To ask if you have (or had) a prolapse after birth? I'm 25 and mortified

[Jessy111]

I gave birth 6 weeks ago and needed stitches for a second degree perennial tear.

I have reluctantly examined my bits to see how everything was healing and noticed things looked odd on the inside, a swelling of sort.

A closer inspection has revealed what I'm %99 sure is a prolapse (to be confirmed at my doctors appointment next week)

If i insert my finger past some tissue i can feel a lump and my cervix is well within reach, it has dropped down very low.

I'm only in my mid twenties and I'm mortified at the prospect of having a damaged vag

Can I have your experiences please, perhaps some reassurance that it can be resolved without intrusive surgery? I'm already doing my pelvic floors.

I'm so sad about this

It is very early days Clarky. Try not to panic.

Thanks Poetryinaction you’re right. I’m going to stop googling and try focus on positive - gorgeous baby boy

I know exactly how you feel Clarky, that was me two days ago. Big hugs.

I hope you've managed to take some reassurance from the other posters here. I was beside myself when it became apparent that it was indeed a prolapse.

I've been doing my pelvic floor exercises like crazy in the hopes it will help. Download the NHS squeezy app that was recommended to me here.

I'm also going to invest in an electronic kegal machine once the GP says it's safe for me to do, I've seen some on Amazon for around £50.

Ben wa balls / kegal balls are a good alternative and cheaper if you don't want to spend the £50 without knowing it will help.

A lady on a Facebook page recommended a pelvic tool of sorts which you insert and then squeeze, if you're doing the pelvic floors properly the device will move on the outside, so it's basically designed to let you know whether you're doing them correctly. I'll be getting this too.

We both have age in our favour as others have said being young means we have the potential to repair alot. Please don't lose hope just yet, were both very early PP and something I've took from all the kind posts here is that more often than not things DO get better!

I'm feeling less distraught than I was a few days ago, I hope you find some peace soon too. Please come back and let us know how your GP appointment goes? I'm there on Tuesday, I'm interested to see what they say and their proposed course of action (if any) touch wood!

I spoke to my mother last night and was surprised to find out she also had a prolapse, except she was in her forties.

She chose to have a hysterectomy, but this was a long time ago. She's in her mid 60s now.

It seems we are sometimes genetically predisposed to prolapse. Knowing that makes me feel a little bit less of a failure, it's not something that can be avoided in alot of cases.

That being said, when my daughter is an adult and has her own i'll definitely be drilling in to her the importance of pelvic floors.

Jessy111 thank you so much. You’re right it’s early days and so encouraging to know that for most it gets better. Definitely more hopeful since posting and reading the messages here.
I’m going to download the NHS app now, continue doing exercises and anything else that will help. At the moment I’m scared to cough and standing is very uncomfortable.

Hope your appointment on Tuesday goes well and you get a plan in place. I think I’ll feel better once I see my GP and can focus on something other than the panic that insides are coming out. Interesting your mum also had one looks like for us it’s really been inevitable.

Definitely, hearing that from my mum has eased some of my self blame.

I had been beating myself up for being lazy and not working on my pelvic floor after the older DC (which I admit still isn't great, but genetics have obviously played a part in this too too)

Totally get you about being afraid to cough. I'm squeezing every time I cough, sneeze, lift the baby, bend down - everything.

A good way to keep track of the effectiveness of the PFE is to try to stop the flow of wee when you go, last week I couldn't slow the flow whatsoever but today I've noticed a very very slight improvement in the muscles which feels promising.

Stay positive. I wish you all the best!

I had similar to you after my 2nd child. It felt like something was poking out. Turned out to be nothing and went back normal after a few weeks. Please don’t worry

OP I’m glad to hear you’re feeling more positive. I drove my OH mad with this too - at one point I actually drew him a diagram 😂

That's great mumma, thank you. I hope so!

Love that five .. I showed mine a Google diagram when I tried and failed to properly explain what bad happened to my urethra.. he still looked baffled afterwards

Thank you for the link lucky I've just watched it. I think it's fab how they're raising awareness.

