...to feel pretty hopeless about prolapse following childbirth

[Shitandhills]

I'm 10 weeks post partum. First birth was a 30 hour shocker with forceps, haemorrhage and split episiotomy. Second birth was 4 hours start to end. I've been left with stage 3 (of 4) prolapse of the front and back walls of my vagina and uterine descent. Basically I have bulges that you can see right at the entrance of my vagina and peeing and pooing is tricky. I've seen a womens physio and she has said she can't tell me what is going to happen as it's so soon after birth. I'm miserable and scared about the future, sport is a key part of my identity and I've been told I can't do anything except exercise bike for at least 6 months.

Has anyone else been in this situation? What happened? Any good resources? I feel so low.

I was left with similar at same stage postpartum after DS. I had physio which helped, but it got much better a year later after I stopped bf and lost weight.

But really it went back to feeling normal a year after my second DC, I did some weekly personal training sessions and did lots of core work, quite pilates style.

Now I feel totally normal 98% of the time. I have been able to go running again and can even use tampons prob 70% of the time on period.

Also have they said if you can swim? I did no high impact exercise at all but carefully did swimming and cycling, then added yoga & pilates. Pilates particularly really did help.

I have a front and back prolapse. The back started after my first then got worse with my second. The front didn’t happen till my second. Back is def the worst, it bulges out and pooing is difficult. I had some physio after the first but not since my second. Covid got in the way and I’ve sadly accepted it for what it is.

I can run though. Only 5k or I feel like I’m going to leak urine. The back prolapse doesn’t affect it at all although it would be uncomfortable if I hadn’t gone before. I swim but I did thirty mins hard swimming with tumble turns this week and struggled to hold my bladder for a couple of hours after. Weirdly it’s the cystocele that’s more bothersome than the other despite not seeming as bad.

So yes, my situation does feel a bit hopeless but I’ve def moved in to the acceptance phase. I just wish it was taken more seriously. Even by female doctors. Ive had a female GP tell me my husband shouldn’t be able to notice the difference when I told her my sex life was suffering (what about how it makes me feel about myself???) and a gynea just wave some plastic rings in my face.

I’m going to wait till I can go private.

I was at a stage where I was wetting myself daily. Hypopressives has really helped me.
hypopressivescotland.com/

@ChateauMargaux ah somebody else mention hypopressives. Can I ask what you signed up to? Did you do the group sessions or 1 on 1?

@OfstedOffred thank you for sharing your experience, it's useful to know that pirates helped. I've always been a high impact kind of person and rather scorned yoga and pilates, so it helps to know that pilates could help in this situation. Dod you work with a post natal specialist or just a standard PT?

@Beggingforsleep sorry you haven't been taken seriously. I feel like GPs don't really see much of this kind of issue so don't really understand the impact it can have? I asked mine if they fitted many pessaries and she said 'A few. Not that many. And all older of course.' Which made me cry later on that day 😢 That's shocking that the GP was only thinking about hour husband though 😕 Hope you get it sorted.

I did a few one on one sessions first and them joined the classes. I actually find the one on one better but it makes no sense to carry on. I have found I need to continue doing the classes regularly to maintain the progress. I am perimenopausal ans 13 years post partum... and have tried many many things. This approach appeals to me as it focuses on all of the muscles which support the pelvic floor. I did notice that when I did other abs work, my pelvic floor 'failed' so I had to adjust what I was doing and go back to more hypopressives.

I won't say how as it's outing but I have spoken to lots and lots of women who have experienced postpartum prolapse or who have been told when they've been for a smear test that they have a rectocele, which is where the back wall is thinner and the rectum bulges into the vagina when full. You sound like you have cystocele and rectocele. If you can pay to see a women's health physio, that's always good, but you can also improve this yourself.

