Incontinence Issues

By all means, go see your doctor. If he tells you just to do more Kegels, get a second opinion. Probably you will be recommended for a minor surgical procedure to tighten things up a bit.

C. (sahm of 6 children ages 28-13)

I have 2 kids and have had slight incontinence issues, but your problem seem extreme to me, especially 9 months later. I have a friend with similar issues, and she just had a surgery to lift her bladder to fix the problem now that she's done having children.

Hi B.,

I am a 30 year old mother of 2 and after my second child I really noticed an incontinence problem. Mostly what they consider stress incontinence. I went to a midwife and she told me do more kegels but I had been doing hundreds a day and nothing. Then I was looking on the internet and they said to contact a urologist. So, I contacted a urologist and he said my bladder had fallen and I was a good cadidate for Trans Vaginal Taping (TVT). He did say if I planned on having more children that the TVT may not hold up. I did not plan on having more children so it was an easy decison for me. I got the surgery in July 2007 and it sounds silly but is has really given me my life back. I could not run with my chidren at the park before without wetting myself. Now I have gotten back into exercising and running. If you would like to chat more about the surgery, please let me know.

Hello, I have/had the same problem. i actually went into my gyno about it. She gave me some differnet Keigels to do and they have helped a ton. I will try to explain, first set squeeze then tighten more and hold then slowely release, second set fast short ones, and then two sets of the regular ones. She had me doing 100 - 500 a day. I only have one baby and she said when I have more it willl get worse but when I am all done having babiesm there is an outpatient procedure to fix it. Best of luck to you, I know how it sucks. But the kids sure are worth it. :)

B., Just wanted you to know that you are not alone and that this is common. I have had issues increasing with each child. At least your body is still recovering. I am not as young as you as I am 41 now and had my last child 2 years ago. I find caffiene, which I occasionally need to get through my morning, worsens it considerably. I don't run as much, but have problems doing a pilates move that you rock on your belly and my kids laugh because when we jump rope (they are in karate) Because I always have to make more trips to potty. I cross my legs when I sneeze. Kegels are what I need to remember more of too, but I think they can only do so much. My last OB said to really squuze the kegel hard and hold for 10. I was glad to have more specific advice as I was not holding it enough! I am and recommend you go to web md, always my first choice to get up to speed on things. Hope you get great advice and thanks because I might benefit too. thanks for bringing it up! A.

B.,
As a midwife I see this situation more often than most. Its not something people talk about much! I would try everything you can before you consider a surgical option. Surgery does not always solve the problem,sometimes can make things worse, and when its done, its done. No going back.
Kegels can definately work for you, but just kegel exercises on their own are not enough. you can lift your arm a thousand times but until you put some weight in your hand,you will not gain strength. There are devices you can buy that are inserted vaginally for you to do kegel exercises with so you can get some resistance training. These can be very effective. There is a set using increasingly heavier weights and there is one that uses a spring to give increasing resistance. google kegel devices and you will get lots of info. Don't be discouraged. It may take some effort, but you can make a gain on this!
P. W

Yes, same thing for me. I only have two kids, and I'm only 32. I've had the problem for years. I just wear pantiliners, and try to remember to use the bathroom every couple of hours whether i feel the urge or not. I would never undergo major surgery for such a little thing, nobody else knows you leak! Except for all of us now!

Hi B.-
I can totally empathize with you! I endured this after my first child. My issue also extended into painful intercourse. I was SOOOOOO embarrassed but after my VERY patient and Saintly husband took me to about 4 doctors, I was referred to a physical therapist in Tucson. Tonya at Body Central. There are very simple, painless (no shocking!) exercises that will repair the problem in a few weeks (no kidding!). It's called Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation. You could probably Google it and get the exercises. Don't accept incontinence as your future- it is naturally repairable (well, I'm sure there are some cases that aren't). The PT said that I was one of her youngest patients (at 30!); the majority were 60+ women who had endured incontinence (and sexual problems) since their childbearing years. I used to be totally embarrassed about this but now I just feel that if anyone can get help it's worth it. I can't imagine putting up with this, or enduring unnecessary surgery. I hope you'll make an appointment soon! My treatment was fully covered under our insurance and I only made one co-pay for the initial visit. Of course, even if it hadn't been covered, I would do it in a heartbeat. Good Luck!

B.,

As you can see you are clearly not alone. I am 33 and I have 2 children, my first was a c-section and my second was vaginal, that was just over two years ago and I still have some problems. Usually when I sneeze or cough. I've been a little too embarrassed to talk about it with my doctor and continue doing the kegels in hope that it will improve things. Slowly things have gotten better. It sounds like some of these other ladies have some ideas for you, but I just wanted to let you know that even when we're young we can have this problem. When my son was born (the second child) and I was still in the hospital, I would feel the urge to pee and when I stood up it literally leaked out of me. It was a good thing I had one of those thick hospital pads. Sorry... a little too graphic perhaps. Good luck to you.

D.

I have had this problem since the birth of my second child at the age of 25. I now have 4 children and am seeking the advice from a urologist. Kegals don't fix everything, but I have found that I have less problems when I stay completely off of Soda. Anyhow hope this helps.

Hi B.,

I have given birth to 3 children, all vaginal, and 2 of the births were between 9.9 lbs and 10 lbs. I have never experienced anything with incontinence. I would definately contact your doctor. It is possible that during the pregnancy that something happened.

Good luck with this situation.

A friend of mine also had this issue and she saw a physical therapist that specialized in these issues. She taught her special exercises to do and now she is fine. Maybe check with your insurance or see if the Tucson Birth Center can refer you to someone. She is also a runner and now has no problems. Good luck.

