As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I had a hysterectomy earlier this year. And one of the things the doctors and nurses stressed after I had the operation was the need to do pelvic exercises. Now, I am a very obedient person. When doctors tell me to do something, I make sure I do it. But I find it hard to remember to do my pelvic exercises and it always feels a bit ineffectual to be clenching those muscles without resistance. So aside from increasing the frequency of sex with my husband (really, what better way to exercise those muscles than with a man inside you?), I looked for something more….discreet to help me keep my pelvic floor muscles toned.
The lovely ladies at my local Ann Summers shop were able to help me out with this. They recommended the Luna Beads by LELO. They are more Ben Wa balls than beads and are actually quite big. There are four balls: the pink ones are lighter and the blue ones are darker. You can use them in any combination, depending on how toned your muscles are. You just slip them into the harness and insert them into your vagina. The movement of the smaller balls inside causes the muscles in your vagina to contract, toning them, and the weight of the balls means a work out for your pelvic floor muscles to keep them inside.
The first time I inserted the Luna Beads I was not impressed. It was quite uncomfortable, painful almost, and I did not like the sensation of the balls moving inside me. I had no problems holding them in place, but after wearing them for half an hour, my pelvic floor muscles were aching. It was a relief to remove them. In the interest of full disclosure I have to say that although I have two children, my vagina is still quite tight as I had both kids by C-section. That may have contributed to the initial discomfort of inserting the fairly large balls.
I persisted though, as they were too expensive to not use. After wearing them once a day for a few weeks, I started to like them more and more. The key is to use a lot of lubricant before you insert them. I have also grown to like the sensation of them inside me, to the point that I find it quite a turn on. I have used them for 6 weeks now and I have to say I really notice an improvement in the strength of my pelvic floor muscles. I can hold the harness with one pink and one blue bead in place for about two hours now without it becoming too tiring. I usually insert them as soon as I come home from work and wear them while making dinner.
I can really recommend this product. It’s an easy and very effective way to tone your pelvic floor muscles, which is important for all women, not just us who have had a hysterectomy. I am very happy I kept using them despite the initial discomfort. And my husband reaps the benefits as well. I can clench him harder during intercourse and wearing the balls regularly means I am aroused a lot more often. So everyone benefits from this :-).
The only draw back (at least for me) is that I can’t go to the loo with them in. The balls seem to press on my bladder and I can’t empty my bladder effectually. So while I would love to wear the balls for longer than a few hours (I’d love to wear them to the office, for example), if I can’t go to the loo without removing the balls, I won’t be able to wear them for longer than a couple of hours.