To ask people to talk about their prolapse in this section?

[SpokeTooSoon]

I know there used to be a long-running thread about it in health but I wanted to ask some up-to-date questions.

I have a prolapse. I saw a women’s physio for pelvic floor help last summer. It made some difference to urge incontinence but not loads. She said I didn’t have a prolapse just a weak pelvic floor and that pretty much all women who’ve given birth have a degree of prolapse.

Before Christmas I felt the urge incontinence was getting worse and also felt a bulge down below. Saw GP and got referred to a gynae. She said I was prolapsing but it wasn’t too bad and would be best managed without pelvic floor exercises and by stopping high-impact exercise and taking up swimming and cycling instead. She said to see her in three months.

In the past fortnight I think it’s got worse. I can now feel the bulge all the time from late-afternoon onwards and it’s noticeable on self-examination. There seems to be two bulges. The lower one is right at the edge of the vagina now but not hanging out.

What do I do? Just put up with it? I’ve heard pelvic floor exercises can’t fix it, just stop it getting worse (how much worse? Actually dangling down???) but also that surgery is a very big deal, painful recovery and not successful long-term.

What is everyone doing about this? I’ve never heard a single friend mention this, nobody talks about it and yet, according to the medical professionals I’ve spoke to - it’s very common.

Any advice?? Sorry. Not really Aibu but you’re a chatty lot on here so I thought someone might be up for discussing it!

[SpokeTooSoon]

Oh, I’m 41! My mother had this problem but I’m sure she was in her fifties before it happened.

[Brokenlightfitting]

There was a thread that ran for several years

Why not pick that one up?

Any old prolapse! Uterus/womb prolapse, rectocele, cystocele, enterocele, urethrocele, incontinence, pelvic floor, anterior and posterior repair, TVT etc part 4

[alifelived]

Don’t put up with that. Demand something is done

You’re 41 fgs! Still young.

I always think that if a man had to endure something like this then they’d fix pdq.

[SproutMuncher]

Hi OP, sorry to hear about this. I also have cystocele and rectocele caused by forceps delivery - unfortunately it tore my pelvic floor from the pubic bone so there’s only so much I can improve it. I’ve been referred again for physio as I hadn’t been since 6 weeks pp so I’ll see how that goes. Lots of very day activities are uncomfortable but I’m not in pain as such. My rectocele causes bad constipation which I really struggle with and is always painful.

Do you know what caused yours?

All I’m doing is trying to avoid exercise and lifting (which as a former body pump and running addict I find very upsetting) and do pelvic floors. I’m keen to avoid surgery as due to the damage I have suffered surgery is very likely to fail in my case.

I think people don’t mention it as people find it embarrassing - as do I. I would tell anyone it is nothing to be ashamed of and rationally I know that but I can’t help but feel it’s deeply humiliating and haven’t told anyone in real life.

[Theloftmonster]

Ive been offered surgery, unfortunately life cannot give me the 12 week recovery period at the moment so I had to cancel. I have hyper mobile joints and I am wondering if it is tied in with that.

[Theloftmonster]

I was sent to a the hospital for stress incontinence and prolapse. I was early 40s. I wasn't expecting a group session where I was a good 30 years younger than anyone else. It was awful.

[Psychologika]

www.hab-it.com/tag/tasha-mulligan/

This DVD completely reversed my prolapse.

[MotherOfLittlePeople]

I have one. It's my urethra that's prolapsed. I did get sent to the hospital to see the gyno but as soon as I said the pain had gone (which was basically like a burning like an extremely bad uti) he said they didn't need to look. So nothing has been done about it but tbh I know my only chance of helping is an operation and I don't want that. I'm only in my 20s and unfortunately just being pregnant has caused mine. I'm wondering if with having bad SPD that that attributed to it.

[SproutMuncher]

@Psychologika what kind of prolapse did you have And how bad? I might try that - I’ll try anything!

@MotherOfLittlePeople that’s shocking! Definitely get a second opinion. Surgery isn’t necessarily the only thing that can help.

