Well it seems I have a bladder prolapse. I am 40 and 18 months PP, still nursing. I have IBS.
Early this morning I was having a bm and heard the baby wake so I strained to hurry things up and when I went to wipe I felt a lump in the vaginal opening that was not there before. Sort of like a squishy large marble feeling. It had since retreated some but is still there. I will call my mw on Monday.
My mother had a botched bladder lift last year so I am not thrill about the idea of surgery...
Sea Sponge issues...
So I was all excited to receive the sea sponge to aid my prolapse (turns out it's my uterus, bladder, and rectum--a trifecta!) ALAS it seems to both give me a backache and make me incontinent! Yikes!
Anyone else have these issues? I tried a few times and got the same awful results consistently. I spoke with Gloria, the awesome woman at Jade and Pearl, and she hadn't heard of this before. Anyone?
I guess I'll have to get a natural rubber pessary, which is a disappointment. But this sponge sure isn't helping!
Hope you're all feeling well! Happy Mother's Day!
i just found out that the reason i got a prolapse is bc i have ehlers-danlos type 3. i have been telling every one i know about it bc it seems to be more common in women than men. although eds is a rare genetic disorder (1 in 5,000) some of you could have it.
Hello there ladies! I think I belong to this club now-- hehe! :)
First of all I want to say that seeing a physical therapist is sooo helpful, and highly recommend it to you ladies who may be unsure of the idea. I was feeling so weird and lumpy down there after #2 was born (and posted a thread about it... had some great encouraging responses though which really helped me to relax about it), and read the Whole Woman book and prepared myself for the worst. I figured I had prolapsed everything and cried lots, even though my midwife checked me and couldn't see any obvious prolapse. (I think she should have checked me standing up, but that is why I think it is important to see a physical therapist about these issues.) The physical therapist was gentle and very thorough and informative and helped me understand my body better. Turns out, I have a mild rectal prolapse, but my bladder and uterus are fine. (YAY!!) The "sagginess" I have noticed in the front is just from the thinning of the vaginal walls (less estrogen when BFing) and just the stretching from my VERY fast labor. She prescribed kegels every day lying down, sitting, and standing up. (Just 10 kegels- 10 seconds holding, 10 seconds relaxing.) She also prescribed walking, swimming, and light yoga, but no bouncy exercise for a while.
We talked about the Whole Woman method, and she seemed to agree with some of it, but was not a fan of all of it. She thinks that building up your abdominal muscles is really important in healing and posture, instead of letting your belly hang all the time. She also prescribed Breath of Fire to me, which teaches you how to "pull up" your lower organs and strengthen them. She also (obviously) believes that kegels help tremendously, and will help heal my rectal prolapse and my (very mild) urinary incontinence.
For those of you who have seen a PT for your issues, what is their opinion on the Whole Woman stuff? I can say that I have definitely been a lot more aware of my posture since reading the book, and I have a better understanding of how the muscles are connected as well, so I have sort of mixed reviews about it.... Anyway, just wanted to connect with you ladies and encourage you to see a PT (I know they are expensive, but worth it) because you can make yourself crazy trying to self-diagnose and guess what's going on down there.
Oh, and has anyone checked out the new Whole Woman yoga dvd yet? I love yoga and was thinking about getting it...
I personally feel less "hangy" when I do the posture consistently. I also think about how women in other cultures hold themselves. They don't suck it in all the time. But... I know there can be issues even in those cultures that are like POP, so who knows.
Calliope, your baby is such a cutie. Love the round wide set eyes. :-)
---
Can someone tell me whether or not some form of prolapse is always present shortly after birth? I saw my dr a week after having the baby because I was having some issues with pooing and thought i might have a rectocele. She said I didn't but I that I did have a mild bladder prolapse (I suspected that -- my baby seemed to have been sitting right on my bladder from month 6 onwards). Could it be that all organs rearrange to some degree and then go back to place eventually? Or is a prolapsed bladder (however "mild") a result of torn tissue that will never completely heal? Just wondering.
Calliope, your baby is such a cutie. Love the round wide set eyes. :-)
---
Can someone tell me whether or not some form of prolapse is always present shortly after birth? I saw my dr a week after having the baby because I was having some issues with pooing and thought i might have a rectocele. She said I didn't but I that I did have a mild bladder prolapse (I suspected that -- my baby seemed to have been sitting right on my bladder from month 6 onwards). Could it be that all organs rearrange to some degree and then go back to place eventually? Or is a prolapsed bladder (however "mild") a result of torn tissue that will never completely heal? Just wondering.
[/quotescottishmommy - I haven't spent a lot of time on her site - she seems to post a lot, though! Does she suffer from PFD? Just curious. The woman who does the Hab-it DVD and blog does suffer from PFD, and I find it reassuring that she has personal understanding.
Thanks scottishmommy, I do read Katy's blog and try to do the positions/workouts that she recommends.
