Self diagnosed stage 2 Uterine prolapse. Now what?

[chuffedasbuttons]

I have a doc appointment booked next Friday with a fab female GP but in the meantime can we talk prolapse?

I'm 44 and feel so 'humiliated' by this although I know that's not rational but I figure a normal feeling.

I think I have a uterine prolapse. I think it's stage 2. I have lump that moves up and down near the entrance of my vagina. Front wall. I can push it up and out of the canal path. I believe it is my cervix .

Other things about me
I am not overweight.
I exercise and have strong pelvic floor - no bladder incontinence at all.
I had endometriosis surgery in my 20's
I had one vaginal birth and one section. Early 30's.
I'm peri and have been on gel and vagifem for a year. Saw gyne a year ago for irregular bleeding.
I'm on my third mirena.
I have an excellent diet.
Meno has made me outrageously constipated for 3 years now.

Any thoughts or shared stuff would be welcome. I feel so sad and unsettled.

Hi OP. Sorry you are going through this. I'm 41 and strongly suspect I have a rectal prolapse. Going to call the doctor tomorrow but dreading it, i have no idea if they will even let me see someone or if it will be an online chat? Worried as I really don't want to discussing my bottom via Zoom!!

I also feel humiliated. And ashamed. Like you, i'm not overweight, do a lot of exercise (although truthfully more cardio than core), had a vaginal birth to a large ish baby and a section for my second. I don't get where this has come from but I guess pregnancy and childbirth have a big part to play (I had a lot of pelvic pain with my DD so maybe that too)

I too feel unsettled and sad. I've read some posts from women who really need surgery but have been told they're too young to have it in their 40s. I'm terrified that this will just keep on getting worse until it majorly impacts on my quality of life.

Have you had any obvious symptoms? I've read that a lot of women have no idea that they have a prolapse and it can be there for years before it's diagnosed. Looking back, there are a few things that make me wonder if this has been happening to my body for a while.

No advice sorry, but wanted to let you know you're not alone.

It's not uncommon for prolapses to come to light when you hit peri due to declining oestrogen. Please don't feel humiliated or ashamed, so many women have them but either don't know or don't discuss it. Often they are as a result of childbirth, prolonged pushing in the second stage and/or instrumental births, but there are other risk factors.

Your HRT will help, the constipation won't. Look up optimal positioning for when opening your bowels. Basically your knees should be higher than your hips (a step stool can be helpful to put your feet on), lean forward resting your forearms on your legs and don't strain, just push your tummy out iyswim. Also you need to dramatically up your intake of water and resolve the constipation, Lactulose can help.

Pelvic floor exercises will help, I've reduced mine by exercise alone. The NHS Squeezy app is definitely worth looking into to set exercise reminders. With any referral, which'll usual initially be with a women's health physio, they will expect you to have started these and been doing them regularly (3 times a day) for at least 6 weeks. Surgery is an option but usually it's recommended for more significant grades.

You mention you exercise, do you run, do squats? This won't help. Pounding pavements or putting a lot of downward force on your pelvic floor will put a huge strain on it. Brisk walking is good, as is cycling and swimming.

Also gravity means symptoms are often worse towards the end of the day if you've been on your feet a lot. Try to put your feet up at regular intervals. All these lifestyle changes can and will help.

Did you see doc OP?