[Runningonempty84]

I had a pretty bad rectocele after DD2's birth. Had surgery when she was 10 months old and the recovery was pretty rough.
However, I now run marathons, lift weights, go climbing and cycling with the kids... life is back to normal and I'm SO glad I had the surgery when I did. I'm a serious runner and, after recovering from surgery, I've had no further issues.
Don't just put up with it, OP. You're young, and have decades more of your life to live.

[ravensoaponarope]

Rectocele. Appointment to see gynaecologist this week. Scared.

[MotherOfLittlePeople]

@SproutMuncher the GP said i would need an operation to fix it. The only way they will do that is if I am 100% at no more children. I say now I don't want anymore but who knows in a few years time.

[JustMyName]

I have this, both cystocele and rectocele, I'm mid fifties and have had it since mid forties. I had 3 natural births, last two babies were big.

I have some continence problems, hasn't worsened so far. I have discomfort when walking a while, pressure and then aching in my anus, which I presume is linked to the prolapse.

The only thing I've been offered so far is some physio, where they gave me a machine to use because I couldn't do the exercises. The machine freaked me out, I hated the feeling and didn't use it.

I'm thinking of going back to my gp, because walking is the only exercise I manage (due to other problems) and I don't want to have to give up. I've been told to ask for some sort of ring, I need to look it up.

[SpokeTooSoon]

Thanks all for sharing. I know it’s very common because I’ve googled hell out of it these past few weeks. It seems even successful surgeries to repair the pelvic floor aren’t guaranteed to last beyond five years. The gynae I saw (she cane highly recommended) said she didn’t recommend surgery for most women and that symptom management was the best approach.

I love exercising and have joined a brilliant outdoor bootcamp group this year which is doing me good mentally and physically and I don’t want to give it up, I just don’t.

My women’s physio recommends a contiform product for exercise but the online reviews are very poor.

My mother had three attempts at a ring pessary many years ago and said it was more painful than childbirth. Eventually they gave her a hysterectomy.

[Nerfballs]

Cystocele here, medium grade though I've been told it could get worse after menopause (mid30s now). I'm another one with hypermobility and had bad SPD - still have SPD symptoms now and then even though youngest is 5.

I think I got my prolapse from my second pregnancy, for an unknown reason baby didn't swallow the amniotic fluid so there was a mass amount of hind waters placing huge pressure downwards. I noticed the bulge during that pregnancy but it seemed to disappear until after my 3rd when I really definitely noticed a permanent change. In my experience healthcare professionals don't really care all that much, and there seems to be an "oh well, do kegels and hope for the best" attitude. Whereas I think early intervention during / after second pregnancy when I first noticed an issue could have prevented it from getting to the stage it is now - unfortunately there's not a lot of support for mums to physically recover from pregnancy and birth (unless you're in France, apparently they're paranoid about prolapse so special physio for months after birth is funded). Trying not to be bitter about that.

Basically I'm just trying to avoid surgery in future by doing pelvic exercises / avoiding high impact exercise, strong ab exercises and lifting. Also trying to lose a bit of weight (about 5kilos overweight). It doesn't bother me that much at the moment except prior to my period, but the future worries me - really nervous about menopause and will be investigating whether HRT would delay further prolapse. SPD pains are more my issue currently, but they also come from an unstable pelvic region so will be related.

I think people don't discuss it because it's embarrassing. But I do know a few others IRL who have prolapse and I'm trying to be a bit more open because we can't be the only ones. Also would love to advocate for better healthcare treatment and understanding of recovery after birth. Maybe we can be part of the change ladies 😉

[SpokeTooSoon]

I’m wondering what exactly has prolapsed in me. Is there a way of working it out? I seem to have two bulges, one on top of another, between them blocking the entrance to the vagina. The lower one is the one bulging out more.

So sorry for TMI.

Is the the bladder?

