Is this a rectocele please?? Sad and scared

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Hi everyone. I am looking for some advice please, I'm quite down about it.

I'm 34 and have 2 Children, both born by C-Section (failed induction and then elective) and I've never been in labour at all.

I have been told during scans / smears in the past that I have a very retroverted / tipped backwards uterus. My grandmother, mother, and sister all have this.

My last Child was born over 12 years ago!!

I remember feeling like my womb had went even far backwards after having him, I asked at my 12 week check, tmi but when pooing, the poo kind of has to go round a 'bend' since, and I have piles sometimes since his birth.

Anyway, about a year ago I suddenly felt a horrible, pressure, dragging sensation like something is pushing down at the back wall of my vagina and going to fall out. It is always there but is worse and more noticeable the week before my period and if I've been standing alot, goes away with lying down. Sometimes I literally want to crawl doing housework etc.

Also recently it feels really uncomfortable when pooing, and that my bowel movements aren't complete and get 'stuck' in my rectum, and I will eventually finish the 'second round' a few hours later.

I've had a feel and I can feel a 'bulge' on the back wall which makes me feel like I need to go if I press on it (feels like rectum tissue definitely), but it doesn't start until about 2.5 inches up. Until then it feels like thick vaginal wall. The bulge feels soft.

Is this rectocele??

I've been to my GP twice for this who did my smear cause it was overdue (but no manual exam or anything else) and said that as nothing is bulging out of my entrance and my cervix is where it should be, it's not a prolapse.

Is this right??
Surely it shouldn't be so uncomfortable??

I do pelvic floors always and since I noticed this I've not done heavy lifting, but even if I cough it feels horrible, and at certain times even walking around is uncomfortable. I'm sad and scared tbh, because I have a job which requires lots of standing and I need to work to pay bills, I've no qualifications, and also my hobbies are all active

It sounds like it. I have one. I went to my GP who very kindly looked me straight in the eye and said "don't panic". She referred me to a women's health physio who confirmed prolapse and gave me some exercises and advice. It's not completely gone away but it doesn't bother me at all really.

The "don't panic" advice was very helpful and hopefully I can pass it on to you. Don't panic!!

Can you see a different GP? If not, go back to thr first one and ask for a referral. Things obviously arent right and even if its not a prolapse, its something. My GP specialises in women's health so was very quick to refer me. Can you afford to go privately? Might be a quicker route (google women's health physio and you should get a list of people in your area).

Prolapses are horrible but manageable with the right health care and you deserve the right health care so get back on to the GP and don't take no for an answer.

Hugs and strength to you

Mine’s a cystocele but yeah, don’t panic. I did physio and do pelvic floor exercises and I also run (currently short plods as I’ve had a long break for ivf and other nonsense, but 20 mile fell races before the break) and lift. You’ll be ok. Really.

I use a pessary and compression shorts for running if I’m going more than 5k or so, which do help.

@RNBrie Thank you so much for replying. I'll try not to panic!. I'm usually very stoic with health stuff, but this has my mind racing, like how will I work if this gets worse?, how will I have sex with DP?
My plan is to go back to the GP and try to get a referral cause I can't afford private. Can I ask have you felt the exercises the specialist gave you helped better than the 'just squeeze at traffic lights/adverts' that I've been doing for years? How long have you had it and did it get worse? (sorry for all the questions!)

@Verbena87 Thank you so much too. Is a cystocele the bladder? Did you feel the physio helped? Twenty mile fell races, that's great. I'm not a runner, but I like to go camping and climb the odd mountain, and walks, and allotment. I'd be so sad if I couldn't do these things. I'm struggling now tbh, I mean physically I can do them, but it feels really uncomfortable. I've heard of the pessaries, do they help with the discomfort then? Never heard of compression stuff will look that up.

I think I'm feeling so much discomfort because my womb is so 'folded' backwards and putting pressure on the back wall. I wonder if they can do something to 'pin' it back into position..

Also I think maybe I should get checked for anything causing my womb to be causing pressure ie fibroids. The pressure / dragging worsens in the week before my period.

You need to be examined.

An operation can help and they are usually very successful.

Rings and pessaries tend to be temporary or for women (old) who can't have a GA.

You need to stop heavy lifting, running and any high impact exercise meanwhile until you have had a diagnosis.

Physio can help but it's not always successful.

The nhs Squeezy app is good, 3 sets of 10xlong holds and 10 quick flicks a day. I also had electrical stimulation of pelvic floor muscles (hospital lent me the machine, then bought my own) because I had nerve damage as well and struggled to recruit the muscles initially.

Pessary is basically underwiring for my saggy bladder, yeah. I have a ring but there are lots of different types - it’s great for me: shoves stuff back into alignment and stops me feeling like my insides are going to fall out of my fanny. For me it’s only for impact exercise but definitely preferable to surgery at the moment as I’m not convinced the ‘repairs’ for bladder prolapse are actually robust enough to warrant the extra scarring in my already birth-scarred vaginal walls. The gynae said to me that I could try inserting a super tampon for an hour or so (risk of tss is low for this short period apparently, even if not bleeding) and see whether that helped at all as an idea of whether pessary would be useful, so that could be worth a go as an experiment.

