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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Pelvic Floor problem in subsequent pregnancies???

12 replies

twiglett · 19/01/2004 22:08

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MammyShirl · 19/01/2004 22:21

I hate pelvic floor exercises!!!!!!!! they feel funny, i always get to 10 and stop. i was great during pregnancy, done them religiously but since giving birth 10 months ago - i just cant be assed, i really hate the feeling. went out for my sisters birthday the other week, got very drunk and dances like a nutter, i was jumping up and down and to my horror some wee cam out!!!!! but then i had been holding it in for hours - keep saying that to myself.

24 weeks is still quite pregnant, you've got the baby, placenta and your organs squashing down on your muscles which have already been weakened by your 1st baby so i guess it is just a pregnancy thing (not helped by your cough) im sure it wont carry on after if you try and do the bloody dreaded exercises. them and stomach crunchies -the two most crucial, easiest most ANNOYING exercises us woman have to do!...

sashaboo · 19/01/2004 22:25

On second pregnancy (35 weeks) and have a prolapse but not suffered too much with leaks but this has got better as the pregnancy has gone on. Thinking back 2nd trimester was the worst. Hope the following helps...

don't know. positive thinking and standing still usually helps me.
possibly with intensive work.
no. 80% of women after 3 children! (something like 65% after 2)
yes, which is why I'm hopeless at doing them.

My consultant said that it is the weight of carrying the baby during pregnancy together with the relaxing of the tissues that causes the problems not the type of birth.

Sorry this isn't more cheery but you are not alone!

handlemecarefully · 20/01/2004 10:10

No, its not just you. I am on 2nd pregnancy and have ended up with damp knickers after coughing! In my case went a bit overboard with pelvic floor exercises after that (I don't enjoy doing them either) and it seemed to nip the problem in the bud...

Bozza · 20/01/2004 12:39

No twiglett I've been the same - I think I probably posted about having an awful cough over Christmas (when I was c. 20 weeks)and coupled with this side-effect it really got me down. If last time is anything to go by - it did get better afterwards but gradually. Also I'm hopeless at the exercises - have considered requesting physio to make sure I'm doing them right but not quite brought myself to yet. I think it will ease off a little once your cough gets better.

zebra · 20/01/2004 12:46

I thought it was vaginal birth not pregnancy that weakened the pelvic floor... is it just pregnancy that causes the weakness, then?

Blu · 20/01/2004 12:52

Twiglett, when you do the excercises, concentrate on keeping your jaw and mouth and shoulders relaxed, perhaps breathing out gently through your mouth. It sounds as if you may be tensing your whole body as you Sque-e-e-e-e-ze.

Quackers · 21/01/2004 09:29

I don't have the best PF either. If I go swimming, I leak like crazy after!! It's really annoying. Also, coughing, sneezing etc... Must try to get some PF exercises done as I was so good first pgcy.

sashaboo · 21/01/2004 09:36

zebra - according to my consultant it is. He said that if you have 3 c-sections your pelvic floor will be in the same state as someone who has had 3 vaginal births.

I would have thought all that pushing would have weakened it but in a way it makes sense as it's a heavy weight to carry around for a long time on what seems to be such a delicate muscle. Maybe vaginal birth doesn't help but it sounds like the damage is done before you get that far.

Original poster

twiglett · 21/01/2004 09:57

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pupuce · 21/01/2004 10:01

Zebra - The protective effect of a caesarean on urinary incontinence dissipates by age 50, so that older women have the same rate of urinary incontinence regardless of the way they gave birth.
Rortveit G, Dalveit AK, Hannestad YS, Hunskaar S. Urinary incontinence after vaginal delivery or cesarean section. N Engl J Med 2003; 348: 900-7.

Fennel · 21/01/2004 14:41

I get this too (currently coughing and sneezing at 28 weeks, 3rd pregnancy). got it 2nd time around when had a cough too. lots of my friends had it. the worst is when you fart by mistake too - have learnt to do different types of pelvic floor for different muscles.

I'm encouraged by the way you can do the pelvic floor exercises after the baby, there's no rush to worry about doing loads now as far as I can see. I actually quite like pelvic floor exercises - especially if done during sex! (again, after pregnancy, couldn't be bothered at present)

zebra · 21/01/2004 16:00

Well that is fascinating! Another pro-C-Section myth debunked.

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