Prolapse?

[Rockchick1984]

My DC2 is now 2 weeks old. Fairly easy birth, however she was BIG and I tore fairly badly (2nd degree but more than one place). Over the last 2 days I've been feeling like my bits are trying to fall out. Midwife said it sounds like it could be a prolapse, and to keep doing my pelvic floor exercises; if no better in another 4 weeks then see GP.

Does anyone have any experience of this? Did it improve just with pelvic floor exercises, and if not what can GP do? Also, it feels lots worse by the end of the day, will I be making it worse by getting out and about or will it just feel that way? I'm really upset about it

Do lots of pelvic floor exercises. If you are lifting anything pull up that pelvic floor too.

I had a prolapse after DC2 and saw GP about it after 6 months & referred for physio but all that was was advice about pelvic floor exercises but after about a year it was much improved.

If I was on my feet a long time it got worse & during periods too.

Hope things improve. It's early days for you yet, you're still healing. Take time to put your feet up.

I developed one about 18 months after my son was born. Pelvic floors helped enormously, paid for a couple of appts with a private physio to make sure I was doing it right. I was pretty traumatised at the beginning, just the idea of it, but rarely think about it now. Only really have symptoms if I have been doing a lot of lifting, too much standing isn't great either, but then I just reign it in for a couple of days and the symptoms go away.

You definitely can get out and about, but spend some time horizontal and take it easy until you've had time to build up the muscles. And definitely no heavy-duty exercise - jogging, high impact aerobics etc will just give it too much of a battering for now.

39 weeks pregnant now as well as things still going okay even with an enormous weight on there, so it can be done! And it may well heal and more or less disappear naturally at this stage, given how soon after birth you are.

One note, if you are breastfeeding it probably will remain a bit worse until you are done.

Good luck, take care of yourself.

• long post alert! -

I had second degree tears with both of my vaginal births. DC1 was 7lbs 5oz, I had an epidural, my labour stalled and there was lots of pushing against nothing. As a result I had symptoms of a prolapse (heaviness and dragging sensations) which lasted for about 2-3 months. By the 3-month stage it wasn't noticeable at all. I never sought any help for it.

After my second DC (9lbs 5oz) I experienced similar symptoms for a much shorter time - about 6 weeks or so. But things still didn't feel the same downstairs, so I ended up going to the GP and being referred to a gynecologist where I was told my cervix/uterus had slipped down slightly, but all was 'normal' for a woman who had given birth. Despite this I'm 100% sure I have a minor rectocele (rectal prolapse) so I continued to pester the GP and in the end I was referred to a rather useless pelvic floor clinic.

Things improved naturally after about 6-12 months and even more once I'd finished breastfeeding. Four years on my symptoms are now minor on a bad day (e.g being on my feet all day, constipation etc.), my cervix is more or less back where it was, I have no other issues and in part I do believe that is from doing religious pelvic floor exercises.

I'm now in the final hurdles of my 3rd pregnancy and surprisingly I've had no symptoms at all.

Things really do get better. I remember being a few weeks PP and crying thinking things would never be the same, but time/healing works wonders - I wish I knew that then. And like the others said keep up with your pelvic floors, they really do help long-term!

I've just been prescribed a pelvic toner on NHS. Maybe a bit soon for you after the stitches but definitely worth a try... all the best

Thank you, your posts are very reassuring. Tad what you say about feeling traumatised at the thought, that's exactly how I feel at the moment! Will keep going with the pelvic floors and hope for the best