Oh, that reminds me -- what is the "whole woman posture" -- can someone tell me? Is it basically sticking your tail bone out, keeping a strong lumbar curve?
Have you guys been on this forum?? http://prolapsehealth.com/forums/
It's great! I am feeling very encouraged by it, but have not started posting there yet.
I am 35 and just 2 1/2 weeks after having my 4th baby(water birth, fast pushing phase). I saw my midwife on last wed after knowing something crazy was going on and she told me I have one of the worst cystocle/rectoceles she has seen which obviously was pretty upsetting to hear. I also had severe pubic symphasis/si joint problems during pregnancy and had separation during delivery. I had a 4th degree episiotomy/vaccuum extraction with my first and think I may have had a mild bladder prolapse since then now that I am reading more. (I have tried to read through as much of the thread as possible...) Anyway, I have some urine leaking, and LOTS of pain. I guess I am here for support, and the hope this will get better. Also, trying to figure out how much I can be up and around the next few weeks w/o making this worse so any feedback on that in particular would really help.
thank you all so much.\Maria
Hi, I'm new to this thread, I've been in the Trying to Conceive one.. However, after a visit today to a specialist, I was told I had a rectocele. I am currently waiting for another referral, this time to a gynecologist, for confirmation/to make sure I don't have any other prolapse (my family doc and I don't think that I do, based on what's been going on with me). I haven't had time to read many of the existings posts here (there are so many!), so I don't know if there is anything on here about getting pregnant while having a rectocele. I'm not sure what treatment will be recommended-- I have had only one episode where a bit of the tissue was protruding out through my vagina but it went back in quite quickly--so I don't know how 'bad' my situation is. But it scares me to think not only about it getting worse after birthing a second child, but, what if some kind of prolapse happened with baby in utero? I didn't get many answers today, only that I'd have to wait to see the gynecologist and a comment that I could always get pregnant now and then book a c-section so that my pelvic floor doesn't go to shambles. I felt more scared than reassured after today's visit, and it could take 6 months for me to get in to see the gyne. Can someone please offer me any advice or info right now, since I don't know when I will get through all the posts... Thanks so much!
I am 35 and just 2 1/2 weeks after having my 4th baby(water birth, fast pushing phase). I saw my midwife on last wed after knowing something crazy was going on and she told me I have one of the worst cystocle/rectoceles she has seen which obviously was pretty upsetting to hear. I also had severe pubic symphasis/si joint problems during pregnancy and had separation during delivery. I had a 4th degree episiotomy/vaccuum extraction with my first and think I may have had a mild bladder prolapse since then now that I am reading more. (I have tried to read through as much of the thread as possible...) Anyway, I have some urine leaking, and LOTS of pain. I guess I am here for support, and the hope this will get better. Also, trying to figure out how much I can be up and around the next few weeks w/o making this worse so any feedback on that in particular would really help.
thank you all so much.\Maria
This is me too!
I am 2.5 weeks PP with baby #6 (my last) and had a uterine prolapse last time around (cervix at vaginal opening immediately after delivery) but by a few months PP it was 3/4 the way back where it should be but never fully returned. Now after this labor (only 30 minutes and 1 or two pushes baby was out with a bang and now I am feeling weird. I have constant urgency feeling (but no pain when peeing) and if I push kinda (like when you are trying to pee fast) it kinda hurts (by the way I had no tears or anything) which makes me think maybe my bladder isnt where it should be either. Immediately after birth (well day 3 or so) I noticed cervix at the opening again though it seems to be getting slightly better I am scared to look. Now when I am going (number 2) it feels like I can never go all the way. I feel like I am all messed up now and am so scared I will never be normal again. I am so sscared of surgery (I have had severe gallbladder attacks for years and just dont want to get it removed) and with all the things I have heard about the surgeries to suspend things back where they should (negatve things) it scares me even more.
Just here really for support and ideas on home therapy besides kegals as they aren't really doing much and never have for me.
Hi everyone, new here. I'm 14 months post partum, and during my last period felt something that wasn't there before...I was sure it was my cervix hanging very low (that's what it looked like) but the RN I saw told me I was fine, though the muscle around my bladder was weak, that the bulge I felt was probably my bladder, and I have had some leaks recently. Anyways, I was really scared and started researching like crazy. I found a few things I want to try, it's hard to decide amongst all the conflicting info!
I'm really curious about the Kegel Queen program, but just can't afford to spend $267 for the program (way too much in my opinion) but it seems very useful. Has anyone tried it? I searched the thread and found some mentions, but no one talking about using it.
Also, just wanted to share that I got the Whole Woman Yoga DVD (since that was the cheapest thing on the site) and it is just OK, not really worth $30, IMO. Only about 20 mins of yoga, kind of poorly narrated and the first half is a rehash of what is on her website. Kinda disappointed, but at least I can see how to do the posture better.
