Gotta ask, sorry! Heaviness "down there" after giving birth.....

[babylove123]

Hi,

Sorry but i gotta ask! Gave birth naturally to DD 7 weeks ago, first baby. Only had 2 stitches so not bad and all healed now. However i complained shortly after her birth of feeling "heavy" down there. Particularly when i kneel/sit on the loo etc. It almost feels like it did when i was pushing her out in hospital! Certain positions are worse than others. i was told it was my pelvic floor just a little out of place from the pregnancy and it wld sort itself out. It eased off but within the last 3 days its come back - worse! I dont know why and its becomming quite painful. Not sure i trust this pelvic floor theory - why would that hurt?

Any thoughts/experiences?!

Thanks!

[pscc]

Hiya,
Not had anything like that- but if I were you I would go and see a doctor/midwife tommorrow and get it checked out. Dont want to scare you but you hear so many stories- I might be overreacting but I think better safe than sorry.
What ever you do- hope it gets better soon.
Anyone got any advise for babylove123?
Xx

[Jacksmama]

It probably is your pelvic floor - it's normal for it to feel heavy after a birth. But have you strained yourself in the last few days, from lifting anything heavy or so? Because that can make it worse again even if it's been better. Or have you started exercising again, or running?
The other thing it could be (not to alarm you) is a mild uterine prolapse (where the uterus drops down farther than it should). This usually self-corrects esepcially if you do your pelvic floor exercises.
Good luck and if it keeps up see you MW/ GP.

[Lemontart]

I had this with both DD1 and DD2 - 7 weeks is still relatively early days. I felt heavy and almost achingly bruised sensation, generalised not a specific pain. Not all the time, mainly when crouching down or kneeling. My DD1 is now seven and I can totally recall that feeling when squatting next to the baby bath! It went away slowly and gradually improved with time and a little regular pelvic exercises.

If it was gradually improving I would suggest you try to avoid squatting and kneeling, keep doing the exercises and it will improve. However, as it is becoming worse, I would speak to someone tomorrow. Hopefully it is nothing and chances are you have overdone it a little and strained the muscles. However, best to get it checked that there is no infection or problems that could benefit from treatment. After my DD2 I ignored the first stages of a uterine infection and almost ended up in hospital. Strongly recommend sooner rather than later just to be sure x

[babylove123]

I get an aching feeling that goes right through to the outer lips (sorry if creeping u out!)....it gets pretty painful. Cant say ive done anything different the last few days....no lifting or anything. Seems strange it is back + worse!

[Jacksmama]

Ha ha about creeping us out - have you seen any of the other TMI threads? This is nothing!!!

I felt like someone had kicked me in the crotch, soooooo bruised and achy (even though there was no bruising, it just felt that way IYKWIM), especially when kneeling. Or on long walks.

How was your labour? Was it good or did you tear etc? If it was fine, you can still expect to be sore for several months. If it was pants (mine was 4 hours pushing and eventually forceps) you can expect to hurt much longer. I think around the 6-8 month mark I finally started to feel ok most days, and I was obsessive with my pelvic floor exercises. The achiness is apparently a bit of nerve damage from pushing (is what I was told). But do see your GP and rule out a prolapse. Once you've done that, ask for a referral to a pelvic floor physio, to help you rehab that area.

xxx

[Jacksmama]

And I don't know why it would be fine for a while and then hurt again, but I had that too. Had a fab week in July, almost completely pain-free. Didn't push it or do anything new but the next week was awful.

[Jacksmama]

Sorry, just read your OP again, and saw you had a good labour. Hmmm. Get checked out honey. But try not to worry too much until then, you sound pretty normal for 7 wks.

[babylove123]

Hey,

thanks, feel better now will see if i can get into docs - i did mention it at my 6 week check up and they said it was normal.....just wondered why it had gone and come back.

I had a good labour yeh, no assistance but pushed her out in 10 mins - i know i pushed too hard, i knew that at the time but i just wanted it to be over so put it to the back of my mind and got on with it!!! The nerve damage sounds like it could be the answer.

Thanks though and i appreciate you saying this isnt creepy!!!!

[Jacksmama]

Of course it isn't creepy, god, you should come visit us on the sphincter-damage thread, LOL!!

If you pushed like a world champion (10 minutes??? OMG !!!!) you may well have swelled up quite a bit and done some transient damage to the pudendal nerve as well as your pelvic floor. But it will heal, I promise!!!

