Post vaginal birth .... questions

I have just had my 2nd baby 18 months after 1st. 1st birth was natural with epidural, vontouse, episiotome - long labour 7lb3 baby. Second birth - last week, was quick natural no drugs, 8lb baby. I dont recal after first baby, but in pregnancy with baby 2 I noticed a lot more leakage when coughing, etc - and put this down to pregnancy. However 1 week post my 2nd baby and if I cough, sneeze etc I leak - quite a lot. I am still bleeding and have a small vaginal tear - didnt need stitches, however the leakage is disturbing. Do pelvic floor exercises really work - they dont seem to do much for me. Also is this likely to be something that improves ie I am just post birth, or is this my new life... asa runner I hope not!

I had this and I use smartballs and they do actually work at strengthening your pelvic floor. Pelvic floor exercises hadn't done hardly anything to improve my leakage so I got these and within 2 days there was a difference. The way I measured how much it helped was how many star jumps i could do at my fitness group without leaking. It use to be 1, after a couple of weeks it was 10+ and its way more now. Yes they cost a wee bit but I'd rather use those than suffer a lifetime of leakage. You won't be able to use something like that til after your bleeding has stopped but its well worth it

MissShell wrote: I think it is really common, especially after more than one baby. Pelvic floor exercises do work, but you have to do them often and consistently (not sure of the frequency, you may have to google).

A doctor on Good Morning said 20 squeezes (for lack of a better word!) 3 times a day, begin by holding for 1 second and work up to holding for 4seconds each time. I often try to do them when I have finished on the toilet, it kind of reminds me to do them.

I am pretty sure it will get better over time, everything has had a bit of a hard time in the last week, but if it isn't much improved before your mw discharges you I would have a chat to her about what to do next

thanks ladies - will def get some smartballs as the leakage is bad....doesnt help I have a cold and coughing all the time at the mo either....

Yeah, you don't want to be putting anything in there for another five weeks or so anyway.

My mw got me some stickers to put in random places when I was pregnant with my first (eg fridge door, light switch , computer screen, car steering wheel). No one knew what they were so it wasn't embarrassing but reminded me each time I saw a sticker to do 10 or so. Also doing them each time you feed bub like sethsmama said is a good reminder.
They do work but like others say you need to do them frequently (as in, several times a day).
In the meantime, give yourself a break - that area takes a bit of a hammering in pregnancy and birth and wont be 100% right away - and wear a good pad or liner until you are comfortable not doing so.

I had leakage after my first, that didnt go away even after doing my pelvic floors religiously and seeing a specialist physiotherapist. If it is a long term problem, there is a small surgical procedure that can be done to fix it by a gynaecologist, but they wont generally do it until you have finished having children.

But - your body doesnt know yet what its doing.....give yourself at least 6mths to recover physically from birth, and if its still a problem, talk to your GP.

 

consider seeing a physiotherapist who specialises in post natal issues too, if you don't have much luck on your own with the other tips people here have given you.

Mine was amazing, and even though I didn't have problems with leaking, she gave me heaps of tips for next baby anyway