My plan for today’s post was to write about the races I plan on running in the coming months and my expectations for those races. But my post is going to be different…very different, because I believe that I may have a prolapsed bladder.
Last week I posted about my first run post-partum (at 4 weeks), an easy two mile stroller run that included a quarter mile walk break between the two miles. I followed that Thursday run up with a 5K treadmill run on Saturday (Yes, my hubby got me a treadmill!!) and a relatively hilly, but slow paced run on Sunday. I felt good after each of these runs, a little tired in the legs and winded, but good. I decided to take Monday off and try to squeeze in a treadmill run on Tuesday. My goal was 4.5 miles which I completed, but at the end of those 4.5 miles something didn’t feel “right.”
After doing a little “research” I came to the conclusion that my discomfort may in fact be a prolapsed bladder. (Since this post is already bordering on TMI, you can read about it HERE.) It seems that it is a fairly common condition in women after childbirth and mild cases can be treated with physical therapy and strengthening exercises. At the moment this is a self-diagnosis, but I’m pretty sure that my midwife will confirm it when I see her next week.
One of the things that can exacerbate the problem is running, the impact stresses the pelvic floor. I have been working to strengthen my core and pelvic floor through various exercises, and recently purchased (Thanks to Jackie over at Muscle Up Mom) the Hab It Pelvic Floor DVD (I highly recommend it and so does my sister, who is a Physical Therapist).
BUT…I think I ran too much, too soon. Whatever good I was doing for my pelvic floor through the strength training and kegels was waisted in the frequency and intensity of these first four runs. Which means that now, I need to STOP RUNNING all together and get this prolapsed bladder situation sorted out. My guess is that I’ll need to take 4-6 weeks off running or more depending on what the midwife says, spending those four weeks rebuilding my pelvic floor.
It’s a wrench in my plans for sure. I was so disappointed last night thinking about the goals I had for a spring marathon. My time goal of 3:30 would really require that I start building a strong mileage base of 40+ miles in December. But if I take the next four weeks off (basically all of November) I’ll be starting back at zero mileage per week at the beginning of December rather than the 20 mile week base I was hoping to start with.
As I was expressing my frustration to my husband last night, he made the comment (it is the lesson that keeps making its way back to me…over and over and over again) that maybe this is a good thing as it will help me slow down and be more present in the moment. Part of me says, But I don’t want to slow down! I want to go FAST! I want to be the girl that does it all…and does it well. But the other part of me knows that he is right, that I need to be less focused on goals and tasks and more focused on people and relationships.
Honestly, this whole slow down and let go message is one that I keep having to re-learn in so many aspects of my life. Probably because once I learn to let go in one area of my life I simply move on to hyper-controlling another area. The truth is if I don’t let go of my plans and goals for a spring marathon, the next four to six weeks I will be a restless, anxious, moody mess-who wants to hang out with that? And that’s not who I want to be as a wife or a mom.
Do you have any experience with prolapsed bladder? Have health issues ever derailed your goals? How did you handle it?
-Sarah
Carissa Dukes says
I don’t have this issue…yet (pregnant with #1) but I’ve actually feared it. I already seem to have a weak pelvic floor despite my exercise routine. Needless to say I just bought that DVD before I even finished reading your post! I hope it all gets worked out for you and you have a short recovery. I know what it’s like to be the girl who wants to do it ALL. I pride myself on being busy busy busy, but you are right. Sometimes you just need to slow down and realize how far you’ve come already.:)
I think that I may have had it after my first pregnancy but ignored the symptoms and never did any kegels or strengthening exercises which made me more prone to it this time around. Being proactive will really help you! Wish I had been more educated before!
Oh sorry , that is a bummer…glad you are listening to your body!! They say women in their 30’s peak and run their best…and you just started!
To answer your question, no incidence of prolapsed bladder for me. BUT! I would say that I have had achilles and foot pain for about 3 months on/off. I think some of it had to do with running so much with the stroller and changing my gait. Also, I think pregnancy takes a long time to recover from and if we push too hard we hurt ourselves. So…I LOVE that you are trying your best to hold back and get things right. It is helping me too. We need to RELAX our expectations. A friend I run with in the gym told me, “your kids are small once, you don’t want to miss a second.” 🙂
You are so right. When I think about it, I didn’t intensify my training and start to train for a marathon until Sophia was 10 months old (after watching you run Bay State). By then my body was ready. Yeah I trained for and ran a half marathon and a handful of 5K’s but the training required for those distances is so different than a marathon. It’s funny I thought if I ran through pregnancy I’d have this super quick recovery and be able to pick up where I left off. Not so much.