Honestly almost all women who have a vaginal delivery will have these prolapses to some degree in the first year postpartum. Most will recover to the point that they do not need to wear pessaries, but many will accept bladder leakage as par for the course. It is not and you do not have to put up with it. Hypopressives have been mentioned, they're excellent for encouraging things back where they ought to go. Postpartum Pilates for building a strong core, many programmes are online and some are free, but it's worth checking for a class near you even if it's just to make sure you're doing the moves properly. I recommend a Kegel 8 machine for retraining your pelvic floor muscles to contract, but generally start this 16 weeks postpartum and start on the lowest settings you can feel for short sessions. Do not be tempted to plow in with a 90 minute pelvic workout on the highest you can tolerate. You will not get quicker results. You will 100% feel like you're in early labour and piss yourself the next day, your muscles will be so fatigued. Slow and steady wins the race. And they're definitely worth the money.

Your body has masses of healing to do which it is quite capable of, but it will benefit from help along the way so that you're not accepting bladder leaks, inability to run without feeling like your Fanny is turning inside out or anxious clenching of muscles during sex because you can't feel much as the standard for how things are now you've had kids. That's the narrative because the medical field hasn't cared much about women's health past being human incubators and penis receptacles. We do not have to sacrifice continence and sexual sensation in order to have children.

That said, if you don't see any sort of improvement by six to eight months post partum, INSIST on a referral to a gynaecologist to check for damage to pelvic ligaments and musculature which may require a different and more specialised approach. This is unlikely. Very unlikely, but the option is there to have this checked.

I’ve worn a pessary since my early 30s. Physio (private and NHS) have really helped. I’m going to try hypopressives as well because I’ve heard it has a good effect on prolapse.

I Don’t do high impact exercise anymore but walk and cycle a lot.

I am in a v similar situation 6m PP with my second child. I was so depressed a few months ago, but I have seen improvement with hypopressives using an online platform called Re-centre with a lady called Simone. It’s been life changing. I felt my GP had been quite dismissive and my gynaecology referral isn’t until November, by which time I will be over a year PP!

do see a women’s health physio and get some support to do Pilates/hypopressives. Be kind to yourself. It’s early days too and know you’re not alone. 💐

The resources I would suggest would be fpops uk private Facebook group, Anna Crowle physiotherapist’s website, complete core control for hypopressives, Claire sparrow’s amazing Pilates for whole pelvic floor health course, also possibly dr bri on YouTube. Also be careful lifting and using baby carrier. Also consider asking your gp for estriol cream.

I had this - so debilitating. My GP (female) was hopeless “it’s the price of being a woman”! Advised to keep doing the pelvic floor exercises.

I was incontinent and could see my cervix. Pooing was so difficult. Sex was awful- in fact XH left shortly after and that was probably key reason. Went back to GP (male) who said that no amount of pelvic floor exercises would repair this. Referred to gynae for a repair and what a phenomenal difference. Operation itself was pretty major and recovery took a while - especially as I was now on my own with a toddler and a baby. However, 30 years on I have absolutely no issues.

Keep at the GP and get a referral to a gynae.

I had a 36hr labour, culminating in forceps and a tear from my vaginal entrance up to my cervix. I was diagnosed with a cystocele and rectocele at 6 weeks PP, I was devastated, it was awful. I well remember the sensation of everything falling out and the discomfort of something as simple as walking round the supermarket. I was also incredibly angry, as I watched the world carry on as normal whilst it felt my life had fallen apart.

I saw a gynae who said I’d need surgery but he wouldn’t operate until our family was compete. DC2 was thankfully an easy delivery, presumably because I no longer had a pelvic floor. I didn’t actually feel any worse after my second delivery, but it was still very much there.

