legs when I sneeze everything is back to normal after two vaginal births

With DS I felt like everything was getting a but heavy when I was pregnant. Worse second time with DD.

I was offered a CS with DD and did a fair bit of reading. One thing I remember is that prolapses were just as common in those who had CS once you got to a certain age - being pregnant causes weaknesses I think. However VB itself presents risks too eg through tearing etc.

I think we should all be clenching our floors a bit more

I've had one cs and one forceps assisted vbac with episiotomy. (7 weeks ago)

was the first time i had my shower and it was all so swollen, but it's settled down ok i think. my main problem has been the piles I've acquired episiotomy scar seems fine.

i did have problems weeing for a week or so, MW reckoned it was to do with loss of tone and it would settle down. she seems to have been right.

i have just spent over a week coughing and sneezing vigorously without unexpected weeing- does that mean my pelvic floor is probably doing ok?

I'm not brave enough to try a trampoline test!

I have had vb and cs. I felt that both had an effect on my pelvic floor (because I think that the pregnancy itself had an effect, regardless of the way that the baby came out. I think that pelvic floor exercises make a huge difference, and I remember that post VB OMG moment, but now that things feel much more together again. I do feel lucky though, as I have no continence issues at all, and no fear of jumping on a trampoline or doing star jumps, and I know a lot of people who do have issues with leakage.

One link: these easiest way to make sure you're working your pelvic floor! I've only had 1 VB and had a few leaky problems straight after the birth, started using them and (although I was convinced they would fall out at first ) I now feel back to normal down there!!

Scar is fine, pelvic floor is fine but I still have nobby styles !
I remember two episodes in the days after birth that made me do my pelvic floors:

• I felt sick, threw up and promptly pissed my pyjamas at the same time!
• I had to sit BF DD on the toilet as a poo took me about an hour as I couldn't push. Was sitting there thinking "is this my life now?"

The only thing about those balls RockChick is that they concentrate you on your fanjo and you tend to forget about the rest of it. They are brilliant, but I've found doing squeeze and holds of my uretha, then my vagina, then the anus really really helped get the whole pelvic floor exercising.

And yeah, I think pregnancy does the damage almost as much, if not more than the birth. It's like your boobs - even if you don't bf you get saggy ones as your breasts change during pregnancy...sigh.