2 weeks post birth-really worried about how I feel below, advice urgently needed

[nicewarmslippers]

warning-this message may contains too much information for some of you! appologuise in advance!

I gave birth 2 weeks ago, pretty easily 10 hour labour, no tears just nasty grazes. 1st child was a ceserean 2 1/2 years ago.

I was feeling fantastic after the first 5 days or so of being very sore when I wee. However suddenly I have become totally paranoid. I still can't stop weeing once I start (though I have no problem not starting weeing when I don't want to iyshim). I also feel kind of achy and full down there and just not right. I am paranoid that I have a prolapse though no real evidence to suggest this. I have just been reading about it on the web. I can't feel anything stickig out as such but when I looked with a mirror today it all looked wrong. But of course i only gave birth 2 weeks ago. What is normal? I imagine its normal not to feel/look quite normal. I really want to know what others feel like/felt like 2 weeks after delivery.

I know this is very detailed personal information but mumsnet seems the place to ask.

any comments most appreciated

My first delivery looked like someone had let of a bomb inches away, just awful very swollen, black with bruising and just completely the wrong shape. It was a forceps delivery though so think most of the bruising from them.

My friend had a prolapse and she said she knew she had as she could feel something that should be inside hanging outside. If you look in a mirror can you see anything like that...what about it you bear down like when you pushed the baby out.

How does it look wrong? Just swollen? Did you ever have a look during pregnancy as everything changes a lot then?

It's important that you do your pelvic floor excercies. After a vaginal delivery it does take a while and excercise for the muscles to stregnthen again, pregnancy and childbirth takes it's toll on the pelvic floor. There are different levels of prolpse, the worst one being when the cervix protrudes out of the vagina, the least being when it sags down a bit, you can tell if this has happened by feeling for it with your finger (sorry). The cervix feels like a doughnut, it would sag down slightly in a mild prolapse, there may be urinary problems (wetting when coughing/sneezing).

The best thing you can do is to do as many pelvic floor exercises as you can. You should have a 6 week check up with your GP and can mention this if you wish. It can take perserverance with the excercises.

mumsnet is wonderful, I have 2 wonderful women answering within a hour of posting! Thanks for your concern.

sharky it isn't bruised and doesn't look like a bomb has gone off for sure but if I separate the labia before I couldn't see much and now there just seems to be a lot of flesh. I guess it could just be swelling of what was there before, if I insert a finger inside the vagina sort of feels allright. Looking at it did really worry me. I guess I could ask the mw to look (she'll be coming tommorow).

I imagine I am probably fine-i did give birth so recently I guess it takes a time to heal. I am just so worried! reading some of the awful injuring women have been left with after birth i had had no idea before these thinsgw ere possible

Phantom, i do peliv floor all the time-literally! I could never remembr in pregnancy but since birth I have been obsessive. I feel lioke I have to or my inners will fall out

only two weeks post birth! you need to give it a good 6 weeks to get back to pre birth , and then some ! keep going with the pelvic floors, ask the MW to ensure you are doing them correctly.. and give yoursel ftime !!

It does take a very long time for the muscle to get strong enough to do it's job.

Congratulations by the way.

I felt exactly like that for about the first 3 weeks with ds1. Had a ventouse delivery with him and remember the docs arm pumping away and really yanking him. Although you might not look bruised or swollen you probably are inside.

From about 3 weeks I started to feel better but wore a thin pad for several more weeks incase of weeing accidents (although didn't actually have any).

Presumably your mw is still seeing you if this is your first, if not give her a bell anyway and get her to have a look.

Congratulations btw

Congratulations on your baby's birth!

I had a ventouse delivery and had problems for 2 or 3 months after. It's all ok now (dd nearly 8 months) but it does take a while, and lots of pelvic floor excercises.

btw I couldn't physically do pelvic floor exercises til about 3-4 weeks after ds1, it was too painful and I couldn't seem to 'find' the muscles. So don't worry too much if you can't do them yet, it will all recover

ps. ds2 was a doddle in comparison, pelvic floor actually seemed stronger - had a natural delivery with him which may have been the difference so don't let it put you off either...