Pelvic Floor Issues

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Imryl

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So this topic came to mind because of another thread, the cervical prolapse one.

What are some of the “pelvic floor” issues we can have? I ask because I just had child #3 and this is the first time I ran into a problem with having a weakened pelvic floor. I’d never even heard of such a thing until recently.

On top of wondering what I may encounter in the future, I’m wondering how severe these things can get and how they can be either averted or fixed. I get the kegals thing,but are they really effective? If they aren’t done, are we looking at more problems down the road? Can time fix weak pelvic floors, or is this something you have to work at to remedy?

Just wondering about this. I didn’t get the chance to ask my doctor because she spent 20 minutes, literally, treating me like I was 5 and like I didn’t know how I had become pregnant 3 times… then another 10 telling me I should be on birth control. (I honestly though Catholics exaggerated their encounters with hostile OBGYNs, but geewiz!)
 
So first of all (I am sure you are aware of this), we cannot give medical advice here. I do want to encourage you to find a different OBGYN if that is the treatment you are getting. Personally, I found a great womens’ clinic where I used to live that seemed to have a habit of hiring fantastic OBGYN’s (if you happen to be in the Anchorage area, PM me for details). My favorite guy (who is unfortunatly retired), seemed to have a mentality of respect for the female body and the things it does naturally (meaning, he was hands off when appropriate and didn’t try to shove hormonal pills down my throat unless he really thought there was a reason). So believe me, good OBGYN’s are out there.

Secondly, I will share what worked for me. Kegels have to be done properly so that you engage all the muscles, from the pelvic floor to some of the lower abdominals. The position you are in when you do them can have an impact. Also, I did some Pilates (which, although sometimes combined with yoga, is NOT yoga (if that is a concern of yours), it is Western in origin and was invented by a physical therapist). What that did for me is to increase my awareness of ALL of my core muscles (upper abs, lower abs, obliques, back muscles), so I could tell when I was (and wasn’t) using the proper muscles to do really good Kegels.

So that’s what worked for me. Good luck!
 
A weakened pelvic floor can lead to prolapse, meaning your uterus can fall down into your vagina, or be out of place, some it in your vagina. As you can see, a very serious condition.

Kegel exercises are very effective, strengthens the muscles holding everything in place. However, the exercises need to be done. You can’t do them, then slack off.

If the prolapse is severe, reconstructive surgery can be done, or in some cases, hysterectomies, only if the damage is too severe to repair. I read a recent statistic, severe prolapse accounts for 13% of hysterectomies performed in the US.

Prolapse isn’t painful, but can lead to urinary and/or bowel problems, due to the out of place organ. Such as—leaking urine when you sneeze or cough, can weaken the walls of the bladder and rectum, which can cause both of these to prolapse.

I sympathize about female OB/GYN doctors. I think, they’re the worst. You should have heard what my female OB/GYN said when I refused hormones for menopause. My symptoms are mild, but she kept pushing drugs. She’s no longer my doctor. :cool:
 
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