Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Impact of birth injuries/prolapse etc

252 replies

QuentinSummers · 30/12/2017 19:08

Just read this article in the Guardian and am shocked by just how prevalent prolapse are. This is a feminist issue surely?
Timely for me because I have some kind of issue and don't want to go to the doctor Blush
amp.theguardian.com/us-news/commentisfree/2017/dec/28/vaginal-health-post-partum-maternity-rectocele

OP posts:
Beltane18 · 31/12/2017 14:00

iammeegan - that's shocking. are you following that up?

Beyond - yes, I had a friend who twice went to a GP for help with mental health. They told her pretty much nothing, then she turned up for the third visit with her husband in tow....they gave meds and referred for counselling.

iammeegan · 31/12/2017 14:06

I don't really know how to follow it up unfortunately, I've seen two different gps and I'm really don't know what to do next

Beltane18 · 31/12/2017 14:08

Iammeegan, I would go again, take a friend, and say to them "what is your medical reason for not treating this".

I won't pretend to be an expert but my feeling is that if some hernias are treated and others are not, you at least need an explanation of why yours is not being treated.

is it possible they think they will force you into going private?

iammeegan · 31/12/2017 14:14

When I was pregnant my consultant told me to see the go and see the gp about it at about 3 months after baby was born, my reaction then was that if it wasn't bothering me just to leave it and not have unnecessary surgery and her advice was that hernia can twist(?) or something which is a medical emergency and would mean and emergency surgery. So initially that's why I went. The second time I went was when the pain was to much to even walk and was told a surgeon wouldn't do anything for that.

I know I need to be more firm and think I will take dh with me next time but it really knocks you back when they pass it as something you should just get on with

BeyondAssignation · 31/12/2017 14:14

It's American, Meegan, but does this help at all...
www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/hernia-after-c-section

It says the only treatment if it is causing problems is surgery

BeyondAssignation · 31/12/2017 14:15

According to the link, if the pain is extreme the hernia could be incarcerated (bowel within hernia is not getting much blood flow) which is an emergency.

iammeegan · 31/12/2017 14:17

Thank you for the link, this isn't an incisional hernia ( although I actually think I have one now and that's why I'm having pain in the scar) but a hernia about two inches above my belly button caused by having two 10lb babies. It's definitely not muscle separation and has been diagnosed asa large hernia

iammeegan · 31/12/2017 14:19

Also I just to say thank you in just a few posts off complete strangers I feel I've had more support by any hcp I've seen

BeyondAssignation · 31/12/2017 14:22

Ah yes, abdominal hernias are refused surgery a lot ime 😕
Lots of family experience of them here. Three women, two eventually had surgery after years of them being there. The third (my mum) eventually had her GERD treated and symptoms improved (though it's still there)

iammeegan · 31/12/2017 14:26

If I had a referral to a surgeon (an expert) who said no not doing it but you can improve it, here's a referral to physio or other advice I could probably deal with that but it's the automatic right off because I'm a woman who has had children. It's 2018 tomorrow surely by now we deserve better than this

BeyondAssignation · 31/12/2017 14:32

Yy, I understand completely Flowers

Beltane18 · 31/12/2017 14:39

Beyond, why is abdominal hernia left, do you know?

Iammeegan, is it worth contacting these people and seeing if they have any advice on it being taken seriously?

www.hernia.org/

iammeegan · 31/12/2017 14:44

Beltane18 that website is brilliant I will contact them and hopefully they can arm me with enough information to be taken seriously. Thank you for taking the time to find it for me

Beltane18 · 31/12/2017 15:00

iammeegan, no worries, hope you find it helpful and hope the doctor gets this sorted.

uhohspaghettiohs · 31/12/2017 15:06

Hiya, cystocele and rectocele sufferer here. Just posting for solidarity purposes.

I was referred to a gynaecologist by the GP, who agreed to band my haemorrhoids but leave my C and R as he said surgery is unlikely to do much and isn't worth the risk.

My C and R were horrendous but do seem to have improved since drastically improving my core strength.

However if my stool is hard I still have to digitally evacuate. I find passing wind really difficult, like it gets stuck Confused and I can't look at my vagina as I find it so repulsive. Blush However I luckily don't seem to have any incontinence issues yet and sex feels different but not painful or uncomfortable.

