Is this a urethral problem?

Hi Saddleup

I think it is the residual urine in the urethra, not from the bladder. So when you stand up again and the bladder sinks back a bit and re establishes the kink, the weight of the bladder squashes the residual urine out the bottom end. As far as I can find out, one of the effects of less oestrogen after menopause is that the urethral lining gets thinner, just like the vaginal lining, sos it may not be reversible, but it certainly is manageable. A couple of things you could try.

Pop a bit of folded toilet paper under your vulva, between your legs and stand up and relax. That should make the residual urine drip out. It is probably less than you think, but it is a definite sensation. Then, when it has finished you can remove the toilet paper and pull up your dry knickers. I usually find that it only happens when I am in a hurry. When I am not in a hurry I can take the time to empty/drain properly.

Another thing to try is pressing with the toilet paper upwards gently, on the urethra. I find this is also helpful in squashing the last of the urine out of the urethra. This is now second nature to me. I had even forgotten that it is now a part of my peeing routine. I just hate damp knickers!

L

Post-pee dribbling is not fun at all. I used to have that a lot (after my urethral suspension) and now rarely. If I knew why I would certainly tell you. Yes, it may be good to get a urologist’s take on things. You are having an unusually difficult time and I find myself wondering if riding has actually damaged your urinary system. I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me before, but can all that bouncing on the saddle be good for an older woman’s bits?

That’s good to hear from a true rider, as the gynecologic literature also states that the female urethra is very well protected. The straddle position itself is the very best for positioning all our organs forward and I can’t imagine that it has caused any backward movement of your bladder. The classic English riding posture (without stomach pulled in) is what we are looking for here, which I’m sure you are aware. It has taken many of us older women a long while to see results and I’m glad to see you are wise enough to trust your body while maintaining a relaxed persistence.

Saddleup, I don’t post anymore but your problem, and seeing Rosewoods name this morning, triggered in me the memory that I had your very same problem when my urethra prolapse developed. I had pretty much whole body shut down so I had so far to come back that there is no way I can keep it all with me each day. Thank heavens for that. Anyway, I had the issue of when I would urinate, then wipe, go to put myself back together, I would see a dribble down my leg. It was just one of so many body failures. I had to take a whole body approach to healing but for the urethra specifically I remember doing these things.

Practiced posture.

Did this stretch: hands/arms straight up over head as far as I could reach, then leaning back keeping arms, neck, shoulders in line for safety…I would lean as far as I could go.
I could not lean far at first, and in the beginning stretching in this manner involved my urethra and I would feel a little dribble. I would also feel a slight clinch or pinch at my urethra and I took this as a positive sign. I kept stretching each day and after a while I could not feel my urethra involved and no dribble. I think it evokes a little muscle action directly at the urethra. Not a kegal. An involuntary muscle reaction if that makes sense.

Also, as I said I needed whole body rehabilitation so when I read about rebounders and their health benefits I ordered one of the special soft bounce models. I think Rosewood has one also, which is what made me remember all of this anyway. If not Rosewood, someone else on WW has a rebounder. A rebounder is just a mini trampoline, but it is important to get one with soft springs I did, and still do, after more than 1.5 years do what is called a health bounce each day. It is a tremendously soft bouncing action, heels never leaving the mat. Also, I do stepping, one foot then the other and that is so very gentle on the body. The action flushes the lymph system and just make the whole body stronger. At first I was so weak my pelvic organs sloshed around like jello because I had lost complete body tone when I became so ill. Anyway, I had read of others gaining benefit to prolapse in this way and I needed the other health benefits so I persisted by holding my hands under my lower belly for support. Again, this is the gentlest of bouncing I am talking about. In just a few short weeks my pelvic organs no longer sloshed. I thought to myself, well either I have strengthened them or they are all lying at the bottom now.  Thankfully, the former was true. I have no thought to my pelvic organs when I am doing the soft bouncing now.

Another thing I did, (still do) is practice Nauli on my belly at night in bed. I am not a good sleeper and instead of lying there awake I do internal exercises that do not wake my husband. I say Nauli, but what I do is just internal upwards action, no drawing in, just up, and no kegal. At first, especially if the muscles are weak you will feel a tightening of the sphincter muscle like a kegal but this is an involuntary reaction and I don’t see it as harmful at all. I only feel the kegal like reaction now when I pull up very forcefully . Those muscles get strong very quickly.

Saddleup, I don’t have dribbles anymore and I do believe that my situation was a lot more dire than what you’re dealing with. I have great hope that you will see your way through this with great success. I am wondering also if the gentle bouncing of the rebounder would help to strengthen your pelvic area, and your whole body in a way that would help you continue to ride…where your love is horses, mine is intense gardening and I can garden now without hurting my back or my hip which was always a worry. I do have to be extra diligent to not stress my pelvic area, my urethra lets me know when I need to slow down or adjust. I credit Posture, Rebounding, Diet, Supplements, Exercise, Love, Faith and so much more in no certain order for my healing. I still have things to deal with, but I deal with them. And I am still learning, even last week I came upon a treatment for my leg which has been bothering me since the prolapse happened.

Concerning kegals, I think we need to throw the whole idea away and start over. My body, shutting down like it did, coming back so slowly I have discovered that we have little muscles all along the clitoris, vaginal opening, perineum, rectum, even above the rectum. I can now access 5 places along that line where I can achieve the soft contractions. I can do figure 8's both in two different ways. Nothing akin to a Kegal. G’mom, bless her sweet self, something she said started me on the path to discovery. I am 52 and had no idea such was even possible. Little muscle contractions as light a blink and in our control…Saddleup, the body is full of wonder, and we might as well have fun and discover some things as we heal. For me it makes the downfall less difficult to live with.

I thought long before I posted, so I hope a bit of this helps. Maybe it will trigger in you some other ideas as well. We are only limited by what we don’t know, and I truly believe there is an endless supply of knowledge waiting to be discovered. Like all advice, use what you can, please leave the rest. Email me if you’d like. My healing journey continues each day just like yours and everyone else’s here.

If anything in this post bothers in anyway, please just delete the whole message, no harm no foul. I know a lot of it is off the reservation so to speak. I kindly ask that you email it to Saddleup if it comes to that.

I want to jump for joy because you have confirmed for me my own discovery of bending straight backward - which I put into the dvd in several exercises. Here is what I believe happens: The round ligaments, which come off the uterus on either side, travel down the inguinal canal at either side of the lower abdominal wall, and embed into the labia, pull the uterus - and with it the entire pelvic interior - forward. ***This would certainly include the urethra and is probably the reason why I don’t dribble anymore!!!***

Thank you thank you thank you Kit!

Hope you are having a great day.

Christine