[ShiningTor]

My gynaecologist did not recommend surgery but physio instead. I've been using the NHS Squeezy app for about a year, brilliant results.

[SpokeTooSoon]

Were you able to kegel the prolapse back up though?

[littlecabbage]

Hi SpokeTooSoon, there is a long running thread that is still posted on from time to time - not the AnyOldProlapse one (which is a lot older), but this one:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_health/3332405-Any-Pelvic-Organ-Prolapse-Surgery-success-stories?msgid=90773703

I’ve posted a lot on here, so please come and join us, and have a read.

To answer your questions above, you can probably tell by which wall is bulging - front wall of vagina would usually be a bladder prolapse, aka cystocoele (or less commonly, a urethral prolapse). Back wall would usually be a rectal prolapse, aka rectocoele (or less commonly, another part of the bowel, so an enterocoele). If the “end” of your vagina seems to be coming downwards, that may be a uterine prolapse.

But assessment by a urogynaecologist (not a bog standard gynaecologist) is the most recommended approach.

[littlecabbage]

Sorry to not post loads of further help here tonight - I’m very tired, but I think you’ll find some useful stuff on the thread I linked.

To give some hope, I am feeling loads better than when I first started that thread. Doing lots of swimming, and rarely think about my prolapse these days. Just feel it when very tired (although not feeling it today actually). Feel free to PM me or post on the other thread or here. I’ll check back for updates.

[Nerfballs]

Oh also - lay down / sit / cease physical work any time you feel back pain or fatigue as a way to protect your prolapse. My physio also recommended half an hour lay down in the middle of the day as a general rule to follow - not great if you have to work, but perhaps when you get home and definitely on weekends. You might notice the prolapse gets lower closer to your period too, then it raises again - that's completely normal. I find mine really noticeable in the few days/week before. Freaked me out at first, now I find it's my early warning system for period on its way.

Your best bet is to ask for a full diagnostic from your gynae/ sexual health care provider - ask the questions as to what is prolapsing and what grade etc.

[SproutMuncher]

@littlecabbage I read every page of your thread when I was desperately searching and it is really helpful. I especially liked the video you posted of the Gynaecologist from Ireland who I feel explained it really well with the Elastic band analogy, and he was positive about treatment too.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=I4GZcxl0obY

[littlecabbage]

@SproutMuncher I’m so glad you’ve found it helpful. Loads of the posters on there have helped me too. I think we tend to panic initially, and search/post loads, then disappear off for a bit as our symptoms improve.

That gynae in Ireland is called Dr Gerry Agnew. I’m actually debating going over there for a private consultation, because he seems so positive about surgical outcomes. And he seems to really care about thr fact that women are suffering with this.

[NoIDontWatchLoveIsland]

Mild prolapse. GP sent me for physio but haven't had it fully assessed. No confidence issues just bulge in vagina, bit uncomfortable when tired.

I'm 34 and it happened after DS (forceps for his massive head , together with bad constipation post partum. It improved a lot with physio after I stopped bf, the hormones kept things sagging.

Had DD by c section (for different reasons) and it's no worse & even with bf isn't as bad as it was after DS.

Once I'm definitely done with kids I'm planning an epic round of physio & maybe surgery.

[edwinbear]

I had surgery to repair a cystocele and rectocele in 2013, which happened as a result of a difficult, forceps birth with DS in 2009. I then had DD in 2011 and the repair in 2013.

My gynae told me absolutely no impact exercise and nothing that causes me to bear down - so no running, no weight training or anything that involves bouncing on my pelvic floor. I swim (completing a cross channel relay in 2017) and go to spin classes which help keep my weight down thus looking after my repair. His advice was to take good care of it because having to operate again on scar tissue is unlucky to be successful.

The surgery was far more ‘major’ than I’d anticipated. I was signed off work for 7 weeks and we had to hire help with the DC as I couldn’t, for example, lift DD out of her cot. 6 years on though and I consider myself ‘fixed’. No issues at all and I’m so glad I had it done, it is so debilitating trying to live with it.