Postpartum incontinence - tell me it gets better?!
Hi all, is anyone else struggling with this? I am 2 weeks pp (forceps birth) and feel like I have very little control over my bladder. I had some serious bowel issues initially too (piles; very constipated but I couldn't feel that I was constipated and had to have suppositories for a few days to help everything along), but thankfully that seems to be improving. I am, though, feeling very down about my lack of bladder control. I'm doing pelvic floor exercises every day but it's hard because my episiotomy scar is still sore and I just feel like I won't see any real progress for weeks. I want to get some proper help but the thought of having to wait to be signed off at 6/8 weeks before I can do that is really getting me down. I guess I'm just hoping for reassurance that it will either get better naturally if I keep up with the exercises, or to hear from others about how proper physical therapy helped them. Thank you!
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I also had little bladder control initially. I think it was probably about 6 weeks pp when I noticed improvement. I wasn’t as consistent as I should have been, but I just did kegels while feeding the baby. I’m 6 months pp now and have small issues here and there - laughing too hard, sneezing sometimes.
2+ years pp and I still pee a little when I sneeze or lift my almost 40 lb toddler. If I can engage my pelvic muscle before lifting or sneezing, it doesn’t happen but sometimes there is no time to do that. I started having minor incontinence issues in my last trimester. I went to therapy then and learned that basically just do kegels to improve. Other exercises can help your pelvic floor. Congratulations on baby!
I had 2nd degree tears and my perineum separation. I had major bladder control problems. The first few weeks I had no idea when I had to pee. By six weeks I felt like I always had to pee even after I went to the bathroom. That resolved after a monthish. By six months I was back to normal, no leaks. I did start weight training again around 5 months which helped. Hang in there it sucks and took a toll on me too. No one prepares you for peeing your pants as an adult. Hang in there.
You are only 2w pp so the pelvic floor would be at its weakest only weeks after birth let yourself fully heal at the 6-8w mark and start to do some core work which will not only heal and improve any diastis recti/ab separation you have, but any core exercises indirectly targets the pelvic floor as well. I’ve had 3 vaginals and I can jump on my boys’ trampoline just fine and not pee myself when coughing/sneezing but I started light weights and core work at 6w after my vaginal births. As long you as don’t wait years to tackle it, 6-7w pp is a perfect time to start light core work. And I dance salsa which we need to keep the core engaged to be able to do spins etc.
I suggest having pelvic floor therapy done. You can have it done now or 5 years from now, kind of thing, after you spend the next 5 years leaking when you sneeze or laugh too much, and worrying about it at other times.
It’s worth it.
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