@Verbena87
Thanks! I don't mind sharing at all. It sounds naive now considering what I've read recently, but I hadn't really made any decisions based on whether my condition would worsen at all. This is because the consultant I saw after my first birth gave the impression that I would have surgery once family complete, and job done - fixed!
It's only now that my family IS complete that I have started reading up on it and discovered that (a) surgery can be unsuccessful or may need re-doing, and (b) that I probably should have seen a specialist physio back then, and been doing all sorts of things to maintain my pelvic floor!
My first birth was vaginal, but I had to be induced (because my waters broke at 35w but I didn't go into labour). The contractions began so suddenly and intensely that I just couldn't cope, and had an epidural. So then ended up on my back for the rest of the labour and having an instrumental delivery (forceps) with episiotomy - all things which I now know are associated with pelvic floor damage
. A few weeks after the birth, I noticed some urinary incontinence, and a dragging feeling down below, so was referred to the consultant.
I had actually been doing pelvic floor exercises religiously during my pregnancy, and found that it just felt as though there was less muscle there to tense afterwards. However, I continued the exercises for 3 months post partum but felt they made little difference to the incontinence/prolapse, so I kind of gave up after that, thinking "Well, surgery will fix me".
Have been doing high impact exercise/running/lifting heavy weights ever since - oops.
After that, I had two further vaginal births - both a lot more natural - no epidural, no instruments, and upright position. I didn't feel that the pelvic floor situation had worsened at all with either of these, despite doing no PVEs whatsoever. Even the incontinence pretty much resolved.
My recent (4th) vaginal birth was a little trickier, in that baby came out with arm up by head (think Superman), so the pushing stage felt harder and more painful than previously. About 3 weeks PP I felt as though the prolapse (bladder one - I can't feel the rectal one) was worse and a bit sore, and have noticed some mild incontinence.
However I have been doing the NHS Squeezy app 3 times a day and things feel much better - pretty much back to how I was before 4th birth. I have read that breastfeeding hormones worsen symptoms for a while and that it tends to occur a few weeks PP, so I hope that is why things felt worse, and that they will improve when I finish bf.
It's good to hear your experiences. I really want to do postnatal Pilates as my back feels weak as well but will wait to see if GP or specialist physio can recommend one for pelvic floor issues. I would also like surgery one day and be totally "fixed" if that is possible. Always hoped I'd run the London marathon one day! Maybe will have to wait until techniques have improved and chances of complete success are higher? Maybe need to research which surgeons are best?
Anyway, I hope my story of little/no worsening of symptoms despite total lack of consideration/care for pelvic floor, gives you some hope! Did you have an instrumental delivery by any chance?