Yes, I definitely had this and it was so frustrating for me. I am pregnant with #2 right now (due yesterday actually) and I have been doing my kegals much more frequently this time around. I didn’t even know there was a dvd that could help and I had no idea there was a name for it. I just thought I was an unlucky mom who would need surgery someday if I wanted it corrected. I have read that it does get better over time but it is really hard to be patient when you want to get out running! Please keep updating on this, i’d love to know how you get on with it. Oh and thanks for being so honest about it! I think a lot of women can be embarrassed about this type of thing - I can’t tell you how happy I was to read it (for me, not you) because I know i’m not the only one that this happens to!
I hope by now you’ve had a safe delivery and are holding a new bundle of joy! I know that the waiting game is tough:-) I agree that I think a lot of women suffer from this and it goes unnoticed and never gets discussed because it’s in the the TMI/Very Personal category. But like you I was in the dark about this and think that I had it with baby #1 but (unwisely) ignored it and ran through it. THough it did get better with time (I’ve heard it starts to get better when you stop breastfeeding because the estrogen levels rise and this helps the muscle wall of the vagina firm up. It is embarrassing, I’ve leaked on runs at the gym and in races (most recently races I ran while pregnant). I’m actually inspired to do more in-depth research and write a more detailed informational post. Thanks for commenting!
So sorry to hear this 🙁 I hope that your problem is not as serious as you think it may be, but if it is, it seems like you have prepared yourself for it. I keep telling myself as far as my running goes or my bagpiping (which, believe it or not, also cycles up and down as I get pregnant and have more babies — I have to stop piping for more time than I stop running, so my skills always have to be rebuilt), that this is a season in my life. Once I am no longer having children on a regular basis, although I’ll still be a mom, my body will be my own, and this will make my life different forever. So for these years, I try to see this as a gift (not being able to run as much or as fast as I would like, having to rebuild after each baby) and know that some day things will be different. Looks like you’re doing a great job seeing the positives in this. Keep it up!! 🙂
I was telling my husband last night that pregnancy and motherhood are like a litmus test of my selfishness. I feel like with each pregnancy and child the ways in which I’m still self-centered are revealed and challenged-in a good way. Left to my own devices I’d be a single, busy, very driven and probably very lonely girl. I like your perspective, there will be a day when this season is over and I will have my “body to my self” again. I look at my Mom and Dad who just started doing triathlons last year, they are a good reminder that different seasons open up new possibilities.
I don’t want to write you a novel here but I unfortunately know way too much about this. I think I mentioned that I had to go to physical therapy for my pelvic floor. I had a mild bladder and another prolapse TMI for sure. I actually noticed it two years after my daughter was born when I was training more intensely. I had a weak pelvic floor before I even got pregnant (leaking during rebounding classes) and when I had my marathon seven hour pushing phase of labor with her I think I seriously damaged stuff and never took the time to strengthen before I started running.
I thought my world was ending when I found out what I had. I had never even heard of this before. It turned out that it pretty much went away after physical therapy. My case was mild and I bet yours is too. Now it’s come back which I was expecting after my second baby. That’s partly why I’m not itching to run yet. I’m hopeful it will go away again with time and exercises.
Message me if you want to talk more about this. I know I felt really alone because none of my friends had even heard of this before. I agree you should think about waiting to run a little while. It’s a few weeks of sacrifice to ensure healthy running for years.
I forgot to mention- see if your midwife will refer you to a women’s health specialist for physical therapy if you want to be really proactive. There are websites who list specialists in this area by state.
This is so helpful and encouraging! I talked to my midwife yesterday-decided to call since I was freaking out a little. She said it was probably mild, but will better determine when I see her next. And she has a PT that she refers ppl to. Thanks for your thoughts, I feel like there isn’t much out there in terms if info.
I have this too - currently 6 months post partum. I have gone to PT and am back to the gym with some intensity, but still don’t feel comfortable when I try to run. What do you find is working for you? Are you just doing the Hab-It DVD or other rehab as well? Do you take any special supplements or meds? Would love to chat with someone else who suffers from this and likes to run/be active.
I just posted on this today:) I started with the Hab-It DVD and then have started going to PT (though not prescribed by my Dr.) I have been alternating running with cross training so that my pelvic floor has a day “off” to rest and re-tighten. I dont’ take any meds although I’ve heard you can take estrogen supplements, but if you are breastfeeding this would affect your supply. I’ve had to scale back my running goals and won’t be going for a marathon PR until the fall, when I will be breastfeeding less/weaning (my babe will be a year in September). I’ll be writing in more detail this week about what I’m doing for training.
Great, I’m looking forward to reading more about your training! Good luck!