Bladder training

Submitted by clavicula on June 25, 2009 - 4:05am
Body: 

Hey, Ladies,

Well, I am still dealing with this irritated bladder/cystitis-like feeling/have to pee all the time thing. It kinda depreesses me a bit, b/c hey, my babe is 8 months old and every 8 mo pp mom is reporting huge successes and reversals, and here I am with a small bulge, an even smaller rectocele and suffering all day! Not fun.

So I can go and be depressed or I also can redouble my efforts. I chose the effort, lol.

I did a thorough research on the site about bladder problems first.
Granolamom wrote this:

on 'bad prolapse days' I feel like I have to go all the time. I've decided (based on absolutely nothing) that its just the sensation of the bladder in the vagina rather than a sensation of bladder fullness.

sensitivity is an interesting thing, I think. just like you can train yourself to be more sensitive in other areas (learning to read braille or learning to hear notes when playing an instrument and the like) I think the vagina becomes more sensitive as well. and since most of the nerve receptors there are more sensitive to stretch rather than touch it makes sense that a bulge that moves and changes would be quite the stimulus.
and its an annoying one too : /

And Louise wrote this:

I have a suspicion that your bladder may be low in the afternoons just cos it is pushed down and back during the day so much. Maybe you just have to pee more cos your bladder is feeling irritated by being squashed down all the time. I have a feeling that a fuller bladder is more stable than an empty one. Visualise a balloon. It is probably good bladder training for you to try and hold a half full bladder, even if your bladder is telling you to empty. It will also act as a pessary and stop its own descent if it has some urine in it. cos it is a lump when full, but just a floppy bag when empty. Sometimes a person's bladder gets the signals mixed and thinks it needs emptying when there is little urine in it. A continence clinic can help you to retrain your bladder.

So these both made sense to me and I also think that some part of this irritation is only in my head.
I started to hang on when my bladder is full, and I have found that it is doable, with keeping the posture it firms up my front wall and pushes my cervix into an unreachable position, so that is awesome, right?
I read somewhere that it also helps the cortex to ignore the urge more and more, so that would also be beneficial to me. And last I feel my bulge more stable when bladder is full(er) and I don't know why but I feel that I can empty more properly.

So, these are my thoughts about the topic. Thanks for the search engine and wise Ladies around here. Please, feel free to add your thoughts, I am sure I am not the only one who suffers from this, time to find a solution!

Liv

louiseds

June 25, 2009 - 4:45am

Great stuff to hear, Liv.

L :-)

bad_mirror

June 25, 2009 - 9:47am

. . . this is the last time I'll push accupuncture in a 24 hour period, lol. But really, give accupuncture a try for that feeling. I say this becuase I remember kiki posting about how it helped her with that irriated feeling. And, where are all those 8 months pp ladies with reversals? I want to be one! :-)

granolamom

June 25, 2009 - 11:54am

I always hold my breath when I read my old posts, wondering what I said back then and hoping it isn't nonsense. but I remember feeling that way, and now I rarely have the sensation of having to go unless I really do have to go.

also, just so you know, I didn't see much in the way of results for about a year. It was extremely frustrating, disheartening, demoralizing to read about all these women with quick results and there I was doing all the right things and....nothing. but the changes finally came. looking back I believe that I was changing, just very slowly and imperceptively. but eventually it will all add up for you. hang in there. I think you will see your efforts rewarded in time.

cats.crotch

June 25, 2009 - 11:59am

I have been reading posts on this site like a mad fiend since I discovered WW yesterday. As I sat reading, I decided to tilt the pan of my office chair seat so that it sloped forward and helped shift the tilt of my pelvis. I had been suffering from that "have to go, seems like it's a UTI but it's not" feeling daily -- coffee or no coffee, lots of water or a little water. I SWEAR that the new tilt to my pelvis has helped ease the severity of this pain AND lessen its frequency. And I'm not even sure that I really "get" how to do the posture accurately, and I certainly haven't undertaken the exercises yet. One of the times this is most painful for me is when I'm on my back in bed, and this makes sense if I think about how my pelvis is tilting then.

Anyway, thanks to ALL of you for your posts and helpful hints. Just the tip about leaning over as if tying my shoes while I'm sitting on the toilet has helped me completely empty my bladder. Hooray!

kiki

June 26, 2009 - 12:20am

Oh I had that--it was so annoying!!!
Accupuncture definately helped an absolute ton with this! Also i actually found drinking a lot more helped, and then just work on holding it. I also experimented with positions when i had to go to see if i could hold it for longer...try deep second position plies--better or worse? accentuate the posture? hands and knees? sometimes if i need to go (or think i do) doing the opposite sometimes helps as well if i'm desperate (just for a moment to move it all around). & then sometimes the urge passes, sometimes it doesn't.
also foods can be irritating--if i eat gluten part of my allergy is an irritated bladder (but this is probably just the POP speaking if you didn't get it till now...)

I really would also keep the bladder diary for a day. look online, you can find a chart. fill it in for a day when you are home and can pee in a jug, and see what's happening. and then you can keep track by doing it occasionally again...

re results, there are a few women here who didn't get results for a while. I remember Reka really struggling at the beginning and not seeing any progress. She disappeared for a while but kept doing the work and came back with things really having changed. Hang in and keep going... I tried a million things, and they all helped in little ways. homeopathy gave little lifts, accupuncture helped more with symptoms but the herbs helped lift a bit, the excercises, posture and time time time...i also did a lot of visualising my organs moving up and sending healing loving vibes their direction. Who knows, but can't hurt....
so hang it--i'm sure all teh work will pay off soon!

Kiki

clavicula

June 27, 2009 - 6:04am

Wow, you are true blessings here! Your appreciation and ideas help me a lot, thank you!

I am eternally thankful for this message board!

Liv

PS: I'll give acupuncture a try. I am convinced, really!