Postnatal prolapse - positive stories only please 🙏🏻

[Clementine895]

Hi all, looking for some comfort/support in quite an emotionally charged time. I’m 6 weeks postpartum with baby 2. First baby was a traumatic emergency c-section whilst being fully dilated (but wasn’t checked so they didn’t know until theatre). This time I was determined on VBac (idiot). Anyway, baby was having head compressed, was back to back, came out sideways with forceps. Episiotomy and 3a tear. Anyway, thought I was healing really well! Was feeling great, have been taking toddler to soft play, getting out etc. Went to 6 week physio (NHS) due to above. Was informed I had prolapsed but couldn’t tell me how badly/degree/what had gone. Told me to go to GP to be referred to gynae. Obviously horrific to be in limbo. Since then, I’ve realised I have like an air bubble feeling pretty much constantly. 11th May- I had taken a pic of my bits because I had possibly some afterbirth still inside - so I actually have a pic to compare to. I now have a much larger bulge and down there looks so much worse. I’m finding this all encompassing- horror stories online, talk of hysterectomy, I feel like 💩 and feel so sad. Definitely my mental health has plummeted since being told. Decided to book a private gynae app. She said rectocele minor, go back in 6 months. But she didn’t examine me standing up, which I was told was really important. Also the bulge has definitely got bigger since seeing her and I’m freaking out it’s going to drop down even further. Am I even allowed to walk?! Hoping to get an appointment with a private pelvic PT over this weekend (I am booked with her next week, but have asked if she would mind checking wtf is going on down there beforehand as I am losing my mind). Any success stories? Positive ones only please! I’ve already seen on the horrific ones. Feel like I can’t enjoy by baby or my lovely toddler as it’s on my mind non stop. Also feel like maybe I’ve made it worse before knowing picking up toddler etc. keep getting mixed opinions on this. Gynae said keep picking up toddler and live as normal but don’t want to make things worse. Feel like everything I do right now is wrong. Also exclusively breast feeding right now which I’ve read can also make things worse so now questioning all of my choices.

I have had similar issue. If you can at all it's so important to just continue pelvic floor excercises until you get seen by phyio/gynae. That is like the no1 thing I kept being told is pelvic floor excercises. That's the main reason for prolapse as the connective tissues are so weak that everything falls down out of place. Im still recovering but honestly that has helped massively. It is very important to keep pushing to get checked properly. If you are not happy with ur physio or consultant then I highly advise getting a second opinion. It saved me a lot. I had to get a third opinion before I got taken seriously. They try to fob postpartum issues off after the 6 to 8 week check. And its not normal to be left to fend for ourselves. Unfortunately we have to keep annoying them for support and health checks otherwise we just get left. Take responsibility fornyour health and keep pushing. It is definitely possible to get better with the right posture and excercises. The anxiety is definitely real regarding health issues and being left to wonder wtf is going on. You're not alone. Try to get support from any local charities that help with motherhood/postpartum.

Also really important to keep eye on potential for infection. I know thats an extra headache. Fever, redness on skin, hot to touch compared to normal etc or feeling malaise. Get to GP asap.

I had a level 2 prolapse after DD. GP was useless and told me to do pelvic floor exercises which I was already doing. I was also using an elvie trainer but nothing seemed to be working.
I booked an assessment with a private physio in January and I haven't looked back.
I've got a tailored programme and it only takes a few minutes each day. My prolapse has improved and is now level 1. I can don't have that horrible full feeling anymore and don't feel like my bits are about to fall out.

Women's health physios can work wonders. Find one you gel with- maybe chat on the phone before meeting. Check out the book/ instagram and podcast Why Mums Don't jump (and other accounts) for solidarity- there are so many non-surgical resources now (eg hypopressives down the line when you are recovered from the birth). The biggest thing is to know that it is really common and pretty much nothing you can do will make it worse (assuming you're not training for a marathon or lifting heavy weights) but the symptoms will come and go. It's not your fault. While you're waiting to see somebody try wearing high waisted control pants if you need to be active- you can buy them from physios but I found cheap ones from Sainsbury's worked just as well.

You need to see a pelvic floor physical therapist! And make sure to find one that will do internal work. I had similar issues post partum, but within two weeks of treatment my genitals looked normal again, and my other symptoms were greatly improved. You absolutely can heal from this!

