Have you done your pelvic floor?

[Narelle]

Hi Everyone!
I was just wondering if anyone out there is as lazy as me when it comes to pelvic floor exercises :rolleyes: . I know I should do them but I either forget or can't be bothered, am I going to be sorry? Let me know if you did them or didn't and what difference it made?

[draught]

Hi Narelle
Hmmm.....I am not great at remembering to do mine either, but try to do them when I can. Two vaginal deliveries of babies with large heads has not left my pelvic floor in good shape at all, and the physio says that even doing lots of exercise will not return it to it's former glory. The joys of motherhood!

Some things to be aware of - a recent indepth study published at a OB/GYN conference in NZ last year showed that one year after birth there was a difference in the number of women suffering stress incontinence between those who had VB vs those who had CS. But 5 years after giving birth there is no difference between the two groups. (Which I was delighted to tell a girlfriend who had an elective CS and used to laugh that she would never have those problems). Now whether than means that we all develop stress incontinence anyway after beingn pregnant, or whether doing pelvic floor improves it, I don't know, but I am voting for the "doing your exercises has to fix things up a bit"!

[pinkandblue]

Hi
When I was pregnant with my daughter I hardly did any pelvic floor exercises. I did them when I remembered, which was not often. After I had my daughter, I knew I should have done them. I kept having to go to the toilet all the time and I couldnt stand for long periods of time because it would feel like I could feel my pelvic floor muscles falling down (sounds weird but I could feel it) and also if I sneezed and laughed too much I would sometimes wet myself a little. My daughter is now 2 years old and all these problems have gone. I am now 7 weeks pregnant again and I know I'm not going to forget to do them this time.
Natalie

[wattle]

Let's face it - it's hard enough to remember the vital things when you're pregnant and you're too busy after bub is born. I'm sure everyone thinks 'I should have done them more'. If you forget, you're normal.

I found that it was helpful to do them when the ad breaks came on telly, it was a reminder for me.

[alicesmum]

TRY THIS...

Every time you find yourself doing something boring (and let's face it, that happens a lot when you're at home with a small child), use this thought ("I'm bored!") or feeling as a reminder to do your PFE's. I do and so find myself doing them a lot (hanging out washing, winding up the mobile on the baby's cot, mixing cereal, washing dishes, waiting at traffic lights, waiting for the computer to fire up....the list goes on).

I have been doing them a lot since i cottoned onto this strategy and it's made a real difference to my strength down there!!! :)

good luck! :p

[alicesmum]

oh, i also wanted to say that I have found doing PFE's really good for cultivating mindfulness. By that I mean that when you are doing something boring, remembering to do PFE's helps to stay focused on what you're doing, when you might otherwise be thinking all those unhelpful thoughts that can go with motherhood, like "my partner just doesn't understand" "I'm so bloody tired", "I have so much to do" etc etc etc.

Sorry it's a zen and yoga thing!!! But hopefully you know what i mean...!!!
TRY IT!

ALso, you should always try and remmeber to hold your pelvic floor when sneezing, coughing, laughing, shouting, and getting in and out of the car (that's what my pregnancy yoga teacher said anyway and I do and it's v helpful!)

[WeThree]

im doing them right now :) after 3 kids i try to do them whenever i remember!

[tread]

I have a fridge magnet to remind me, and that seems to work well. :)

[Narelle]

Thanks for all the good tips on how to remember to do them also it's good to know I'm not the only one who is a bit slack! :p I must admit I feel more motivated now although there is not much time left before my baby is born I will definately be doing them afterwards! :D Because of course I don't want to be wetting myself but I've also read it improves your sex life (that's if I have one once I'm a mum!!)
Thanks again! talk to you all again soon! :)

[our little treasures]

I thought that i would add to this, make sure you do them. When I was preggers with dd I was so proud as all my friends had complained about sneezing laughing etc and I never had the problem. Well after #1 I had ventrous after 33hrs labour and suffered third degree tears :( . After being told by everyone to do them I thought that I would be fine(besides down there was in agony) well I began to leak when laughing sneezing etc. I think the most embarassing was when I fell preggers this time and was very ill, dh came in to see if i was alright and i had to tell him to get a towel (I had literally wet myself). After that I have been doing them everytime the thoughts there or someone mentions it.
So I have learn't my lesson.

I hope that you have had your bubba if not good luck :)

[Tannie]

I too have been a bit hopeless with remembering to do them :o Everytime the antenatal midwife asked or dr or whoever I'd say "yes - I'm doing lots of them..." and lie straight through my teeth :D
but to be honest - I never had a problem with "control" throughout my whole pregnancy - even when she was sitting right on my bladder and I could only keep about 30 mls in there max - I didn't ever loose control of it -just was uncomfortable holding it in.....iykwim?
so many women said to me "make sure you wear pads those last weeks...." but I never had to - I never felt I was going to "lose it" and would have been a bit horrified at myself if I had - to be honest.
I had an elective caesar though too - so I guess I have the usual "wear and tear" of pregancy - but no damage to area from birthing.........I know it doesn't completely solve the problem - but surely helps not having lots of birth trauma injuries to the region.
In any case - now I just try to walk most days pushing the stroller and I hold all my tummy and pelvic muscles as much as I can whilst I walk (downhill is particularly good for lower abdo area - control the downhills instead of just flopping your body....) I do some pelvic floors when I think about it - but wouldn't even be every day I don't reckon :eek: I feel it's all completely back to normal - but again - as I had el c/s I felt like this from day 2 anyway - never had problems in this area and no issues with restarting sex life etc......
T