Help - 1st degree prolapse

[JigglyRafferty]

I went to the doc because me and OH are TTC number 2. I have noticed I can't feel anything during sex and OH has confirmed that he is struggling to feel anything too. He has been really supportive about it though and is reassuring me it's normal after childbirth. He isn't bothered. But I feel so embarrassed about it, I don't feel able to have sex now. I also have a wet noise when I am walking, sorry if it's TMI, but I notice it and I am horrified at my own body. I just feel so sad and despairing about it, that I am ruined.

I have been in tears since the doctor had a look. She said the walls in my vagina are sort of caving in and poking out. She said it's not bad and can be fixed with exercises and has referred me to incontinence clinic. I have been doing exercises 3 times a day since my son was born 18 months ago though so can't have been doing them right.

Can anyone tell me there is light at the end and that exercises worked for them? How long did it take you to get your referral through to the women's health specialist? Will it affect my fertility? Plus, just support please. I feel like shit about myself.

bump. Anyone?

Apparently it's very common and can be corrected with physio

It won't affect your fertility, or ability to carry a successful pregnancy x

Further pregnancies and deliveries can (not always, but sometimes) increase severity of the prolapse / symptoms. So you should work closely with future healthcare providers around your birth plans and preferences.

Physio will likely do good things for a mild prolapse - do you know which organ has prolapsed? But it's more than just doing pelvic floors. A good therapist will show you how to do them properly, and give you accompanying exercises to strengthen all the surround muscles too - ie core and glutes.

Referrals will probably take different times around the country. I was referred by my GP at my 6 week check to Gynecologist. Saw them at 4 months pp and then saw the PT a month later, one session per month for about 6/7 months. I've sort further private treatment since this.

Living with Prolapse can affect your mental health, so please seek professional support in this area if you need. There's a support group on Facebook called Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse, check them out. It's shitty, but you're not alone

@sar302 thank you. She said both walls are caving in. I can feel it all the time.

Ahh well my core and glutes are really weak so that would make sense then why it has happened.

I might see if I can go private then. Did you just search on google for some?

It is affecting my mental health. I feel embarrassed, disgusted, ashamed...I will check out the group. Thank you.

@JigglyRafferty I just googled for a woman's health physio in my local area. I was very lucky, I found a good one, who is also trained as a Pilates instructor, so we carried physio on into Pilates as I got stronger. I'd still recommend going through the NHS route as well though.

The Facebook group is private, so no one on your friends list will know you've joined.

If it gives you hope, doing the physio got rid of that "it feels like I have a tampon wedged in the wrong place" feeling for me. Although it comes back sometimes after a bad cold / cough, or vomiting. Or if I stop exercising for a while. It has improved stuff a lot, but it's not as it was pre-delivery. But it's much better.

I had counselling to help deal with my thoughts about it.

I second everything sar said. Physio and Pilates combined are ideal. It is mentally hard to deal with. Literally ‘gets you down’.

@sar302 thank you. I have joined that group and have been asking questions all day. It's very helpful and everyone is really supportive.

For me, it feels like there's a tampon half hanging out of me and sticking to my underwear. I can constantly feel it. Has your physio given you any specific non-kegel advice ? I am doing them 5 times a day with the squeezy app.

So my progress was quite slow to start with, because I had nerve damage, I couldn't actually feel anything down there. But we started off doing kegels lying down - quick ones and long holds, then moved to doing them in sitting, then finally in standing - By then the feeling had returned for me - as I got stronger. My PT assessed internally at every appointment.

The first exercises - right at the end of therapy - were lying on my back and sucking in (contracting) my stomach muscles along with my pelvic floor - I couldn't feel my stomach muscles when we started, but I also have a DR, so that's probably why. We then did bridges and lying down hip twists. But this was all accompanied by contracting the pelvic floor at the right time and breathing at the right time to correctly manage intra-abdominal pressure etc. It's a lot to think about to start with, and definitely best to do under professional guidance if you can.

I have a prolapse. I've been told I need surgery but I'm trying to avoid!!

I was told to also wear tummy control pants every day. I wear ones from tkmaxx (3 for £10) and they have made a huge difference! Apparently it acts as a vaccume and forces you to suck it all up! I find it much comfier wearing the tummy control pants than normal ones now! (don't buy m&s ones they are much too tight and hurt! You just need a little support).

Also, making sure you are not at all over weight is important.

And doing the pelvic floor exercises 3 times a day. 10 long holds, 10 quick holds.

Its horrible. I really feel for you. I had lovely, natural births but makes me quite angry to think I had no idea I was taking a risk with life long implications.

Also, my damage was done after baby number 2. I was worried about being able to push out baby 3 but I did it (also naturally)...... it didn't make my symptoms any worse or any better! Although mine isn't quite as severe as yours.

Sorry to hear what you are going through. Xxxx

@sar302 How did you know you had nerve damage?

That is interesting you did them lying down. I am usually sitting or standing. Did she say it's best to do them lying down to start with? It does sound like a lot to take in.

I have done pilates classes every so often and not gone again, because there is just so much to think about I get overwhelmed. I was the same with learning to drive though, so I'm sure you get used to it.

@goldenzog My GP said I could have surgery but they'd want to do it after I have all my children (I want to have one more). I'm actually scared to have sex now, the whole thing is freaking me out.

Tummy control pants, that is interesting.

I have started now doing the pelvic floors 5 times a day now. I just think I can't have been doing them right as I did them all through pregnancy, and I have been doing them since my son has been born.

Have you seen a physio?

I hope I can get it sorted soon so we can have baby number 2.

I was aware of the nerve damage (tmi alert) because I couldn't feel anything inserted into me for the first 8 months pp. Tampons, sex, internal exams, nothing. But you can regenerate nerves and I have no issue now in that department.

We started off with lying down, because in both sitting and standing, gravity impacts your prolapses / pelvic floor making it harder to squeeze. When the muscles are weak, this can be too much to fight against, and you can end up doing the kegels incorrectly / using different muscles to compensate etc because everything effectively becomes to heavy to "lift". I built up over a number of months.

I am 2 yrs pp now and do both reformer and mat Pilates classes weekly, however they are adapted, as I still don't do things such as crunches / anything that involves lifting my head off the floor (causes too much internal pressure).

@sar302 thank you. I will do them lying down now.

Have you looked at any of the devices such as kegel 8 or the weights? I am just having a look now.

It feels worse today, but I think that is because I have been on my feet doing Christmas shopping.

I am going to have to make sure I squeeze everything now when I pick up my little boy (18 months). I wonder if its been getting worse as he's been getting heavier.

It will feel worse on your feet all day because of gravity and muscles tiring. Think about it like a physical work out at the gym, but for your poor pelvic floor. It's just knackered after the "workout".

Haven't used any devices - neither PT I've seen has been a fan of them, they've been all about just working with the body. But I know lots of other people use additional bits - the Facebook group will give recommendations.

When you pick your toddler up, zip up / squeeze your PF muscles and breathe out. Always breathe out on the effort. It feels counterproductive because to suck everything in and up, it feels more natural to breathe in at the same time. But breathing out helps maintain the correct pressure.

Ok, I will wait to see about using the devices.

Thanks for the advice :)

No worries at all! It really had a profound affect on me to start with, but two years on I'm definitely doing better physically and mentally, so I hope it can all work out for you too.

Sounds interesting @Happywoman78