Is there hope for my incontinent pelvic floor?

yup, I'm one of the 1in 3 people who suffer from incontinence post birth, and am wondering if there is hope for me (I need encouragement to keep doing all those pelvic floor exercises)... I attempted to use the skipping rope at the gym this arvo and had to stop quickly; lifting sometimes does it, and I had problems when coughing with the flu earlier in the winter!

The back story is that I had a vaginal delivery (almost 3 years ago), but with lots of intervention (induction at 42wks, ventouse, rotation, forceps, pink baby with a great apgar score and now a great personality). The extra thing that I think may be an issue is that the catheter they placed in my bladder when I wussed out and had an epidural came out during the delivery - WITH THE CUFF UP! So my urethra is a bit more stretched than it should be...

Does anyone have similar experiences (and successful outcomes?), do I need to get myself one of those physios who specialise in plumbing, or should I check in to an incontincence clinic (is there one in the Newcastle region, NSW?).

Legs crossed for now,

Ange

Hey Angie-la

i would definately recommend visiting a physio that specialises in womens issues...after a traumatic birth sometimes we need a little extra helping hand to get back on track :)

xx yogababy

hey angie my pelvis floor has had after jess she was a big baby and i have got the weakest muscles i still try to do my tightenings ikwim and it doesnt even feel like there working.i been to the physio and i have to go back just keep forgetting .but yes i recommed going to see someone definately

I couldn't recommend a womens health physio highly enough. I saw one after the delivery of my daughter (forceps, 4th degree tear) and the information she gave me helped a lot.

Hi Angie
All is not lost. You can improve your pelvic floor muscles but like any other muscles you need to exercise them on a regular basis. Here is a couple of guides to help you.

Sit on a dining room type chair.
Spread your knees apart.
Lean forward so that you can feel your vulva touching the chair seat.
Now imagine that you have got diarrhoea and are not near a toilet.
Pull up your muscles in you bottom.
Hold your mules in that position.
Next try to lift your vulva of the chair seat by just using your pelvic floor muscles.
Hold that for 10 seconds.
Repeat this about 10 times.
You need to do this about 5 times a day.

First get to know what it feels like and how to do it.
When you go to the toilet (for a wee) try to stop the urine mid stream, and hold it for a few seconds. Try to do this 2 or 3 times each time you go to the toilet. After you have mastered this the next step is to not only stop the flow of urine but to pull the urine out of the toilet and back into your bladder (not for real). You can imagine how hard your muscles would have to pull up to do this and that is what you should aim for.
When you know what it feels like and how to do it. You should do the same thing throughout the day. A good idea would be to use a prompt to encourage and remind you to exercise. For example, exercise every time you sit down and before you get up again. After a few weeks you will be exercising without even thinking about it.

Also a little rhyme that may help you is:- Open a door do the pelvic floor.

Go and see a womens health physio, you can find one near you on the Australian Physiotherapy Association's 'find a physio' section. Otherwise there are continence services around as well, which have both nurses and physios although sometimes their funding is limited to certain people (eg kids, older people).

Angie, Ur gp should b able 2 give u a referral 2 a womens health physio thru a hospital clinic thats covered by medicare. Physios can b so expensive which i think deterrs ppl from going 2 them.