When it was more symptomatic and I was breastfeeding (so low estrogen) I had vagifem estrogen pessaries too which seemed to help - will possibly try and get this again once I get menopausal as low estrogen can make the vaginal walls more lax I think.

I’ve got a couple of pairs of EVB support briefs. They are really ugly but use those for long runs and they do seem to help.

I would have a good feel when you’re lying down if you’re worried about sex - things tend to go back into a more comfy position when you’re not stood upright so unless you’re much more acrobatic than we are (we have a sleepless 4-year-old. We are loving but tired 🤣. We are definitely for lying-down shagging,) it is very very very likely to be fine.

My Pelvic Floor Muscles and Why mums dont jump are both worth a look if you’re on Instagram.

I was only nhs as well, and there were some longish waits but if you’re happy to advocate for yourself and be a bit persistent I found I got great treatment.

your symptoms sound so similar to mine.
i had dd 5 years ago. Crap birth/forceps/episiotomy and only went to gp just over a year ago who said it was a rectocele.
He didn’t refer me to gynaecologist just said try laxido and pelvic floor exercises and see how I get on.
It’s taken a while to get the laxido dose right but think I’m there with that now. I take 2 every 3 days. Anymore and I have cramps , any less and I get piles/fissures. Piles have gone atm and I Don’t dread going to the toilet. However i do think rectocele has got bigger and need to go back. It’s not protruding out (yet) but I now can’t use a tampon as the rectocele just pushes it out when I walk! sex is fine.
I do run and lift weights though and reading through these replies, I’m now thinking that could have made it worse!
Good luck op definitely go back to gp.

Ask your doctor for an NHS choose & book referral to your nearest private hospital, it doesn't cost you anything, you get treated exactly like a private patient but the NHS pays.

Some women aren't diagnosed until they are examined standing up, which makes perfect sense. I had surgery 40 years after the birth which caused mine. No mesh was used, it wasn't particularly awful, and it's still fine 10 years on. I need Movicol / Laxido at times.

There's lots of information with regards to how hormone changes, sitting for most of your job, diet and breathing exercises all effect this. You do not have to consent to surgery and know that your tongue, diaphragm, pelvic floor and arch of foot is all connected. 1 in 2 women (apparently) have this but don't talk about it. No child in school is educated on how to reduce the chances of this happening and wild animals rarely develop this as much as domesticated ones do.

@Nat6999 can I ask how this works ?x

Bridget944 Speak to your GP, ask for a choose & book referral, you could even do your homework & investigate who is the best gynacologist at your nearest private hospital. Once you get the referral you can make an appointment, after that you are treated exactly the same as a private patient, you go to the private hospital for everything. I have had 5 operations like this, everything happens when it should, no risk of cancelled operations, you get a private ensuite room, sky television, you can have someone with you all the time, no waiting ages for discharge letter & drugs, everything is done before you go to theatre. They do enhanced discharge, I was only in 16 hours for a hysterectomy, went in at 5.00pm & was discharged by 9.00am next day.

I have one, which persists despite surgery. My pelvic floor was examined standing up, by a specialist physiotherapist who said my muscle tone was actually pretty good. I manage by using prescription laxatives to prevent straining and to encourage a full bowel movement. Having children sucks, my poor body has never recovered but I manage.

I’ve never heard of choose and book referrals!

I have a rectocele and it’s definitely worse when I’m due on/during my period.

BrutusMcDogFace Choose & book was brought in by the Labour Government to get waiting lists down. The NHS buy up all spare theatre spaces & consultant's spare private appointments & then refer NHS patients. It is all routine operations, Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, General surgery, things like hysterectomy, prolapse, laparoscopy, gall bladder, hernia, joint replacements, arthroscopy, Bunions etc, all quick turnover things that don't need an ITU or HDU bed but get the waiting list numbers down.

Well that’s good to know!! Thank you!

@Nat6999 im guessing this is all self funded if I do this? I am looking at private treatment atm tho! Did you have a prolapse op? How did it go and what’s your age do you mind me asking

@BrutusMcDogface is this nhs funded ?! Also would I need to be refered by a doctor or a gyno? I’m on the list to see a gyno I want surgery but don’t know if they will offer it yet as I’m 28 but it’s affected my daily life. Have you had an op this way?

@Verbena87 did you have surgery? If so what one? What we’re your symptoms and we’re nhs happy to do it also how old are you? X

@Nat6999 im confused does this speed up the process? I’ve been waiting 10 weeks to see the gyno so far referred from a doctor but haven’t heard anything! Can you do this from your first referral like could I ring up and do it now ? Does it have to be a private hospital? I’ve had a Google but can’t make much sense of it all! So what would I do ring docs and say can I choose a hospital myself ? Or is this only for when u get referred for surgery x

@Bridget944 I’m 35 and haven’t yet had surgery as I was trying for another baby.

Have been back to gp since last posting to swap my pessary and she diagnosed rectocele and uterine prolapse as well (the joys) so she thinks at some point I’ll need a hysterectomy and anterior wall repair and yes, I’ll get that on the nhs. Want to do a bit more research before I go for it though.

This is more common with a retroverted uterus, but so many of us don’t know these risks, I’m sure a lot of OBGYNs are actually unaware that severe prolapse is more common among those with a tipped/retroverted uterus.