Kegels and general pelvic floor stuff

[Thalia]

So, this morning I learned that I have the pelvic floor strength of a gnat. :(

I've known for a while that I need to tone up my pelvic floor muscles: although this is my first time being pregnant, I occasionally lose a little pee when I sneeze unless I can feel a sneeze coming on. And I have at least one overactive bladder sign: I always need to pee as soon as get home for the day.

Today I checked internally to make sure I was doing my Kegels right (visualizing the muscle you use to stop your flow of pee has never helped me to isolate the right muscle). And I realized that I can't really hold a Kegel at all, not even for 3 seconds! It's more like one second, or like a muscle spasm. :guilty

So this is rather disheartening. And scary. I don't want to have terrible bladder problems after I give birth! So please tell me, if I do practice my Kegels every day, will this get better? Has anyone else been able to whip their slacker pubo-coccygeus muscles into shape?

Anyone have an general suggestions about doing Kegels and how to stay motivated?

[swtpesq]

Sorry to be graphic, but how do you "check internally"? :o Do you try to squeeze down on your finger or what??

I'm very curious since I'm in the same boat as you (first baby + tendency to lose a little pee now and then). Thanks for asking the question!

[Thalia]

yeah, I had read that you can put your finger(s) inside your vagina and check to see if you feel the muscle contracting. I could feel it. Apparently you can have your OB/midwife/GP do this, but I really don't think I could ask them to check it. I don't know why, since they give me pelvic exams anyway, but I'm just embarrassed about it. :bag:

But I may ask DH to help me out with it tonight! :Sheepish:

[meggles]

Practice, practice, practice! :D
I think one of the best kegel "exercises" to do is the Elevator, where you slowly contract up floor by floor, and then down again, floor by floor. The more you do it, the stronger they'll get.

[Thalia]

I think one of the best kegel "exercises" to do is the Elevator, where you slowly contract up floor by floor, and then down again, floor by floor. The more you do it, the stronger they'll get.

Yeah, I think that's why I'm discouraged: I don't feel like I have enough control to have much of a ride on the 'elevator' right now. :(

But I'm practicing! I'm trying to do 10 kegels after every trip to the bathroom. Since I'm peeing all the time these days, that gives me a lot of practice! Maybe I will also start to do 10 after every post on MDC...:lol

[Neldavi]

Ooh, we should start a kegel support thread! :lol

Seriously, I really need to whip my pelvic floor into shape. I was never very good at doing them before I had ds and after childbirth, ack, let me tell you, things just feel a little saggier and weaker down there. I just don't like doing them because I always feel like a failure that I'm not very strong. Stupid, I know.

An interesting aside, I don't know how many of you have read Spiritual Midwifery, but you know how much she talks about how a loose mouth makes for a loose bottom and an easier birth, thus the low grunting sounds and smooching with your partner? Well, when I do Kegels, my whole mouth, inside and out, naturally tenses up. Cool, huh?