Physio following anterior repair

Hi Maisie

Great that you are looking to start your exercises that will have a really positive outcome on your surgery, by making it last longer and helping you to regain control of your bladder.

Manual or machine - We regularly have this debate with Physios - a Physiotherapist knows that with correct pelvic floor exercises a woman or man will get strong again. However, we are human. When we don’t 'feel' our muscles it is demoralising and it is easy to develop poor technique, or just forget. That will benefit no one!

I use this analogy to Physios, that if I want to eat homemade bread - how do I do it? Well I could do the 'hand' method, knead, and rise and all that stuff (i.e. manual pelvic floor exercises)- it would make a lovely loaf of bread, and one that they would prefer. However if I was short of time, needed to do other things, or not sure about all the stages I could use a bread maker (electronic pelvic exerciser). The end result would be a loaf of homemade bread (stronger pelvic floor) - which is just what I wanted. 

Rehab has to fit into our life - if you;'ve had surgery, chances are you’ve been through Physiotherapy before, so a home use exerciser can only be a good thing surely?

I make no apologies for writing from a biased point of view, but I hope you have found this helpful. It’s your pelvic floor - make it as strong as possible, you are rebuilding your own foundations - make them good!

All the best.

PS My old mantra of:

Weight - watch it, lose 10% of your bodyweight will regain 50% more strength in your pelvic floor muscles

Vit D - take this supplement - it helps with the pelvic floor, clinically proven!

Posture - Sit up straight. BBC - bum at the back of the chair. Sit on your sitz bones not your tail bone!

Constipation - Use a toilet stool, raise your feet it opens the bowels and prevents straining, a killer for the pelvic floor (repaired or not)

And of course Pelvic Floor Exercise.

If you don’t look after your teeth they fall out – same goes with looking after your pelvic floor.

?S

The advice I give to ladies is not to use the machine until you are properly healed and 8 weeks is too early. The best person to advise you is the consultant who performed your surgery, he knows how many and what type if sutures he used. I'm sorry you're still having problems following your operation but it's still early days and hopefully the physio will help. Just to add the pelvic toners aren't a quick fix solution and are really best used before we have problems so think very carefully before spending your money. x

Hi I was in the same boat as you. Had A & P repair plus vaginal hysterectomy 5 months ago (5th Feb) A few ups and downs with bowls and slower than anticipated recovery but generally doing well and so glad had the surgery. I was also refered to physio from my surgeon for weak pelvic floor and stress incontinence (had hoped the surgery would of fixed this problem or at least helped it but apparantly not)!!!! 

Saw the physio twice (4 weeks apart) she also confirmed I had very weak pelvic floor and sent me away with loads of pelvic floor excercises to do 4 times a day. She reccomened a really good app called 'squeezy'. You can set it to remind you when to do the excercises and it keeps a log of them. 

Not really made much difference tbh so I've now started with the stimulation. 

It's a small probe they insert into the vagina which sends An electrical current through the probe, which helps to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. You can actually borrow the machines on the NHS to use at home. My phsio suggested I buy one to start using straight away. It's the TensCare itouch Sure Pelvic Floor Exerciser from Argos/Amazon £49.99. I've only been using it every other day for 10 minutes on a low level and WOW I can't believe the difference already. The reviews are really good on this device so I am hope full in a few months I will have really benefitted. Just ask your surgeon or physio about it 1st. Hope this helps, good luck with the rest of your recovery xxx

Hi Maisie I have the same problem had a prolapse and a overactive bladder before (this is my 2nd prolapse operation within 18 months ) this time they lifted my prolapse and also put some stitches in my bladder (uretha buttress) I'm just over 8 weeks and my bladder issues are worse than before I feel like it isn't working and am trying to do my pelvic floor ( never know if I'm doing them correct ) they say when you need to go try and wait a little longer but you can guarantee when I go I will leak, I have to wear a pad everyday. I am off to my physio on the 2nd August ( my 2nd visit ) on a one to one so pray she can give some advice, Like Jill I have bought the tens care itouch sure too and am hoping to give it a try after 3 months on top of trying to do my pelvic floor, Maybe we are being impatient but I feel worse than before as far as my bladder control goes?? And just hope we can get it sorted in the end. Good luck and let me know how you get on ??