I had surgery 18 months later, 9 years ago now, and whilst it is a major operation, I was bed bound for a couple of weeks, off work for 7 and it was probably about 6 months until I felt fully recovered, I’ve had no further issues. I’ve never been much of a runner, so being told running was off limits for life didn’t concern me, I was sad however to be told lifting weights was also out. I’ve adapted my fitness routine though, I swim a lot and took part in a cross channel relay swim in 2017, do lots of spin classes, I have also done body pump as the weights are relatively light. I did try a bit of running out of desperation during lockdown, but could feel start things starting to slip so stopped and things have gone back to normal. I walk a lot and generally still very active, I just try and stay away from high impact stuff. Overall, it’s been a huge success for me personally and I’d definitely suggest seeing a gynaecologist to see if surgery might work for you. It no longer defines me for which I am so thankful.

I got up one day after my second child and genuinely, it felt like I had grown a bollock which was hanging out of me. The back wall had collapsed, and this after a c-secrion delivery as well. I had assumed my vag hadn't done any heavy lifting when my very small baby was delivered through the sun roof, but apparently just being pregnant had been a strain. I had surgery. It has never troubled me since thank goodness. I had to go private though. The first doc I saw just shrugged and suggested it was pretty much par for the course. Luckily we had insurance so I took my lady bollock off to the local Bupa and got it tidied up nicely.

Nightmanagerfan I understand a urogynocologist is the best person to see. Just mentioning that as I don’t want you to get to September and it’s not the right person!

Specific postnatal pilates and regular women’s health physio appointments have made a big improvement for me. I’m really conscious now when I lift anything to engage my core and breathe properly. It has taken me years to really get myself into a better place with the right knowledge! I didn’t use them myself, but I know my physio is pro-pessary.

Get started with pilates if you can and it will help you build towards the sports again.

I feel your pain, it's absolutely awful. The first doctor i saw looked horrified at the suggestion of a woman in her 30s having torely on a lessary long-term when i suggested it and referred me straight to a gynaecologist. I saw a proctologist after a defecating proctogram (which was really interesting - I saw my rectocele on their big screen), the proctologist advised I put off surgery as long as possible, as it would likely get worse post-menopause and (according to him), the surgical repair wouldn't last me forever and may need to be re-done. I was about 31 when I saw the proctologist, he referred me to a women's physio, who gave me a gruelling regime of pelvic floor exercises along with functional tips, the one I still use is perineal support when I have to empty my bowels absolute life changing little tip.

I'm 38 now, I still hate my rectocele, it makes me feel gross, it makes my poor vag feel gross especially if I've skimped on fluids and got constipated... I don't know, it's taken a lot of getting used to DH is really kind about it at least.

I was glad I'd not had the repair done, as despite insisting our family was complete, I messed up my contraception due to a faff with polyps/IUD/progestogen pill and fell pregnant with a surprise 3rd baby. Giving birth vaginally was a worry, however I figured that it was unlikely to get any worse, foolishly I didn't tell my midwife about my rectocele because I didn't want a caesarean (I was scared about the pain during recovery). I got away with it, no worsening of my symptoms, but my decision making process in the run-up to the birth was not particularly rational. To be fair, there wasn't a lot of information out there about giving birth with an existing rectocele.

Anyway, I hope you find some help, your story sounds similar to my mum's, she had 2 difficult forceps births resulting in total uterine prolapse, which was resolved by surgery. Please push for a referral to a specialist, you shouldn't have to live with this long-term

FFS, "to rely", "pessary"!

Hey there, I'm 11 weeks post partum with a rectocele prolapse. I realised five days after giving birth and went straight to a specialist women's health physio who showed me how to go pelvic floor exercises properly and most effectively for the stage I was at. I saw her again at 6 weeks post partum and there had already been a marked improvement. I was devastated but am now optimistic with consistent pelvic floor exercise regime and all the tightening of ligaments that happens in the year post partum that it will continue to improve. And if it doesn't I'm no longer terrified by that, I've totally got used to this reality now since realising how super common this is (half of all women will have some form of prolapse by age 50). That does not make it OK at all and it is a national scandal that this major issue gets so little attention and women are just expected to accept it as part of childbirth and no one really talks about it.
But it no longer feels like the end of the world if it doesn't get any better. I've got used to it already.
Good luck x