So I was seen by a urogynae and pelvic floor nurse and they have agreed that it is not prolapse, but laxity in the posterior wall creating a bulge. The report says no decent on valsava (I think that’s what it’s called). Hopefully it stays that way but I’m not so sure. I don’t understand how it could be THAT lax

Have they given you any exercises to improve the laxity as it will only worsen as you age?
That's how mine started off with laxity that the nurse told me about when I went for my smear.

Yes I’ve been told supplements to take and pelvic floor exercises. I’ve got NHS and private physio and been recommended Perifit too. The urogynae said it all looks normal for what has happened and even for some natural births without intervention so I’m hoping and praying things stay that way? She said no organ descent 🤞🏻🙏🏻

Hey OP, appreciate this is an old post but how are you getting on now? I had similar birth and the exact same feedback as you on a gynae examination and I’m freaking out. Currently 3 months pp and have pelvic heaviness

Absolutely fine. I think had I not been told by NHS physio 6 weeks pp, I’d never have known any diff. I think they’re quite common but lots of people don’t know they have them. My SIL only found out she has one by chance! All I would say is I went into a really dark place. And I regret it so much. I feel so much hate towards NHS for all of the messing around and the way they treated me as a vulnerable and hormonal 6 week pp patient. My gynae told me to stop BF as I’d heal quicker. And I did. I regret it so much. I feel so much sadness for how much time I dedicated to worrying and living under a grey cloud for many months panicking. I feel absolutely fine now. I wish I hadn’t lost those early months with my baby from being preoccupied by panicking. I hope my response brings you peace and please don’t make my mistakes! Enjoy your beautiful baby x

Aw that’s so good to hear! Glad you are doing well. My mental health has really plummeted since they told me as well and I’m terrified to go anywhere or do anything with my toddler in case I make things worse. I keep reading absolute horror stories as well and was kicking myself for not getting an elective c section this time (had an emergency section with my first). So thanks so much for coming back to me and gives me hope it will be similar for me. I do have some symptoms but I’m seeing a physio. NHS has been absolutely useless for me too and paying private now

Honestly everything you’re saying sounds so familiar. I was also kicking myself about the c section. BUT my therapist said you really don’t know if that would have been better. It’s major surgery, it’s not without risks. She knew of someone who ended up with a colostomy bag. I know of two people who died on the table and had to have life saving hysterectomies. Whenever I start to fall back into that, this is what I tell myself. Don’t be scared. Nothing is going to happen, took me a while too x

Sorry wanted to add on as I know how low I got. Please ignore the horror stories. Misery loves company. Remember the internet is giving you a fragment of people’s experiences. My SIL said “oh yeah, I had one, guess it’s part of it all. Forgot about that” - her youngest is 12 - she never took to the internet to freak herself out like us. That’s all I’ll say on that! Physio is fine, and trust me I tried everything in the early days when I was legit MAD. Spent well over £2500 seeing all kinds of people and having diff appointments and treatments. Such an idiot! I did private physio for a long time, but in all honesty, the turning point for me was reformer Pilates. If you can’t afford that, I started with free Pilates classes on YouTube. Specifically postpartum ones. Then I started reformer as I need the routine and discipline of a teacher. You will feel better. I don’t even have a question mark over that. And you didn’t make a bad choice. Who knows what could have happened with a c section. You did what was best for you and your family. Major surgery is not a light option. Plenty can go wrong. And if something had, you’d be wishing the other way. So don’t beat yourself up. Also don’t be scared to do anything (I get it, I was too). But unless you’re pushing out another human soon, nothing is going to happen! I made sure I went for a walk every day once I started to find my head again. I hope I have helped in some little way xxx

Thanks so much! I really really appreciate this. I’m doing all the things you were- googling other people I can see to pay for more appointments/ reading every forum and horror story under the sun and spiralling like crazy. I’m going to stop doing that. I know it’s not helping but when you feel alone you take to the internet.

Ill focus on the physio and hope that helps strengthen things and get rid of the slight heaviness im still getting. That’s also good to know about reformer Pilates, I’ve actually done that for years but have felt completely hopeless at the thought of ever getting back into it after this birth. I feel so depleted physically and mentally.

youre also right about the c section. My recovery from that was just so much easier with my first but there is no guarantees it would have been the same this time at all.

thanks again- you’ve really given me some hope which I haven’t felt for weeks!