[babylove123]

Lol yeh 10 mins. I was sat on the toilet saying i needed the loo - everyone said "no, thats the baby" but i swore blind they were wrong so i wouldnt move! They had to carry me back to the bed because i demanded i stay on the loo!!! My waters broke as i got on the bed and she was out 10 mins later! I had a hell of a lot of anesthetic injected in when i had my stiches - i was swollen for a couple of weeks with it, they put double the amount in because instead of listening to me say that it takes a while to work on me - they just pumped in more - which did NOTHING because it wasnt working in! By the time they'd finished and i had a bath, i went numb!!!! Grrrr!!!

[ThumbBurns]

yep, my insides felt like they were falling out for a few weeks afterwards too - do the pelvic floor exercises, really, you need to.

[Jacksmama]

Oh brilliant timing... not

If you were swollen for a few weeks that explains the ache. It'll be a bit of pressure damage to the pudendal nerve. By DD's 6 month b-day it will have passed. But do still get the heaviness checked out, sometimes a mild uterine prolapse isn't apparent while the uterus is still enlarged, and then when it shrinks down to its former size, if the pelvic floor is too weak to hold it, it can drop down and give you a "falling out" kind of feeling. But even if it is a mild prolapse, they won't do anything about it, especially if you're still breast-feeding, because you'll still have a lot of relaxin an other "floppy" hormones in your system, and it can self-correct once you've stopped nursing.

I had a horrible time after DS's birth, everything was falling down, and was told that if I wanted to it get better faster rather than wait, I should stop nursing. Ha ha ha. That wasn't going to happen. DS is 11 months old and still mostly breast-fed, and even though it took longer, things are mostly all better now, so there you go - a mild case will get better that much faster. If that's what it is.

Do ask for a referral to a pelvic floor physio, though - I think everyone who's given birth should see one.

[babylove123]

yeh got to i know - just not good with them as they give me UTIs (have a bladder condition)

[Jacksmama]

Pelvic floor exercises give you UTI's? Oh dear. That's not good. Do you have interstitial cystitis?

[digitalgirl]

Do your pelvic floors! I had the same feeling post-natally (although I'd been pushing for 2 hours). Everytime I experienced it I'd remember to do my pelvic floors and it soon sorted itself out. (Was terrified it would turn into a prolapse - that kept me doing them!)

[babylove123]

Thanks, will do them! Will just have to drink LOADS and do them after a wee! Nice life eh?! Dont u just love being a woman?!

Yeh they do, i have an oversensitive bladder and tubes.....they get inflamed and become infected a lot

[Bjenmama]

Hi did this pain get better for you? I have the same as you experienced. I am 6 week post partum. I had a 2nd degree tear and forceps delivery. Thanks

[Tra06]

Hi @Bjenmama how are you? I’m experiencing the same 8 weeks pp :(

[Bjenmama]

Hi I am fine. Give it time, it took me a good 6 months after breast feeding to see a huge improvement and then further improvements at 18 months pp. Women's physio did release on my pelvic floor too as it was so tight, I don't do any kegals any more. I have found that the majority of new mums improve to the point of being asymptomatic or atleast apart from ovulation time. I also did restore your core by Lauren Ohayon and it was great at strengthening everything safely. I can not say enough though, time heals. X

[Tra06]

Thankyou :( we’re you told you had a prolapse or anything? I’ve just started oestrogen pessaries because everything is so dry and sore down below. I’m also breastfeeding and feels like there’s a ball coming out of my vagina when I walk. Feel so low.

[MissMaple82]

It's normal. I had the heavy feeling on and off for well over a year

[Tra06]

@MissMaple82 Can I ask did it always feel like you had a dislodged tampon? And sitting on an egg. What did you do to make it go?

[Helen090722]

Jumping on this thread! I’m almost 4 weeks post partum with this dislodged tampon feeling! Really struggling with it! Did it resolve/get better for you? x

[Bjenmama]

Hi, yes it did!! Dont give up hope your very very early pp. I saw amazing improvements by 6 months and now dont have it at all. I was told they won't diagnose prolapse until after 12 weeks due to normal laxity. I had a grade 2 and its gone! I started restore your core by lauren ohayan at 9 months pp and did not do kegals. Kegals made me worse as i have a hypertonic pelvic floor. You will get there i promise you. I felt desperate at times, was worse when ovulating but im all good hun. Fb popfitness is the best supportive page.

Hugs.