help! there's urine in my urethra!

Submitted by Bonne Maman on February 3, 2013 - 10:50am
Body: 

Yes, I know that is where it is supposed to be, but it seems to be *stuck* in there and won't come out when I am on the toilet (or on all fours, or trying all sorts of whole woman variations). Then when I stand up, it slowly dribbles out. The amount is minimal, but I can feel the liquid in my urethra, I can feel the dribbling, and then my vagina smells like stale urine, instead of its usual lovely vaginal scent. (no sarcasm intended!)

I have been doing the exercises and practicing the posture sitting/standing/lifting all week and this symptom has worsened. Has anyone else had experience with this?

PS - on the bright side, there is a definite stabilization of "the bulge": I only feel it when I bend over and it has been staying on the inside for the most part, unless I overdo it.

Forum:

Surviving60

February 3, 2013 - 11:07am

Hi BonneMaman – this seems like it could be manageable. Here’s what I would do:

Pee in the shower (when you get in, and again before you get out).
At other times, catch the remaining pee with a large wad of toilet paper.
Wear pantiliners at all times, carry spares, change often.
Continue to cultivate excellent WW posture ALL the time, which will help unkink things.

- Surviving

Bonne Maman

February 3, 2013 - 1:25pm

Thanks Surviving, I really appreciate your consistent, compassionate presence here.

This is definitely manageable. But what freaked me out is that this symptom became more acute over the last week & 1/2 that I have been focusing on WW work - no kegels even :)
I know that is not a very realistic timeframe in which to evaluate results however, and at 5 mo postpartum I have to expect that there is still a lot of adjustment happening in my pelvic region. I will keep on with the WW program because it feels good in a holistic way. Tomorrow I see the physio with the intention of having a respectful dialogue that increases my knowledge and understanding of what is happening in my body and enables me to create a plan of self care that I feel good about. There, it felt good to get clear on that. Wish me luck!

wholewomanUK

February 4, 2013 - 4:17am

Hi Bonne Maman,
I can understand your fustration and conerns if the urine appears to be 'stuck' in your urethra longer than it's meant to and that this situation has wosrened over the last 2 weeks, even though you've been doing your WW posture and exercises. I'm really not sure why that is.

However I'm really pleased to hear your prolapse issues have improved. 2 weeks is a short time and it's remarkable that that has made a difference in such a short time frame.

The evidence points in the direction that the pelvic organ support is improving and that the pelvic organs system is changing.

My opinion is to continue with the WW posture and exercise up to but definately within your limits regarding the exercises. The WW posture is a normal healthy posture, so it is a safe approach, so long as each woman works within their limits and progresses slowly and gently. Probably for most of us, our prolapse and related issues, have taken a long time to develop, so it's not surprising if it takes a while to improve and the path of improvement may look more like a curvy lane rather than a straight path.

You're currently experiencing some small but unpleasant and disturbing urine dribbling issues during a short span of time. The WW approach is a life-long approach and becomes a way of life. Perservering with WW for a longer time span is an option, which leaves other options open to you. Please do bear in mind the reverse is not true if you choose surgerical options.

Sometimes it helps to step back and gain a broader perspective. In the grand scheme of things a little urine driblling may not seem so terrible. I like this little story:
Imagine your urine isses as a big angry cow right in your face, taking up lots of your space...... Now zoom away from that image slowly until your angry cow is a small angry cow in the middle of a big field....
It's still and angry cow but just not dominating the scene so much. I like that angry cow story!
I'm glad you're clear about your physio visit. I found my contact with my local GP very helpful, supportive and respectful, although we saw the prolapse issues from different points of view. Very often the physios and medics have a huge amount of knowledge and are worth listening to and talking with. Of course WW views some things in different ways, and so long as both view points are considered, discussions like these can be helpful. I think a lot depends on personalities and the relationship.

Wishing you all the best and hope you have/had a helpful time with your physio.
xwholewomanuk

Surviving60

February 4, 2013 - 7:59am

Much has been written on this forum (not just to you, BonneMaman, but to plenty of others) about the PP window of time in which prolapse can seem to be at its worst. You are in that period now, and yet I think it's clear that your progress has been noteworthy and that your organs are moving in the right direction. Despite that, I gather that you are still looking to your PT to help sort this all out for you in your meeting today. I hope that you can have enough faith in your own body and in what you are learning here, to sort things out for yourself. The lost practice of natural female posture is not just about prolapse but about the health of hips and spine as we age. Sadly for women, traditional PT has not caught up with this. - Surviving

Surviving60

February 4, 2013 - 8:11am

BonneMaman, this is in response to your comment that you now only feel the bulge when bending over. That might indicate you are bending from the waist and losing lumbar curvature. Bend from the hips and keep that curvature in place. This is actually a good position for your prolapse, if in proper posture......... the organs are pinned over the pubic bones. - Surviving

curiousity

February 4, 2013 - 12:56pm

Hi Bonne Maman,
You've probably tried this already but I thought I would suggest just in case you haven't. I remember when I went for a pelvic ultrasound years ago, I had to have part of it with a full bladder and part of it empty, and when I went to empty the sonographer said to wait on the toilet for two minutes after my urine stream had finished, to empty completely, and sure enough after two minutes more urine came out. I know waiting is sometimes not an option (especially with young babies!) but might be worth a try if you haven't already.