Hi everyone, new here. I'm 14 months post partum, and during my last period felt something that wasn't there before...I was sure it was my cervix hanging very low (that's what it looked like) but the RN I saw told me I was fine, though the muscle around my bladder was weak, that the bulge I felt was probably my bladder, and I have had some leaks recently. Anyways, I was really scared and started researching like crazy. I found a few things I want to try, it's hard to decide amongst all the conflicting info!
I'm really curious about the Kegel Queen program, but just can't afford to spend $267 for the program (way too much in my opinion) but it seems very useful. Has anyone tried it? I searched the thread and found some mentions, but no one talking about using it.
Also, just wanted to share that I got the Whole Woman Yoga DVD (since that was the cheapest thing on the site) and it is just OK, not really worth $30, IMO. Only about 20 mins of yoga, kind of poorly narrated and the first half is a rehash of what is on her website. Kinda disappointed, but at least I can see how to do the posture better.
You may want to check out www.hab-it.com. It is a great site by a woman who is a physical therapist with personal experience regarding prolapse. I find her to be very informative and pro-active. I purchased her DVD when I discovered my cystocele. What she says makes sense, and the workouts are targeted and just long enough to make them easy to fit in a busy schedule.
Thanks, Simonesez2u. Did your cystocele improve? I am in information overload now, and worried about doing the wrong thing, you know?
I know what you mean! I went crazy when I first figured out what it was, then I freaked out. I am fortunate in that my cystocele is minor and does not really bother me. I discovered it after monitoring my 3rd degree tear repair after the birth of my daughter. There it was blocking the entrance to my Hoo Ha! I experienced some heaviness in my pelvic floor and I did leak slightly every now and then. My muscles were so weak, I couldn't stop my urine mid stream when I tried to find my pelvic floor muscles so I could kegel properly.
It has improved visually. Everything has lifted. The heavy feeling is gone, I don't leak at all, and I can stop my urine stream. I do all the things I did before I found out I had a prolapse. I've been doing the hab-it dvd since around 6 weeks pp. Honestly I cant' say if it is the exercises or just time that has made me better. I can say that I slacked off for a few weeks and when I checked things out (because I now can't help but give it a peek every now and then) things looked lower. I promptly started back exercising and again things look lifted again. I think it is something that will have to be done from now on. There is so much info out there and a lot of it can get you down. That is why I love reading Tasha's blog on the hab-it web site. I mean the woman had a stage 3 cystocele and improved it to a 1-2 AND she is a triathlete. It is a very encouraging and positive place.
The prolapsehealth.com forum mentioned by a previous poster is also a positive and encouraging forum with good information. I haven't used the whole woman web site much. I read some from the forum here and there. The posture you are suppose to practice just did not make sense to me personally and was uncomfortable. To each her own you know.
I hope some of this was helpful. Good luck in your journey to healing what ever you decide to put into practice.
Thanks again! I am glad to hear it helped, it sounds like it really was great for you in fact! And thanks for sharing about what it was like for you, it is so scary to think your organs are falling out!
I don't love the Whole Woman site much myself...well let's just say I have some issues with it, but wanted to try the posture thing. I think I'll get the hab-it DVD, and I'll check out the prolapsehealth.com, thanks! Of course I am going overboard, I also just ordered some DVDs from Katy Bowman, she has one on the pelvic floor which is very affordable, I liked the previews. We'll see what I can actually do with a very rambunctious 14 month old! 
Is this going to ruin my marriage? Sex has become such an issue between me and DH that I am worried now. I had a uterine prolapse with my 5th pregnancy (to the opening of vagina, not outside of it though) that went MOSTLY back where it belonged after but not quite. Id say a little like 3/4ths back to where it belongs. (my cervix) It didn't really affect our intimacy though. Then pregnancy #6 (this most recent and last one) I had such severe SPD that the last month we couldnt really do much without me being miserable so needless to say we had issues but he was very much looking forward to PP and 4-6 weeks things getting normal again. However, I am 6 weeks PP and my cervix is only 1/2 the way back where it should be now it is quite saggy. We were intimate for the first time last night and with positions that didn't require deep penetration things were fine but others (actually anything but missonary) are off limits as my cervix is hit and it makes me bleed (not bad just spot). Am I doomed to deal with this from now on? Is my sexlife with DH forever limited now? Do I look into hysterectomy? I am at a loss and depressed.
Sharita, I'm sorry you are having to deal with this issue on top of taking care of a new bub. Give yourself a break, 6 weeks PP is not that long at all. I had all kinds of strange things going on down there after my daughters birth (and subsequent tear and slight bladder prolapse). I'm a little over 5 months pp now and there is a world of difference in how things felt just a couple months ago to now. At 6 weeks pp sex flat out hurt upon entry (TMI) and was not really that great and I'm talking in missionary position only. I felt disheartened. The good news is that DH and I are back in the saddle 
so to speak. I'm sure things will get better but I do know how it feels to want things to get better NOW.
Follow Mothering