Pelvic floor pain and weakness question

[willow5]

I'm asking for a friend who gave birth 3 weeks ago. She had a vacuum extraction, a small graze needing 2 stitches and a labial tear needing 5 stitches. She is having considerable pain and pressure in her pelvic floor, peri and labia. This happens after she urinates, when she needs to have a bowel movement and she can't stand or walk for more than about 20 minutes before the pain and pressure gets so much she needs to sit down to relieve it.
When she does pelvic floor exercises she says she can feel her pelvic floor muscles tremor, for a lack of a better way to describe it.

I have had four babies and some considerable tears, 3rd and fourth degree, but have never experienced what she is describing. I was just wondering if any one else has and what it was and how long until it may ease up for her? I think it is worth getting checked out before her 6 week check as it just doesn't sound quite normal to me, but then maybe I was just lucky?

[Frangipani Lou]

I haven't experienced this but did have pelvic floor weakness and I've been seeing a continence physio which is helping. Id get it checked out ASAP. Something may have been missed and I can imagine dealing with that pain and a caring for a new bubba would be quite tricky.

[Bloom]

Did she have a considerable length of time pushing? (Just wondering if that what had led to the vaccuum)

I did have some of what your friend describes after my first child who was a lengthy 2nd stage (notes say 2hrs, I know it was more like 3hrs) and ended in a vacuum. It improved a lot over the first 3-4 weeks and the pain was never intense more like a dull ache or muscle fatigue and I only have "normal" level pelvic floor issues after that which improved with pilates. But I'd suggest she sees a MW or physio.

My local hospital have a outpatients physio clinic for postnatal issues which is free...

[jellybean88]

I had that with my first and I only pushed for 5 mins but got a fair bit of damage, I found it took up to 3 months before I was relatively back to normal again but make sure she keeps up the pelvic exercise I ended up getting a prolapse