Yoga/Incontinence/Post Partum

[zoelda]

Hi all,

I don't mean to be gross, but this has me a little freaked out.

I'm going to cross post this to open discussion, because I'm not sure where the question belongs. After the birth of our daughter, I suffered with some incontinence for a few weeks. It got better each week, and I don't have any real problem now for the most part, but here's the thing...

I did Bryan Kest's Volume One the other day, and, after I did it, I was feeling so great that I decided to do Cathe's MIC (since I was just coming off a day of rest and lots of spaghetti)! I didn't have to go to the bathroom. In fact, I thought I might have started my period, but, no, I peed myself. I changed my panties, went to the bathroom and started back into working out... it kept happening! I ended up having to change again and I wore a huge maxi pad in my third pair of panties.

I haven't had a problem like that since literally a week or two after giving birth. It was bizarre.

A week later, I did Karen Voight's YogaSculpt on my rest day, and I noticed that I ended up feeling like I had to pee more and was a little numb about it for about maybe a half hour after doing the video.

Does Yoga work some muscles I don't know about? Am I a freak? Should I see my doctor about this? (My doctor is useless though.)

?????

Thanks!
Zoelda

 

[cinza]

a slightly different angle

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Nov-15-01 AT 01:13PM (Est)[/font][p]posted twice somehow.

 

[cinza]

a slightly different angle

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Nov-16-01 AT 02:13PM (Est)[/font][p]I know nothing for sure!
but I will tell you my experience.

-- as you already know, after kids we are definately compromised.. the more kids, later in life...the more compromise.

--BUT
also i noticed something NO ONE seems to talk about.
In my 30's after my 3rd child I found hormones effected muscle laxity during my cycle after ovulation and before my periods I was racing to the bathroom to avoid accidents... not with 100% success either!!

As you know hormones soften joints and muscles during pregnancy .. That happens during the menstrual cycle also.. making workouts harder at time... i think incontinence can be a problem too at this time because of the laxity.

They will tell you to go do kegels to strengthen the pelvic floor.
(I did them, and i still had the same problem after ovulating )

My thoughts on kegels:
when they tell you to do kegels they will tell you to learn to use the muscles that stop the urine flow.. That if you are getting the right muscles you will be able to feel the constriction with an inserted finger...stop and go.. play with it..
but the muscles you are feeling working are not the actual pelvic floor... there is more than you can feel and mabye the focus can get a bit confused.


above the vaginal and sphincter muscles is the actual muscle that holds up your organs ... THIS is real pelvic floor... it connects the the front to back sacrum to pubic bone . I dont know how much of that i was using doing my vaginal calistenics.. I know it can be seperated from the muscles under it.

you will use this sheet of supporting muscle if you are standing and do a deep and subtle pelvic tilt .. think: from the inside out.. ..try and think to have the sacrum come meet the pubic bone. ("they trt to kiss but never meet" as my yoga teacher says) visualize the effort.

Pilates and Yoga both ask you to use these muscles.. to keep the pelvis alignment , and to initiate lower ab work and to hold "mulabanda"...

I have done alot of pilates and yoga in the last year and i am surprised how much muscle improvement i have achieved without thinking about it.

BUT no matter how Herculean my pelvic floor gets...
I still charge for the bathroom after ovulation and until my period is well on its way....

dont know what to do about that....

 

[zoelda]

RE: a slightly different angle

Wow... that's interesting about hormones and ovulation. I think I just need to keep doing the Yoga and I will get stronger and not be so leaky!! It sounds like it will be good for me to... in case of future pregnancies!

Thanks so much for your response.

Take care,
Zoelda

 

[mogambo]

RE: a slightly different angle

What excellent advice. I thought I'd heard of every useful exercise. And you call yourself a yoga pest! I think you are a yoga consultant.

 

[mogambo]

RE: a slightly different angle

What excellent advice. I thought I'd heard of every useful exercise. And you call yourself a yoga pest! I think you are a yoga consultant.

 

[cinza]

RE: a slightly different angle

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Nov-15-01 AT 09:53PM (Est)[/font][p]Thanks !