I don't know what I'll do in future as I don't plan to have more kids, but don't want the mesh after reading the news reports. I can cope fine as I am but if it gets worse again I'll need some sort of op. No-one I know has this except my mum so I don't have anyone in my life who understands!!

BeyondAssignation · 31/12/2017 15:13

I'm not sure Beltane, my family members were told they had to lose weight before having it over and over again, before they eventually did do the op while they were overweight (one then lost weight once she was more able to do things! The other had problems with the surgery, got an MRSA infection inside their abdomen and is still ill because of it)

Uhoh, the first stage of op offered for rectocele and cystocele is usually umm... (apologies for the lack of specific medical knowledge and wording...) chopping off the excess, poking it back into place and sewing it back up. They usually (though not always) save the mesh for second repairs or those that require more assistance to hold it together.

Shakey15000 · 31/12/2017 15:30

However if my stool is hard I still have to digitally evacuate. I find passing wind really difficult, like it gets stuck

^ same here. And I think, out of all the symptoms, this is the worst. So degrading. And how any^ medical bod can think that this is an ok way to live should hang their head in shame.

sukiyaki · 31/12/2017 15:30

I saw that article too and the 40% figure shocked me.

I was fine after my first birth, but the second one (v. fast labour, 8lb 14oz baby, midwives telling me 'Push!', because he was in distress), left me with three different prolapses. The rectocele is the worst. I did my pelvic floor exercises religiously for months afterwards, but I knew something was wrong, because I'd felt a popping sensation when DS2 was being born.

Anyway, I didn't see much improvement and finally went to see my GP after about 3 years. He was great - immediately referred me to a consultant gynaecologist for examination. The guy was really rough when he did my exam and said 'At least you're nice and slim so I can feel what's going on', which didn't exactly make me feel great (what if I hadn't been?), and he confirmed uterine prolapse, rear vaginal wall and I don't even know what the other one is. Anyway, he said I'd need a hysterectomy to correct the uterine prolapse, but 'It's not serious enough yet, so you'll have to wait', and said I couldn't have vaginal repair for the rectocele until after the hysterectomy. I suffer from constipation all the time (not helped by IBS), and he breezily said 'Well you have to put your thumb into your vagina and push backwards to help evacuation. Jesus wept! And this is normal and acceptable and it's not 'bad enough' to warrant surgery???? The only comfort is that at least I've been spared vaginal mesh which, thank god, finally looks like it will be banned.

You're damn right this is a feminist issue.

BeyondAssignation · 31/12/2017 15:32

The trouble is shakey, they say "don't get constipated" like you have any control over how long your shit is stuck in your bowel having the liquid sucked out of it!

(Sorry Blush )

gaggiagirl · 31/12/2017 15:36

I was pleased to read this article. Found it very interesting.
I went for my post natal check after my 3rd dc.
Me: I think I've had a prolapse
MW: can you still have sex?
Me: whaaa??
MW: as long as your husband can still penetrate you, you will be fine.

I suffered in silence for nearly a year after that. As a woman I'm just a hole to be penetrated. Sod the fact that my vagina was shredded. Midwife didn't even offer me a physical exam. I think I was supposed to soldier on.

Shakey15000 · 31/12/2017 15:36

I know! And as if I actually want to drink the lactoluse/movicol/laxido whatevs day in day out for THE REST OF MY LIFE.

Original poster
QuentinSummers · 31/12/2017 15:37

Yes issues with defaecation is what I had. I mentioned it to the doc 10 years ago after my dd was born and got fobbed off. It's got a bit worse recently. When I have a dufficult poo I get a fissure in my perineum and it hurts. Sad
I trampoline and run and don't want to give up because i like being fit and it gelps my mental health. The trampolining actually seems to have helped my pelvic floor overall but I'm sure the docs will tell me to stop.
That article made me so relieved that what is going on with me is pretty common, I was feeling like a bit of a freak.

OP posts:
Original poster
QuentinSummers · 31/12/2017 15:39

MW: as long as your husband can still penetrate you, you will be fine.

OMG that is awful Angry

OP posts:
BeyondAssignation · 31/12/2017 15:41

Shock Angry gaggia

Shakey, they can't even consistently give me the orange movicol with my prescription that is just about bearable, I keep getting the lemon and lime 🤢

sukiyaki · 31/12/2017 15:43

Bloody hell BeyondAssignation. I wish that article surprised me, but it doesn't. How fucking depressing Sad