POP mamas - tell me about sea sponges vs. pessary

[kltroy]

I posted a question about this in the POP support thread but that thread is getting pretty huge so I thought I would repost here to get a little more visibility...

I'm seeing a PT for cystocele - I'm 12 wks postpartum - and she suggested that part-time use of a pessary might help to take some of the stress off the pelvic floor muscles so that they have some extra time to heal. (The hope is that eventually I would only need this during high impact activities like running). She gave me a few names of docs in the city who are good at fitting pessaries (which, I gather, is as much an art as it is a science. This may be why so many docs and women aren't happy with them?)

My cystocele is an annoyance - especially for the second half of the day - but some days it's really not bad at all, so I feel like this may be a more drastic solution than I need, though the idea of unloading the muscle makes sense to me.

I'm wondering how a pessary compares to a sea sponge? Advantages/disadvantages to each?
Any experiences you can share about using either one?

Thanks!
Karen

[wombatclay]

I've used sea sponges... the company I purchased them from actually mentions their use is supporting mild POP.

For me, the discomfort of the POP isn't too bad most days and I have a lot of scar tissue and nerve "wonkiness" in the vaginal area so the texture of the sponge was really uncomfortable. More uncomfortable than the POP alone. So I stopped using the sponges.

However, they're not that expensive, work well for many mamas as menstrual products, and would be worth a try to see if they help your POP. I've thought about looking into pessaries more seriously if I get pregnant or if my POP symptoms get worse...

I'm curious to see what other mamas do!

[runes]

I don't use a pessary and haven't used the sea sponge as one either, but I do use the sponges as a menstrual product. It's the only thing that I can use internally that is comfortable and stays in place. I can no longer use a Diva Cup or a regular tampon, but the sponge works great.

The thing about a pessary that doesn't sit right with me is that they are hard plastic/metal, and the thought of putting something like that inside doesn't feel right to me. I've also read that they can cause a lot of irritation if not fitted correctly, which happens a lot it seems.

Sea Sponges are cheap (around $8 for two of them) and they can be trimmed and played around with a bit to see what works for you. I buy mine through a Frontier coop (they're a bit cheaper that way) but they also sell them at many health food stores. I would say give them a try before going the pessary route.

I was also following a really interesting thread over at Whole Woman, of someone who was working with her midwife to fashion a pessary made out of beeswax. If I were to need something like that, this sounds promising to me.

You're still so newly postpartum, and you're already taking care of it with a PT, so there's a pretty good likelihood that you may not even need something like this. I had a pretty severe cystocele and now, almost 3 years postpartum, it only really bothers me if I'm doing a high impact activity like running on the treadmill with a full bladder in the day or two before getting my period. Or if I've been coughing a lot, then I do have some stress incontinence (like last winter, when I had pertussis.)

Good luck!!

[veryerin]

I use a sea sponge as a pessary, but only when I am running. My cystocele has improved to the point of not being noticable unless I don't use the sponge when running.

I find it works very well for me, I'm sure it varies greatly from person to person, but for me the sponge makes all the difference.

I was going to go to the OB to get a pessary, but the sponge is working so well, I'm thinking why bother?

[kltroy]

Thanks for the opinions everyone. I just oredered a couple sea sponges so I'll see if I like them. I'm mostly interested in some extra support for running and other high impact activities too. My PT showed me some "demo" pessaries and a lot of the little ones (for less severe prolapse) look more like a diaphragm than anything else (though with holes in it) - they were pretty flexabile, which makes me think maybe they'd be ok. Still, can't beat a sea sponge for cheap, so if it works, great!

The good news is that my PT is pretty sure she can "fix" me in 6-12 visits (by "fix" I mean I will be able to run a 5k with good pelvic support).

[MAMom]

Originally Posted by kidspiration

I can no longer use a Diva Cup or a regular tampon, but the sponge works great.

I have a cystocele and tried the Diva Cup for a few cycles about 6 months ago (2 years pp). I couldn't get it to work & I couldn't figure out whether it was due to the cystocele or if I was inserting it incorrectly? Any thoughts on this?

I emailed Diva Cup but the woman who I corresponded with was entirely unhelpful.

[kltroy]

Originally Posted by veryerin

I use a sea sponge as a pessary, but only when I am running. My cystocele has improved to the point of not being noticable unless I don't use the sponge when running.

Ok so I got some sea sponges from Jade and Pearl and tried one the other day when I felt things slipping out of place. It went in fine, was comfortable etc. But YOUCH!!! How the heck do you pull it out>?? I could reach it to grab it, but it puffed up so big that I felt like I was pulling my insides out as I carefully removed it! I actually had a little blood on it from the whole ordeal. (I know that I can loop a thread through it, but I don't think that will help this problem). So what's the trick? Do you put lube on the outside? Wet it to soften it more before removing? Other ideas? Do I just need to trim it smaller? Help please!!

[veryerin]

Yeah, sometimes mine travels a little further up than I need and then the great sponge hunt begins.

TMI ahead.

If that happens, I try to just slide it down or forwards using the length of my index finger, then I try to grab onto a substantial chunk of the sponge and pull. I do this squatting and I bear down a tiny bit if necessary. If you grab too little of the sponge, it may rip, so be careful. I do have a little blood on mine from time to time, I keep hoping it just means I'm getting closer to having a period

I wet the sponge before inserting it, and it is always still plenty moist when I go to take it out. If dryness is a problem, I think lube would help, but make sure you get the sponge rinsed out really well.