Sometimes bladder or prolapse problems seem to run in families.
Women with mild bladder symptoms often volunteer the information that their mum, grandmother or aunty had pelvic organ prolapse. They wonder whether this will happen to them too.
Some symptoms do seem to run in families, for example children and teenagers who wet the bed often have a parent who took a long time to get night time wetting under control.
Prolapse is partially related to the type of connective tissue you inherited, but having a relative with prolapse certainly does not mean that you will develop prolapse too. Your relative probably did not receive the sort of advice available now.
- Practice your pelvic floor muscle exercises regularly.
- Use those muscles to brace when you lift, cough, sneeze or blow your nose.
- Avoid constipation and straining to use your bowels.
- Keep your weight in the healthy range for your height (BMI 20-25).
- Treat your cough or sneeze. If you don’t already have a plan for treating your cough or sneeze (maybe it is asthma or hayfever or an allergy), speak to your GP and ask for assistance with this.
- Avoid repetitive heavy lifting.
- If you go to the gym, be sure that your instructor understands pelvic floor safe exercise.