I bought the Athena Pelvic Muscle Trainer because I had a weak pelvic floor due to having 3 children naturally (one was a particularly difficult and long delivery). My own symptoms included mild incontinence and relaxed vaginal muscles.

I found it all quite embarrassing really. Like most of us, I really tried to do Kegels, but they seemed so tedious and there was always something else to think about. Also, I never really knew if I was doing them right. There were a lot of “do’s and don’ts” and a lot of information about the fact that if I was doing them wrong, they wouldn’t do any good.

After the birth of my first child 20 years ago, it really didn’t seem much different “down there.” I had an episiotomy and the labor was long and traumatic. After my second son was born, I noticed that he had started leaking a little urine. This happened during exercise, so I started wearing a thin panty pad, and I also noticed that if my bladder was really full, I couldn’t make it to the bathroom without leaking a bit.

I mentioned it to the nurse when I went in for a smear test and received a sheet detailing Kegel exercises. I was never really able to get the feeling of tightening properly although I really tried to include them in my daily routine. For example, I tried to make them in the car on the way to work and one night when I lay in bed I would try to make a few. It was only after the birth of my third child, when things got really bad, that I considered having a repair operation.

It had gotten to the point where I was constantly wearing a sanitary pad to soak up the leak. She couldn’t do any exercise without being soaking wet and I noticed that when I used tampons they seemed to slip out of place and were often close to the entrance of my vagina even though they had been inserted correctly. I later found out that she was suffering from mild symptoms of prolapse.

I was watching GMTV one morning and Dr. Hilary Jones mentioned the Athena Pelvic Muscle Trainer. I thought it sounded interesting, but I hadn’t listened to the entire segment and didn’t think about it again until I heard Chris Steele of This Morning recommend it, saying it was a foolproof way to do Kegels. He said that more than 42% of women under the age of 50 suffered from mild to moderate incontinence and that most would not discuss it with their partners or even their GPs. I decided to take the plunge and give it a try. This was my last chance to do anything before the repair surgery.

I used Athena twice a day for 15 minutes each time. Within a couple of weeks, I noticed things seemed “tighter”. Within a month there was a real difference in the amount of urine loss and I would say that after about 12 weeks I was bone dry. For me it was like a small miracle! After years of suffering in silence and feeling like an old woman, I was suddenly “healed”. I found it totally infallible.

The Athena Pelvic Muscle Trainer is cordless and that’s what convinced me to try it over other pelvic toners. It’s only about the size of a tampon, so I found it very easy to use. I got used to using it while having my breakfast and then at night while watching TV, so it never interfered with my routine. I still use it, as in Dr. Chris Steele’s words “Use it or lose it,” meaning that, like any muscle, it’s best exercised regularly. I only use it a couple of times a week now.