Is this a prolapse? Can anyone advise, dr no help

[Charlotteap]

I gave birth 11 month ago, not a very good birth, long and eventually forceps and episiotomy. Since then pain has been very painful on just one side so have basically given up. But the thing that worries me is ( sorry for TMI) if I have quite a bad stool ( painful / have to strain) I feel like a bulge at the bottom of my vagina near the entrance. Then by the I stand up it’s gone , and if it’s a normal stool so most of the time I can’t feel it.

I’ve been to the drs a few time but been back today and he can never feel anything so hasn’t referred me ? I’ve also had really bad bladder leaking , whenever I sneeze. He says he can refer me for that but will take 6/7 months and I can ask them about the painful sex. But he wasn’t very helpful at all, should I be worried about this bulge?

Go back and get the referral , what did you say when the doctor mentioned it?

You need a proper check up. Our hospital has a physio department on top of the maternity block which assessed everything for me and checked my pelvis floor etc. But it did take over a year to be seen. Get on the list sooner rather than later

If you can afford it I'd recommend a Mummy MOT from a specific womens health physio - it is expensive but I found it worth it as they are literally specialists in exactly this. Even when I did get an NHS referral they sent me to a regular MSK physio with no pelvic health expertise so about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

Op, ask your Dr to examine you when squatting or standing up. What you explain very much sounds like the rectocele I have. I also have a cystocele that’s not as bad as the rectocele but I will have surgery on both in a couple of
months.

sorry, just add that it’s my rectocele that I feel bulging into my vagina and the area between my vagina and anis.

Thank you for the replies, i will look into the Mummy Mot. He’s examined me 3 times but always says he cannot feel anything , even though I tell him it only appears when having a painful stool. He referred me today for the incontinence but said it would be 7 months. He’s not very helpful at all

@StrawberryJellyBelly thank you for that , do you only feel it whilst straining too?

Next time you see your Dr ask for a women's physio appointment and in the meantime do yr pelvic floor exercises and avoid constipation.

@yikesanotherbooboo thank you, I definitely need to work on the constipation hasn’t been good lately and definitely why I’ve noticed it more

Go and see a private physio- at least pay for one appointment to see what you're dealing with and get further advice. Try to avoid getting constipated at all costs as this may worsen things.

I took a photo of mine while I was having a poo. Great big protrusion from my vagina. I thought I was going to puke when I looked at it I hadn't realised it was that big!

So take a photo and then go back to the gp if you want something done.

Sadly I'm 15 years past the point where physio would be any use so I just live with mine.

In the meantime you need soluble fibre in your diet. So milled Flax, oranges, sprouts, beans and pulses. They make the poo soft (it also makes me poo three times a day!)

But yes to seeing a pelvic physio. Doesn't have to be a mummy mot, just a physio check up. Mine is £85 first app.

Yes. But I can also feel it when I sit on the loo.

I'm in bed right now and just had a little search and there’s no sign of it.

Yes, sounds like a prolapse- it can be managed and sorted for you.

In the meantime, fibre ✔️ exercise, and nutrition foods to help you go easier.

This is an excellent podcast that will help you diagnosis, inform yourself and look at options for recovery; podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/you-are-not-broken/id1495710329?i=1000633732884

Take care!

I have been to multiple pelvic floor physios and some are better than others. I echo what a pp said above - ensure the physio examines you in standing/squatting, not just lying. There are some good prolapse instagrams (postpartum_prolapse is one) to give you tips to manage it and lots of positive stories of managing prolapse. Do your pelvic floor exercises but don’t be surprised if the physio tells you you’re doing them all wrong, it’s hard to get right without someone helping you!

And again yes to managing constipation, make yourself a smoothie daily with some (or all) of oats, chia seeds, flax, kiwi, pears, prunes. I have this almost daily and it made much more of a sustainable difference to me than the movicol I had been on previously.

There is lots of hope with prolapse, despite how it can feel l, so I hope you can get it to a manageable place.

Thank you everyone , I really appreciate the advice and help. I managed to get in before Xmas with another gp who didn’t even examine me but referred me to hospital on a 2 week emergency ( think he heard lump and just got worried)

anyway had my appt, saw a lovely dr who says it is a mild prolapse and she’s confident with physio will repair without surgery or anything like that. Was a very quick appt so didn’t get to ask many questions, hoping the physio can answer some more. If anyone has any ideas - The constantly bladder leaking is that related or a separate issue?

I also mentioned how painful sex was on one side and she says most of the time it can be mentally not physically but I mentioned this after the examination not before so don’t know if she was looking for that.

anyway thanks everyone