Prolapse bladder

[susieblue]

Can anybody help me? After pushing out 9lb 10oz son (No.2) felt fine. About 2 weeks before my six week check felt something bearing down and could push it back inside. To cut a long story short have been told I have a prolapsed bladder and will need to have surgery. Will be seeing the consultant on Friday 21st March. Has anybody had this type of surgery done? Believe the recovery about 6 weeks of doing nothing? How do you cope with a new baby and a toddler? Would appreciate help especially if anybody had to go through this.

Susieblue - wait until you see the consultant - surgery is not the only option for a prolapsed bladder. Depends the extent and intensive physio can help. There are also varying types of operation if that is indeed necessary. You will get lots of info at the clinic.

Thanks mears for your message, I think I panicked when the doctor said it was quite bad in someone so young if you can call 39 young! and that it would have to be stiched back up. As you mentioned I have heard of people having physio etc on bladder problems after childbirth so I will wait to see what the consultant says tomorrow.

Susieblue - no advice I'm afraid just wanted to send my commiserations. I am in the same boat, also with a 9' 10 boy. Only discovered mine when he was 7 months and am now undergoing physiotherapy. I was gutted to discover it but both the physio and doctor were very positive.

Not that it's a competition or anything but I am 32 and I thought it only happened to menopausal women!

Hope your consultant helps.

Susieblue, I really feel for you and I'm also quite relieved to read about this topic on Mumsnet (I started a thread a while ago but no one had had a similar experience). I've got a vaginal prolapse brought on by my second pregnancy combined with a pre-existing weakness from my first delivery. (I'm 40 weeks and 2 days into the pregnancy now and desperate for the off!). I don't know if its the same thing, but basically my bowel and the bladder are bearing down into the vagina and I was having to resort to Tena Lady from about 28 weeks into my pregnancy. The consultant I saw when I was about 30 weeks pregnant said that there was no reason to recommend Caesarean and I should defintely have a vaginal delivery, although the cervix may be visible at delivery (eek!). She said I may have to have surgery at a later date, but could hopefully improve it with 6 months of pelvic floor exercises. Have to say I was always crap about doing them during and after pg no.1 and I am determined to be better about it this time. I am only 32 and cried when the GP told me because like sashaboo I also thought it only happened to women much later in life.
Susieblue, I would be very interested to know what your consultant said when you saw him/her on Friday.

Quimble and Sashaboo, just read your messages which were interesting. Quimble, the consultant told me that I had a prolapsed bladder which I already knew and that the neck of my womb had also collapsed which I didn't know. He also told me that my vagina wall would need repairing. He said it was quite serious, he had seen worse, but for someone of my age not good at all. To cut a long story short he wants to see me in three months as he said the surgery is serious and that recovering from new baby and toddler would be too much. He told me to keep up with the pelvic exercises but I think he is playing for time. He also started to talk about the fact that if my family was complete having a hysterectomy may have to be an option but this was the last resort because of my age. I am surprised Quimble that you have not been offered a caesarean why make things more uncomfortable for you? I always joked about having a caesarean (although I had no serious problems) but I should have demanded the delivery I wanted as my son ended up as a ventouse delivery which is why I am where I am now. One last thing the consultant mentioned that these things can be hereditary which follows in my case as it seems my mother had a prolapse of the womb.

Quimble,

I am really surprised that they have let you go so long already. My friend, then 30, had a 10lb first baby naturally which caused a serious prolapse, corrected (partially) after a second operation but her subsequent ds was delivered by c section at 38 weeks, no issue. They were able to do further correction at that time, avoiding the need for any immediate concerns, although she may yet need further treatment.

How can they justify causing you so much anguish by this, surely not on cost grounds as the risk of you needing further treatment must be increased.

Anyway you probably don't need this debate right now. Good luck with the imminent arrival.

LizS

Sorry ladies - Caesarian section is not a cure here. Women who have had elective sections in the past have also suffered from prolapse. It will be less traumatic for the body to recover labouring spontaneously.

A friend of mine had a significant cervical prolapse and did not have a ventouse delivery 1st time round. She had corrective surgery after her second baby. It was thought she might need a hysterectomy but she managed to avoid that. She was sterilised at the time of surgery though so that the repair would not be damaged.

Mears, it's always great to have your professional imput - thank you. I was not keen on a Caesarian but was anxious to take the right path towards the least further damage. I felt reassured by the consultant that a vaginal delivery was best.
Since my last post, I have given birth to a 9lb 1.5oz baby girl. The cervix did not make an appearance at delivery, however I was unfortunate enough to suffer a severe cervical tear, losing 1300ml of blood in the process. She came so quickly with such strong contractions that the cervix could not dilate in time and tore. The cervix was quite low in the vagina when it was being repaired post-delivery, but I am working on the pelvic floor exercises to get everything back where it should be. Will ask to be examined by GP at 6 week check and see whether I need to be referred again.

Congratulations quimble and welcome to your little (big!) baby girl!Hope everything is OK at your 6 week check.

Thank you very much GRMUM for your kind thoughts!

Congratulations Quimble - great news!