It was not until I was in my mid 40s that I realised just how out of shape my pelvic floor was; a 40-hour labour ending with a ventouse delivery of a large baby, and a second bouncing baby soon after had left me in poor shape. A failing marriage meant a very limited sex life, topped with a long undiagnosed and pronounced BV, worsened by courses of antibiotics as I tried to cure the infection without knowing really what was wrong with me. My pelvic floor and libido had both flat-lined.

Confessions of a Menopausal Nymphomaniac in The Guardian introduced me to Kegel8

Divorce and a chance reading of a newspaper article changed all of that; Confessions of a Menopausal Nymphomaniac introduced me to Kegel8 by happy chance. It extolled the 50-something year old author’s renewed sex life, boosted by Kegel8’s magic effect on her pelvic floor. The article chimed on many levels – like her, I had a high-level libido, the re-discovery of sex with beautiful young men encountered through online dating, BV, and a pelvic floor that needed the kiss of life. I’d ordered my Kegel8 Ultra 20 as soon as I finished reading the article.

BV and a weak pelvic floor had left me with a fairly poor stress-continence existence: heavy-duty knicker liners were a must, sneezing was a risk, and jumping around in an aerobics class was an impossibility as I could not contain pee. For the BV it took time to find a diagnosis (and not self-prescribe the wrong medication). The course of treatment to address the infection in the right way and restore the good flora to my lady bits took 3 years to complete so that bouts of BV happen only seldom now. That was an important improvement for my poor pelvic floor.

Strangely, my weak pelvic floor was not diagnosed by the eminent gynaecologists that I had consulted about BV and other issues over the years (I live in Europe where having a gynae is the norm.) I knew about Kegel exercises to improve pelvic floor strength but I did not know how to squeeze correctly to get the results – so I did not bother.

"Kegel8 was a revelation - stronger orgasms for sure, vigorous sex and no leaks"

The Kegel8 Ultra 20 just requires you to turn the device on, choose the right programme for your issue (stress incontinence or lack of sensitivity), slip the probe into yourself like a tampon and then lie back and read or catch up on Facebook while the programme runs, silently and without pain and almost no sensation to discern. My Kegel8 arrived and while it looked a little like a TV remote control I was optimistic and determined to give it my best shot. I started a routine of using it every morning and every evening on the Stress Incontinence setting. Within a couple of weeks I had noticed an improvement. I was far less leaky even after two or three weeks – I was impressed, happy and far less vulnerable to the social embarrassment of stress incontinence.

I managed my Kegel8 morning and evening routines by setting my alarm clock 20 minutes earlier than usual and inserting the device while I slowly woke up. Losing 20 minutes sleep seemed a tiny price to pay for an improved leak problem. In the evening, I did pretty much the same thing – just went to bed a little earlier and drifted into sleep as Kegel8 did the work on my pelvic muscles. I then blended the Improved Sensitivity setting into my Kegel8 morning and evening routine. My sex life was fun and satisfying but orgasms were elusive or weaker than they might be, which I put down to a large extent to a pelvic floor in recovery. A weekend nap allowed time for a 45-minute workout on the Kegel8. Without small children or a live-in partner, the morning, evening and weekend routines were more than manageable. And the incentives were great as the improvements were continuous and noticeable.

"I'm now more confident than ever"

 

I can even go out and about without knicker liners when I feel very confident. My regular Kegel8 workouts have diminished and I do not see any slippage back into dodgy incontinence problems. I can even lift 25 kg weights at the gym and have zero leakage – pretty important when my young personal trainer is close at hand! Intimate moments are far better (stronger orgasms for sure) and vigorous sex is not compromised by the feeling that my bladder is going to let me down. Now just ahead of my 50th birthday, facing the arrival of peri-menopause at some point (another challenge to the good old pelvic floor), I have decided to restart my routine with Kegel8. I will do this routine with less intensity; plugging into Kegel8 once a day seems reasonable. Like my regular cross-training at the gym, workouts with the Kegel8 bear fruit so the 20 minutes or so that I set aside are entirely win-win in my view.

I can honestly say that Kegel8 has transformed my physical health and well-being. Leaking pee is not sexy – what more do I need to say?!