I’m a FTM needing STM’s advice on weak pelvic floor; peeing while sneezing

[tapionmajin2]

Hello mamas!

I’m a FTM and am starting week 16- already been a couple weeks since I started peeing while sneezing. I’m wondering if in your experiences did this get worse for you after delivering vaginally? Or did you return back to normal after delivery?

And if you know of any good exercises or ways to strengthen the pelvic floor to help with this issue I’d greatly appreciate it! Or is this just an inevitable occurrence? (I’m just super worried this will get much worse as my mom who had 3 kids vaginally and is much older now has stress and urge incontinence and I’m just so dang worried this will be me in the future).

Thanks!

Edit: thanks for all your replies! I have made an appointment for my first PF PT session later this week!

 

[gvz]

@tapionmajin2 I recommend doing kegels very often- on the couch, laying in bed, etc. Frequently I'll do a kegel in the car at a red light and try to hold it the entire length of the red light. Go for duration, not speed/repetition of kegels

The way I do them: imagine your pelvic floor is an elevator and you want to get to the top floor. You squeeze, the elevator goes up. Hold it for 3 seconds. Oh wait, that wasn't the top floor, somebody must have pushed the button for a lower floor! So you squeeze a bit more. Hold for 3 seconds. Dang it, again?? Who pushes the buttons for a floor they aren't going to? You're still not at the top, so you squeeze a little more. If you can go a little higher, do it again, otherwise release, breathe, and start over. See how many "wrong button!" floors you can get to.

This technique helps you engage the different layers of pelvic floor muscles. And remember, always squeeze then sneeze! I had some incontinence after my first but it completely went away with doing these kegels. My OB did a pelvic floor test at my last annual exam and winced because she wasn't expecting strong muscles.

 

[tapionmajin2]

@gvz That was so helpful thank you so much! And wow that’s so awesome about your strong pelvic floor! Your my role model lol

 

[lightofchrist111]

@tapionmajin2 Go to a pelvic floor physio therapist!! I thought I was doing Kegals properly during pregnancy and was not. I had complications during labour involving my bladder and I’ve been seeing one ever since (7 months). I can’t say enough good things about pelvic floor therapy.

 

[tapionmajin2]

@lightofchrist111 Thanks for the reply! And yes I am pretty certain I’m not doing kegels correctly! I was thinking to do this but I thought women only go to see one after they have given birth? Any thoughts on that? I definitely will look for one in my area tho! Thanks!

 

[lightofchrist111]

@tapionmajin2 A friend of mine actually recommended going during pregnancy and I shrugged it off. If I could go back in time I would go during! Get a professional to help make sure you’re doing the exercises right and start getting a handle on things now rather than let it get worse and have more to work on later.

 

[tapionmajin2]

@lightofchrist111 Very good point! Thanks for the advice!

 

[lightofchrist111]

@tapionmajin2 You’re welcome. Best of luck!!

 

[tapionmajin2]

@lightofchrist111 Thank you!

 

[colesnana]

@tapionmajin2 Just wanted to add to the chorus - see a pelvic floor PT. There are also a ton of resources on Instagram, if you’re a user. I follow expecting and empowered (who cover this a lot) and mypelvicfloormuscles. The latter does interviews, education and training in multiple languages. I’ve found it all very helpful!

 

[tapionmajin2]

@colesnana Thanks that is super helpful I will check them out!

 

[makas]

@tapionmajin2 This is my first pregnancy and I saw a pelvic floor PT for other reasons, she did recommend kegels to strenghten the area but also advised that there's not really anything you can do to prevent leaking urine while you're pregnant, it basically comes with the territory of all the extra weight/pressure on the bladder. However she did say that once you've recovered after delivery that leaking urine is NOT normal and can/should be addressed with PT.

 

[tapionmajin2]

@makas Oh ok gotcha that’s helpful to know thank you for sharing that information!

 

[ranger1]

@tapionmajin2 I’m 33 weeks pregnant and go to pelvic floor PT. I had the same problem and my therapist told me to do a kegel every time I’m about to cough or sneeze. At first it was hard to catch them in time so I still peed myself, but now it has become second instinct to do one as it’s coming on.

I’d still recommend seeing a pelvic floor PT because they have helped me manage my other pregnancy pain so much!!

 

[tapionmajin2]

@ranger1 Wow that’s great news I’m so happy to hear it’s working for you! This gives me hope! I will definitely make an appointment!

 

[nyamburam]

@tapionmajin2 I saw a PT a year after giving birth as I had the same issue. I was recommended to do 5 reps of kegels per day (both holding a long squeeze for 5 seconds and quick squeezes ), to make sure I was drinking enough liquid- a full cup each time rather than sips, and to cut out caffeine as it can aggravate the bowel and bladder (i may not have stuck to the last one!)
Doind kegels has definitely made a difference- at the start it felt numb amd inneffective but now the strength is back and I rarely have issues.
Heavy lifting as another one but almost impossible to avoid it with a baby/toddler. If you do lift then exhale and do a pulling up kegel as you lift.

Hope that helps! All the best.

 

[tapionmajin2]

@nyamburam Thank you yes that was helpful! Could you explain a little more about the drinking more water part? Just curious what that has to do with the pelvic floor ( or maybe I misunderstood). Thanks!

 

[nyamburam]

@tapionmajin2 So I understood it to be because you need to fill the bladder fully and empty it fully, rather than constantly stimulating it with small sips. This also means you need to go to the loo every 2/3 hours and not really leave it more than 4 hours, and avoid trying to hold a wee in for too long. If I'm right, the bladder is supported partially by the pelvic floor (worth googling a pic as the PF is pretty complex) and too much bladder pressure can encourage cystocele (or vaginal wall prolapse due to the bladder).

I suspect the PT also wanted to monitor drink intake because people with urinary incontinence might drink less to try to avoid leaks?

 

[jenfr]

@nyamburam Pelvic PT here - not drinking enough can increase the concentration of irritants in your bladder (like when you pee and it's really yellow). Your bladder doesn't love this so it's more likely to try and get rid of it! And for some people, bladder irritants like coffee, chocolate, citrus, etc. can make them have to go more likely. It's different for everyone so doing a bladder diary and seeing what might make you have to go more frequently is super helpful for some.

 

[nyamburam]

@jenfr Thank you- interesting work you do. Can I ask a question and feel free to ignore if you're busy. Do you generally advise against any core work exercise for people with pf prolapse or is some gentle core work necessary to help maintain stability/connectedness etc? My PT said pilates and swimming were best but i wondered if modified HIIT is a bad idea?