I had a similar problem between the births of my second and third child. (I was 27 also.) My brother is a physical therapist, and recommended some special therapy that they can do to help strengthen the muscles. One involves shock therapy (apparently not painful) where they shock the muscles so they contract and get stronger, much like Kegel exercises but more effective. Your doctor could recommend a good physical therapist. My mom had a bladder sling put in, but I don't think they recommend such a thing until you are through having children and much older.

I just completely agree with the two previous suggestions. Soda is very damaging, especially to women. It can lead to more frequent Urinary Tract Infections, Bone loss, and is not good for the kidneys.
The exercises seem like a good idea, but I am guessing you may need to do them more frequently to really notice a difference. Maybe when you first go pee, go back to bed and do them, baby's nap time and just before sleep. (Bonus to the exercises is that you can do things that may make your husband...or whomever with whom you are involved... smile more too :P )

Hi B.,

I would recommend that you talk to a doctor. I work in an OB/GYN office, the doctors there refer women for Physical Therapy for Pelvic Floor Rehabilitaion. Make sure that is part of your conversation with your OB/GYN.

Good Luck
S. V
www.trueharmonywellness.com
www.trueharmony.typepad.com

Have you been tested since the baby to be sure you aren't diabetic or pre-diabetic? Try eliminating extra sugars and carbs from your diet. (Eat a Low Glycemic Load diet, such as a diabetic would eat.) I only have the problem when I eat wrong. I found too much white flour such as in breads and pasta, alcoholic drinks, and desserts will do it every time for me. Do your kegels and wear the pessary ring, if your bladder is dropped (hysterectomies can do that), and use pantiliners for some self-assurance. People tell me surgery doesn't last more than a few years anyway, so I've avoided it and really don't need my pantiliners any more, using the above suggestions. Good luck!

I have 2 little girls and one on the way and in January I had a horrible cold and had that problem whenever I coughed too hard... particularly when sitting down. If I ever feel like I am going to throw up and think I have the time b4 I try to go pee first just so I don't leak as a result. I know the problems are usually evident while pregnant but this is just my way of saying I understand the embarrassment... heck only my husband knew and I was embarrassed. I have had a mild problem with such things for a long time in my life though and once I was told that a way to strengthen it is to work on it when you are actually going to the bathroom. What you do is you let yourself pee a little bit then try and stop the flow... basically doing kegels while you pee. Don't expect to be able to do it right away, it takes time and effort. But as you go try to stop it then when you do hold it for a moment then let it go again and try and stop it again and so on till you are done. This may sound kind of wierd but it really works to help strengthen those muscles. Some of the other ideas I read on here sound great too hopefully you can figure out what is best for you. Good Luck!

I would seek out a urologist for an evaluation.

You're not alone. I experienced terrible incontinence after my second child was born. Both of my children were vaginal births. I was so embarrassed and horrified when I actually peed my pants right in front of my husband! This happened several times. It was like the time between feeling the urge and actually going was nonexistent. My OB/GYN said that it's due to the stress on the bladder from pregnancy and that it usually goes away. She said if it does not, then there is a procedure that can fix it and she would refer me to a urologist. It took a few months (and secretly wearing thick maxis just in case) before I stopped leaking everytime I coughed, sneezed, or laughed. I guess I'm lucky that my incontinence stopped, but if at 9 months postpartum you're still having trouble you ought to inquire about it at the doctor. You shouldn't have to keep dealing with it.

I had incontinence problems for years after the birth of my second child. My regular GYN recommended a surgical procedure. When I was pregnant with my third child the problems got worse. My mid-wife referred me to Tonya at Body Central in Tucson. She worked wonders! Every week she hooked me up to a computer that measured the strength of my pelvic muscles. Afterwards she would give me homework to do for the week. My muscles became stronger and the problem disappeared. My insurance even covered all the visits.
Don't give up on your kegals but look into physical therapy, it's amazing what it can accomplish.
Good Luck!

This is a very common issue. It doesn't affect future childbearing. I highly recommend getting a book called "Saving The Whole Woman," by Christine Ann Kent. She is an RN who experienced this issue herself and deals very directly with it.

I know how bad this is. After my second baby I would bend over and would leak. It was so embarrassing and frusterating. I couldn't run at the gym and it was hard to do any excercise really without having an accident. I waited until my baby was about 5 or 6 months and went and saw a urologist. She checked to make sure everything was okay and encouraged kegels and said a lot or it had to do with hormones with me still nursing and all. She said to return if it didn't go away a few months after I was done nursing. I continued to workout as much as I could and I could feel myself getting stronger and having less accidents. After I was done nursing at 10 months things went back to normal. It seemed like it took forever for things to change but it will happen for you, hang in there. Hope this helps.
24 year old SAHM or 4 year old girl and 15 month old baby boy

HI B.,

I have not experienced this myself but several of my friends have and their resouding response is to buy something call Ben-Waaah (sp?) balls or "smart balls" as the doctor called them. They come in a couple of different sizes. You insert them and wear them all day long and your natural tendancy is to hold them in. So your are strengthening those muscles all day long. I know that a "Passion Party" consultant can get them or I'm pretty sure they sell them at sex shops or online. It might be worh trying as another option before surgery. Good Luck.

K.

I have exactly the same problem! I have had two kids with vaginal delivery, and one due in July. I already talked to my Dr to see if it would prevent it getting worse if I schedule a C-section this time. She was against that, but gave me info on a "bladder lift" that I could consider after baby 3 is 6mo-1yr. And you are right, if you want more kids I do not think you can have the procedure until you are done.
I run first thing in the morning too, hopefully dehydrated, but I know that can't be good, especially when I do races! I am dreading the problem becoming worse after #3, but it seems like there is nothing I can do! Kegels can help the muscle tone but what I read is that you anatomy has actually changed positions (dropped) so the angle is not the best to completely empty the bladder.