Hi, I have have children ages 5, 3 and 3. I have been having problems with not being able to hold urine when I run for the bathroom. I noticed this after my first child was born. It was worse after the twins were born. I had all vaginal births. This is really bothering me. If we go to the park or a place that has a bathroom a long way away. I get urine on my pants. Embarassing! I have been trying to kegals I am not sure if I am doing them correctly. Does anyone have any tips? I would appriciate any input. I didnt think I would have this problem so soon. I thought it would come much later in life. I am 38.My doctor never told me you would pee your pants after having children what a suprise.
Thanks so much, J.
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all of your suggestions. I followed each one. I also searched the internet and found some great sites. I have finally figured out how to to tell if I am doing them. They are difficult to do properly. I have already noticed a change since doing them. Thanks so much! J.
I do have a handout that I give to my clients. It was written by a women's physical therapist. If you would like to email me, I can send an e-copy to you.
____@____.com
When you are peeing, stop your urine in mid stream. This is a Kegel. You can do lots of them quickly or just a few (10-30 at a time) that you hold for 10 seconds or longer each time.
I try to do them when commercials come on TV or when I'm stopped at a red light (try to hold through entire red light).
This will REALLY help with the incontinence.
I had absolutely NO bladder control after the delivery of my first and had to work hard to regain it- now it is almost back to normal.
This is a good site with useful info
http://sexuality.about.com/od/anatomyresponse/ht/kegelswo...
My prenatal yoga instructor always has a good analogy for doing kegel exercises...she suggests envisioning your pelvic floor like an elevator and as you squeeze your kegels try to think of that elevator going up several floors. As you raise the elevator up each floor you squeeze and hold a little more intense. BUT- the key is when you lower 'your elevator' DO NOT let it bottom out but instead control letting your muscle down each floor. You can do it while folding laundry or driving or standing in line at the grocery store! :)
It is difficult at first just like any exercise but you will get strong fast.
Good luck ,
A.
To do kegel's properly you squeeze your pelvic floor muscles like you're trying to stop your urine stream. It sounds like you have detrusor instability (DI) or urge incontinence. Kegel's probably won't help that much. It's where the muscle of your bladder is unstable and sqeezes when it starts to get full, without your conscious permission! THere is medicine that will help this, you see ads for these meds on TV all the time. Hope this helps.
Hi J., I just want to stress that you want to be sure you're not using your stomach muscles when you do kegals. Good luck!
Hi J.
My clients have good result's by exercising the pelvic floor muscle, pelvic tilts on the swiss ball and mat pilates exercise's.
Also add in some yoga, any time you can strengthen the pelvic floor muscle and your core. To help identify the correct muscles ,imagine you are trying to stop from passing gas.The muscles you squeeze are your pelvic muscles.
Try to do the exercise's two - three times a day.
Make sure you are not using the muscles in your legs, abdomen or buttocks, as it's important to use only your pelvic muscles. Remember to keep breathing
To more happy day's at the park,
K.
kimsopoci.com
This is a medical problem called incontinence which might be too late for kegel exercises. I would start with my gynecologist and he or she will be able to determine what type of incontinence you have and take care of it. It is treatable, VERY common and isn't a big deal even if you need surgery. It's outpatient and they vaginally place a sling to hold the bladder in place. There is so much information online about kegel exercises and incontinence. One site is http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uiwomen/index...
If you ask female friends & family about this you'll find many who have had these types of procedures done. My husband does 3 or 4 of these surgeries per week. Good luck.
Next time you pee, stop in the middle of your stream. They way that you stop it is the same way that you do a kegal! Also, if you are going somewhere where you don't know if there will be a bathroom close by you could always wear a pad, just in case you don't make it! That way you will stay dry and free of embarrassment! Good luck!
The Joys of having babies ;0) Basically the best way to do them is while you are urinating. Squeeze & stop the flow of urine. Then you know you are doing them right.
Your doctor should have encouraged you to do them right after your births at least 200 kegals a day, for a few weeks & then periodically over the months to tone. It is just like any other muscle it CAN become lax if not exercised properly. Hang in there "this to shall pass". Pardon the Pun. Hope all turns out well, Warmest regards. G
I have a couple of different ideas for you because this has also been a major issue for me also. I think that if you are urinating and are able to stop the flow mid-stream you would be doing kegels properly. Do practice that several times a day. I have a friend that had her bladder lifted after having an eleven pound baby boy. She has no problems. Probably the most common reason is that women are going through peri-menopause. You can read articles about this on the internet. I would give you a link but I am not computer literate. When hormones start dropping so does the bladder control. I know you are only 38, but peri-menopause can last up to 13 years. 51 is the average age for women to go through menopause. If you have more questions about this you can write me and I will help. I go and have my hormones checked at least once a year. I am in my forties and hormones replacement really has nothing to do with age.
I think you should definitely get the handout the midwife respondant offered. It will probably be really helpful, since she helps moms with this sort of thing all the time.
I think it was a description in Dr. William Sears' and Martha Sears' "The Birth Book" that helped me a lot-- they said Kegels should be like contract-release pulsing in the beginning before your pelvic floor gets strong, but then you should work up to being able to hold the contraction for a few seconds and release it in a smooth controlled way. The visualization suggestions were an elevator going up and then slowly coming back down, or a kangaroo's tail lifting up and down. Silly, but the visualization helped me. Stopping and starting your flow of urine is only meant to help you locate your Kegel muscle--my midwife said you don't want to be interrupting a stream of urine all the time. It can help to have a trigger that reminds you to do some Kegels. Some moms do them at red lights.
Congratulations on your little men and your vaginal births, especially with twins! Good work!
I so understand.......I actually found a device that works wonders. You just do it 3 mins a day.
Try Ben Wa balls. Look them up after the kids go to bed though because they're an adult novelty product. Insert one, don't leave the house & always wear undies (the 3 biggest rules we learned about them-she had great horror stories about the girl who tried two & left the house in a skirt & pantyhose w/no undies.. you can finish the rest lol) Holding it in place will work those muscles & you won't have to remember to do them-that's my problem!
