Prolapse during pregnancy

[Lolly2025]

I guess I’m writing this with hope someone has a positive story as I’m bored of hearing “it’s only going to get worse” from GPs etc.

I’m in my second trimester of pregnancy and I’ve got a moderate vaginal wall prolapse - after numerous of visits to the early pregnancy unit I went private where I’ve been diagnosed finally after thinking I was losing my mind and fitted with a pessary and starting physio next week.

I just feel helpless with what will happen during the rest of my pregnancy - my consultant who fitted my pessary has said there’s a chance I will be able to have a natural labour but I’m just trying to hold out as much hope as possible; especially with things I’m doing to try and help me.

Has anyone experienced this and had a natural labour? Having a prolapse during pregnancy was not what I expected but I’m trying to be as positive as I can be.

If you’ve got this far, thanks for reading! I look forward to reading your hopefully positive experiences x

Hello, I wanted to let you know that I developed a mild prolapse during the birth of my first child. I was really worried that this would deteriorate during my second pregnancy, but I went on to have a natural birth and no worsening of my prolapse once things settled down after birth. It was an extremely quick labour though, so I am not sure if that helped things. Not exactly your situation, but hopefully a little positivity surrounding the birth and no worsening of a prolapse. Find the podcast Why Mums Don't Jump - it was really helpful in those first few months.

@Dawny1879 thank you for reading, this is my second pregnancy too (missed that bit out sorry). I’m hoping things will he ok with things I’m doing and trying to do; just easy to then start worrying you know. I’m seeing my consultant soon and midwife next week; I think I’ll write all my concerns down and just hope I’m given the support and help. X

Plenty of women have prolapses after the birth of their first child, and then go on to have more vaginal births. Obviously all prolapses are different, and perhaps there is something specific about yours which may make things difficult, but I wouldn't worry just now. See the pelvic health physio, do the exercises you are given, and see how it goes. The pelvic health physio will be much more knowledgeable in many ways than the consultant.

@Macadamian hey, yes I know - I think it’s easy to say “plenty of women” but I was asking for advice for women who have had prolapses during pregnancy. I had my first child 2.5 years ago, no signs of prolapse and now after various symptoms occurred. I’m hoping physio is helpful, which makes me more hopeful to strengthen things up down there

Well tbh it's very unlikely that the actual damage was done just by your pregnancy. It's far more likely that you got the damage to your vaginal wall in childbirth but didn't notice because you weren't straining it. Now the baby is putting loads of weight on it, the pressure from outwith the vagina is greater, and an organ has bulged through the weakened bit of the wall.

I had a prolapse caused by birthing baby no1, but it didn't appear until I got a terrible cough months postpartum. Again, additional pressure on a weak point and that's when the prolapse appeared. I did my physio, plus other strength exercises, and take immense care never to push when on the toilet, and it became asymptomatic. It appeared again for about a week after birthing no2, and then disappeared again. No3 is on the way and no doubt it will reappear, and then hopefully disappear again.

Hi
I am in my 2nd pregnancy now too and have a prolapse. I definitely got it during my 1st childbirth, but I'd say it was mild and recovered well with exercises. Pretty early on in this pregnancy o had really bad pressure and bladder leaking (changing my clothes 3/4 times a day). My mother had a major surgery a few years ago for a full prolapse and I knew that they were hereditary and also that assisted births can add to the probability so I guessed I had one.

I booked pelvic health physio 7 weeks ago and the difference is unreal! I am doing 6 specific excercises, twice a day. I still have a prolapse but the pressure isn't as bad and I don't leak much now unless I have a bad cough or sneeze alot.

Ahe said I should be fine to have a vaginal birth again, but she would want to see me again within 3-4 weeks to assess and give me the right excercises.

She did warn me that while it'll get better now, it'll probably get worse toward the end but currently nothing to say i wouldn't fully recover.

She also told me I didn't need a pessary as they make the excercises more difficult and a consultant will push one on me. But not sure how true that is.