To ask how many of you have a prolapse?

[Bella1994]

Just want to ask how many of you have a prolapse? And your age ? I have all 3 and I’m only 26 and one birth of a little girl who is now 2 years old. Really feel alone. Been told it’s very common yet not one of my friends have even heard of it. My vagina is very short and I can’t wear tampons any more. It’s really knocked my confidence it’s definitely not the same down there

I'm late fifties and have had a rectocele for about 10 years now. Most of the time I don't notice, but if I walk a lot I get a dragging aching sensation, it also affects defecating 😔 I'm fed up of that, but manage it the best I can.

37 4 babies none for me

I had 4 prolapses diagnosed age 45. Three of them were operable and I had three of them sorted over two operations four months apart, plus a perineal repair. I didn't want any more children, so the hysterectomy wasn't a problem for me.
At your age, if you don't plan on having any more babies, I'd really push to get them resolved. If you want to have more children, then an option for you is to have a vaginal pessary fitted. (I never did at that point, but I'm considering it as an option due to a recurrent prolapse, despite the fact they haven't been offered to me.)
Ask what the plan is. Don't be passive. This is your life, so you are entitled to ask.

I have a prolapse. In fact, I have two, rectocele and cytocele.

Cytocele was very apparent straight after the birth of DS2. Lived with it for 10 years now. Rectocele just appeared, and is more uncomfortable.

I have struggled massively with my mental health because of it. But I am trying to reframe my thoughts on it all. When I don't focus on the prolapse, I forget it is there. It is when I think about it that it feels worse.

Unfortunately, I have found that you won't get many doctors or medical professionals getting too excited about it.

My advice - look into hypopressive exercises. I am yet to start my course, but I hear good things about the results.

Try the kegel8 machine. It's great. I don't have a prolapse but my mum does so I'm terrified of getting one too. I bought the kegel8 machine after my 2nd child and I really rate it.

I had bowel and bladder prolapse age 30, tried all conservative methods had it repaired only it failed within months and joined by womb prolapse.

I had bowel and bladder repaired again with hysterectomy in early 30’s.

bowel and bladder have prolapsed again within 6 months.

I am hypermobile, (have EDS) and the first Labour was kelliands forceps which are brutal.

I didn’t know I was hypermobile until after first surgery and now know it’s an indicator / cause of prolapse and that surgery may not work.

I manage symptoms with no running / jumping / impact exercise. I do a lot of Pilates which makes a massive difference and I only really feel symptoms when I don’t do Pilates regularly.

If you want another baby don’t let this put you off, if it’s happened it may get worse anyway so you may as well finish your family.

Also I wish I’d had a c section with second, to avoid any further damage. (Didn’t actually know there was an issue until second born).

Me rectocele currently. Issues started after my second child when I was 30. Have had surgery for a vaginal prolapse but still have rectocele. I’m 48 now.

Think this may have now been posted twice!

So sorry to hear about those in pain. I have a recently diagnosed rectocele (33, 2 dc). Haven't yet been told next steps with how to manage/op but I know they won't likely operate until I'm done having children. I wanted to ask about those who have one and if you have had successful ops - awful that some people's operations then failed. I find the mesh route terrifying after all the horror stories in recent years.

Agreed that this isn't talked about enough.

Thanks

There's a really supportive and informative FB group for UK women only FPOPS UK please join it if you want to it's been such a help to me.

You are not alone it is something that needs bringing up with the health bill and more support for women going through this. Sadly it's common much more common than people realise too, and affects ladies of all ages, with or without children. There's 5 types of prolapse, cystocele (bladder wall/anterior ) rectocele (rectum wall, posterior) rectal, enterocele(small intestine poking into fanjo) and uterine/cervix descent prolapse. I have 3 types. The key is to arm yourself with information, and ways to manage it, don't jump into surgery, it can be managed with things like Pessaries and yes you can exercise too, just avoid high impact. Also the NHS squeezy app is good
Sending love and hugs to you and all posters.

Sorry I was meant to add I'm 45, three children
My prolapses started/appeared in 2019 but it must have been brewing years before, just not as bulgy. Mine was brought on by weak pelvic floor after two big babies, and awful bad constipation.

