Tricking urine, anyone got any experience?

[Twinkletron]

I had my post baby check last week and whilst there I mentioned my problem. For about 6 months before pregnancy I started trickling urine. It's not a lot but its constant and enough to saturate a tena lady mini pad in a few hours. It got much worse during pregnancy and has gone back to how it was before. The dr said she it wasn't pelvic floor related as its not when I sneeze/cough. She has referred me to the hospital.

Does anyone have any experience of this?? I'm only 32 and don't want to wear tena ladies or smell of an old lady just yet!!

[KatyMac]

It is pelvic floor related (probably) & they can sort it

Mine was due to the nerve being damaged rather than a muscle tone issue & sorted with a TVT (basically I have a u-bend fixed by velcro)

But they will test & fix as appropriate

[Twinkletron]

I don't think it is pelvic floor related. Dr checked that and thinks it could be a number of things such as a fistula or something

[KatyMac]

There are all sorts of possibilities but I would put bets on them fixing it reasonably easily

I had a collegen injection that worked for years before they sorted my velcro out

I thought I was becoming an old lady; they said i just needed a new washer

[lljkk]

Fistula!? That's usually when you leak poo out your fanjo, I think you're safe from that one (you would know, and very rare in developed countries, too). You really need to see a specialist, push for referral.

[cardamomginger]

a fistula can also be a hole from urethra into vagina, in which case urine leaks through vagina. but if you haven't had a previous trauma, eg previous childbirth or other injury, it seems unlikely that it could be this. but if it is, it is very easy to repair.

was this your first DC?

if it is pelvic floor, it would be more likely to get worse when you cough or sneeze. is it constant trickling? it could be an overactive bladder, which leads to urge incontinence, rather than stress incontinence. an overactive bladder can be treated with medication.
great that your gp is taking this seriously and is referring you.

[Twinkletron]

Yes it's my first baby and my dr has referred me so I'm positive that something can be done just scared about what the tests will involve

[WhoKnowsWhereTheMistletoes]

They will quite likely refer you for something called urodynamics testing, you have to be catheterised and they fill your bladder up with water and then you have to wee into a special loo which measures the quantity and speed etc, it can give a lot of information about how things are working. It sounds a bit grim, but it really isn't that bad, I had it done by two lovely nurses and actually found it quite interesting. They will probably also ask you to keep a diary for a few days beforehand of everything you drink adn your wee (have to wee into a cup or similar to measure it), that is a bit of a palava but inconvenient rather than anything else. They can then tell a lot about the type of incontinence problems you have and give the appropriate treatment.

Short term, it might be a good idea to cut out caffeine, it stimulates the bladder and can makes things worse.

Congratulations on your baby BTW!

[cardamomginger]

Yes, you might have urodynamics. This tests for stress incontinence. I've had it done. It is not the most pleasant thing, but it is survivable and at the very least it would rule stress incontinence out for you, if it is not that. An overactive bladder can result in a thickened bladder wall, and this should show up on ultrasound.

If nothing physically traumatic happened to you in the run up to that 6 months prior to your pregnancy, it seems strange for you to suddenly develop stress incontinence. No sudden weight gains? No bodybuilding and lifting massively heavy weights for a protracted period of time? Yes, after the birth of your DC, your pelvic floor might very well be weaker, but you had problems long before then, so it seems like it just can't be the whole issue.

Has your wee been tested for bacteria? Long standing infection can also cause problems.

As I say, I've had both types. With stress incontinence, there was that sudden urgency which I couldn't control. It felt like it does when you have cystitis and need to pee all the time. With the urge incontinence, I was leaking with far fewer feelings of needing to go, IYSWIM. With the stress incontinence it felt like IF ONLY I could clench or something, I could stop the flow. With urge incontinence it felt like there was nothing I could do to stop the flow. It was just going to happen. Does that make any sense? What does it feel like for you?

I know how distressing it is. I never thought about any of this until it happened to me. As others have said, it CAN be sorted, and comparatively easily and with good results. The first step was to go to your GP and for them to take it seriously. Well done on taking that first step and it's great you are being referred.

BTW when you have your appointment, keep emphasising that the problem started 6 months prior to conception. They need to divorce this problem from the fact that you have recently given birth! Can you leave your baby with someone when you go to hospital (only half joking....!)?

[Twinkletron]

I don't really have the feeling of needing to go or am aware of when it is leaking. I just know I need to wear a pad. It's all very weird. Am I definitely don't intend to take my baby with me!! Lol