I'm looking into Maya or Arvigo massages which claim to place all your bits in the right place. I felt the burning/full sensation as you describe, I think with the bladder being squashed by the womb, the urethra is perhaps stretched or compressed which makes it feel sore as with a UTI. Ive also had surprising negative urine tests at the doctors. On youtube there are videos showing you how to place the uterus back in position.
I found it helps to wee standing up. When you sit down everything is squashed down and can't work properly, sometimes I can't do a wee unless I stand up - so wee in the shower, or into a tall beaker you can hold between your legs. sorry TMI but how can we know these things otherwise? As others have said getting constipated doesn't help and I don't like to do "splinting" but sometimes I have no choice.

Oh and also, I was lucky in that I had a Mamma and Pappas high chair for my toddler, which she could climb into by herself when it was in the lowest position. That saved me lifting her too much.

Things will improve OP!

Thank you CheesyWeez I hadn't heard of Maya or Arvigo massages, I'll look into that.

Really surprised to hear that there's things you can do to put the uterus back in place, sounds a bit daunting but I'm definitely up for giving it a try.

I haven't had any problems going to the toilet as of yet, not unless I count the constantly loose stools and stabbing pains in my backside when I need to go

This is such a great thread! I wish I'd seen it two years ago, was also devastated and had no idea what was going on. So glad people are talking about it more.
Just wanted to add two things that I've found helped - swimming every week has made it feel like everything is being 'pulled up' and stronger inside. Also making sure you never ever strain doing a poo - put books under your feet on the loo and eat prunes and raisins and a tablespoon of milled linseed on my cereal everymorning.
Two years on I only get that heavy dragging feeling if I have to lift my son up a lot. I try to cuddle him kneeling down and hold hands instead. Xxx

Hello all

I've just had my 6 week PP check up.

Doctor examined me and said yes it looks like prolapse, so I've been referred for physio. I'm told they'll do a more indept examination where I'll find out exactly what sort of prolapse I'm dealing with and what can be done to help.

A little bit gutted as I was hoping for her to tell me I'm imagining things (fat chance ha) but at least I have the referral I wanted and the doctor didn't fob me off as i feared.

I'll continue to update the thread when I start physio etc.

For now I'm continuing my pelvic floors :)

Sorry Jessy that it wasn’t the outcome you wanted. I hope you’re okay.

At least now it’s confirmed and you have a referral so you can start getting help and support. Please do keep us up to date with physio journey.

I don’t know about you but I have been on google non-stop to find answers and tips etc. I’ve found this quite helpful: www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/Files/Hospitals/WNHS/For%20Patients%20and%20Visitors/Patient%20resources/WNHS0556PhysiotherapyAfterChildbirth.pdf

On Monday the GP confirmed that my bulge is my bowel so most likely rectocele. I’ve got physio assessment booked for start of July. In the meantime I’ve doing the squeezy app, eating lots of fruit, drinking 3 litres of water and using lactulose. I also spoke to physio on phone and she said that it’s important to tire out the muscles so the ten reps on squeezy might not be enough - if we can do more we should.

Thank you Clarky,

That pdf is really informative so thanks for that too!

I should really up my water intake too, I don't drink anywhere near enough. I've put on a few pounds since baby, I'm only a size 12 which doesn't sound that but I'm only 5'2 and I could definitely be healthier.

It's funny you should mention lactoluse because I've been wondering whether i need 'something' to help me go. I've had a new dull pressure in my bum creep up in the past few days and I'm not opening my bowels as frequently as I usually would (sorry I know tmi). I'm a bit nervous about having to strain incase I make things worse

My doctor didn't give any indication as to what sort of prolapse it is, but I'm going to hazard a guess and say it's probably a multiple. I can feel my cervix pretty low down inside which freaked me out because I wondered what the hell this hard lump was until I realised, theres something else (soft tissue of some sort but god knows what it is) sitting around near the entrance of the vag which i need to push past to feel inside. My urethra seems to have shifted positions and now there's this bum bother.

Could one prolapse (say uterine for example as that's the part I'm most sure of) cause all of this on its own without it being a multiple prolapse?