Also if you've been told it can't cause pain, yes it can. All my pain started with my prolpases particularly a left sided stitch like pain which, after having alsorts of investigation for I've been told it's potentially ligament related and due to that. I also get hip pain and nerve pain inside fanjo. All related
It actually says on the NHS page it can cause pain so don't let a doctor or consultant tell you it can't

I answered this yesterday before reading some of the comments. I don't think the questioner understands the terminology. A uterine prolapse Is where the uterus collapses into the vagina. When the bladder prolapses in to the vagina it is a cystocele. When the rectum does so it is a rectocele.

Morning people. I had kidney function tests and an IVP, no voiding issues. Yes the NHS site does say pelvic prolapses can cause pain, but then says dragging and discomfort. I was 100% sure my symptoms weren't caused by the cystocele. Yesterday, amazingly,got through to the surgery. Receptionist spoke to GP, given appointment, urine tested (some sent for culture) result: occult blood, UTI,abx!! (and analgesia)

Shame, this thread has gone quiet,I didn't have a UTI and the terrible pain wasn't caused by the prolapse either. I didn't think either was the case,in the end the pain was so severe,I presented myself at the local ED. Had bloods ECG, physical exam and a CT with contrast. I actually have Mesenteric stranding and a tumor on my adrenal gland!

I've got cystocele and rectocele. Awaiting an appointment with women's health physio. I'm 34 and want another child but worried about making it worse. Feel like women are being massively failed in this area with little research or support available. It's like we're just expected to get on with it.

I've got cystocele and rectocele. Awaiting an appointment with women's health physio. I'm 34 and want another child but worried about making it worse. Feel like women are being massively failed in this area with little research or support available. It's like we're just expected to get on with it.

I was diagnosed with cystocele and rectocele after my eldest was born (EMCS, so pregnancy caused it). I still have it a decade later.

I have mentioned it freely at the breastfeeding and PND support groups I used to run, and almost no one else said outright that they had it too, but I'd say a good 10% quietly asked me how to get help for it. Usually for "a friend".

It's one of those things like vasospasm that aren't discussed, so people think they are rare. They really aren't. Not at all.

Bump

I have a stage 2 rectocele and stage 1 cystocele with stress incontincence, which is basically unmanageable if I ever get a cough or cold. I have 2 kids, 4 and 5 years old, and I'm 42. Both kids were big babies, both were 2 weeks overdue, and I had episiotomy with one and some tearing with the other.

I talked to my gp about my discomfort a couple of times, the first time about a year after DC2 was born. It was a male GP who basically said, lose weight, do pelvic floor exercises, and we won't do anything til you decide whether you're having another baby or not (not entirely unreasonable but still...). We decided about a year ago we were done on the kids, and I had a coil fitted. I went back to my female GP who did an internal exam, and refered me both to physio and a consultant.

I've had physio through the gynae physio team, and done thousands of pelvic floor exercises. None of which has been effective. I saw a consultant gynaecologist in late september, who did a very thorough and unpleasant internal exam (she did it as kindly and gently as possible, but it was still grim) and she said that I have a fairly bad muscle tear/deterioration and that physio would do very little for me. Surgery would be the next step, along with a prescription for Duloxetine and a referal to a pessary clinic.

So now I'm waiting for all of those to come through and I have been told to get my BMI to under 30 before they can do the surgery. I have 8kg to go on that, and the consultant refered me to the local healthy lifestyle team to support with it. No idea what the waiting list looks like, but I'm on track to be there by about mid January.

In terms of symptoms I feel a bulge in my vagina every time I sit on the toilet, worse during my period. I find it hard to poo, especially if I am constipated. I wee every time I sneeze, cough, jump, stand up too quickly, and I can't run either without risking it. I often don't empty my bladder fully, and I have a constant fear of dribbling and smelling bad, not being able to get to a loo in time etc. Sex is quite uncomfortable in some positions (me on my back), but perfectly normal in others. Psychologically it's a continuous negative undercurrent in my life.

Oh and I have gallstones and I'm waiting on surgery for those too. Next year is going to be a barrel of fun.