One thing the doctor did say was that if I wanted more children eventually then pelvic floor exercises would be the only proposed method of treatment, I'm not sure that's the case though as I've read on here about pesseries etc. I'm going to speak to physio about my options as it's their area of expertise.

I definitely don't want any more children for the foreseeable but I can't rule it out in advance as I may feel very differently when I'm in my thirties. I feel desperately sad for women who struggle with fertility, I'm not sure I could deal with that whilst I'm still this young.

probably a multiple. I can feel my cervix pretty low down inside which freaked me out because I wondered what the hell this hard lump was until I realised, theres something else (soft tissue of some sort but god knows what it is) sitting around near the entrance of the vag which i need to push past to feel inside. My urethra seems to have shifted positions

Only a professional can tell for sure but for me personally, I have multiple and my cervix is also very low, if I look at the offending area spread eagled in front of a mirror or you can clearly see (and feel) a mass of rough, ridged tissue and then underneath that there is another mass somewhat smoother in texture.

Fortunately it doesn’t really affect me sexually aside from self conscious embarrassment and you can’t see anything ‘protruding’, it just fills all of the space in there if that makes sense?

Also, on pessaries, for me personally, they were a waste of time and I would not recommend.

Uncomfortable to fit, difficult to size, when the correct size was eventually found it was painful to wear and actually hampered toileting for me.
Sex was impossible, as was attempting to get the fucker reinserted after taking it out for sex.

If you need lactulose also look into psyllium husk. You gradually work up to using a tablespoon a day, mixed with 10x its volume in cold liquid, then drink it straight away. It works out much cheaper and its just plant fibre.

@Fucksandflowers what you've described is almost identical to what I can see when I squat down and look inside! (I squat down and use the front camera on my phone)

Oh dear the pessary sounds like a pain in the arse.. perhaps not quite the miracle fix I was hoping it would be.

The doctor had a look inside with a speculum today and much to my surprise I could feel it being inserted.

I was chuffed to bits because the last time anything went in there (sex at 5 weeks PP) I couldn't feel a thing, that was what lead me to investigate and discover the prolapse.

I'm hoping next time we attempt sex I have the sensation back, I should do shouldn't I, if i felt the spectrum?

I'm going to have a coil fitted in the next month, once that's done and out the way I will attempt sex and hope for the best.

Thank you TheInebriati I'll give that a go :)

You’ve just had a baby don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m 5’3 and a size 12 too, plus I’ve got a constant supply of cake in the house from all the visitors. I think we’re allowed to give ourselves some time before trying to shift our baby weight.

Could the soft tissue around your pushing past be the vaginal wall? I heard the same about wanting more children and pelvic floor but I have got in touch with a girl who wears a ring pessary to keep everything up. She said it took some getting used to and isn’t sexy - as FucksandFlowers mentions re having sex - but she did say it’s working for her now and there are days she even forgets about it all. She’s also getting a surgery for perineal repair but I know she’s ruled out more children completely.

If I was you I’d push for some lactulose or get laxido over the counter to help as you’re right you don’t want to strain. I know what you mean about the dull pressure - I have the same and when I was going I felt I was never emptying completely (sorry if tmi). Anytime I go I’m reminding myself posture - see pic as going to the toilet is pretty scary at the moment so anything that helps is a winner for me!

Aw thank you @Clarky89 that's very true. I think we women can sometimes we're unnessicarily hard on ourselves about post baby weight, especially when we have friends or family who just seem to snap right back.

I was thrilled to be able to get into a pair of my old jeans 3 weeks after birth, they looked ok if you cropped out the area from the zip upwards and ignored the massive muffin top protruding over the hem and deflated bag of sand that is my stomach at the moment. Leggings and other trousers it is for now I think

The tissue may be the vaginal wall, I'm really not sure. I wish I was able to identify what's what down there but I don't even think my GP knew 'exactly' what it was other than a prolapse ha

I'll dig out the stool we have hidden somewhere in the jungle that is the cupboard under the stairs so I can implement the poo posture!

I have pretty much what you describe and I was surprised mine was a rectocele. Turns out the rectum basically bulges against the vaginal wall, which is why it was harder to pee sometimes. It narrows the usual channel, if you see what I mean.