Pregnant/Postpartum Rectocele

Submitted by shellymum on February 28, 2008 - 4:28pm
Body: 

Hi there

Just an intro...I'm in my early 30s and during pregnancy noticed a "bulge" but didn't think much of it really. I suppose prolapse crossed my mind but I only thought there could be uterine prolapse so didn't really think much more of it. About 5 days postpartum I was really really uncomfortable and freaked out when I looked and found a huge bulge. It turns out I have a rectocele. The bulge has eased off in the last week, although it's size changes day to day and during each day (and yes, I am trying not to check all the time!). My Gyno thinks I will recover to a new kind of "normal", given time. At the moment I'm advised to take it easy, no lifting, no exercise (until 6wks pp when I hope to start walking and pilates), lots of fibre, no straining etc. I have an appointment with a women's health physiotherapist next week. I'm drinking 2-3 cups of raspberry leaf tea each day and doing my pelvic floor exercises throughout the day at regular intervals. I'm now about 16 days postpartum, so after reading other posts on this site I realise I'm still in very early days and I'm trying to disconnect how I feel about it in my mind with my general self-esteem, because I don't want this to affect my life unnecessarily. I have three kids and a wonderful husband and I really want to enjoy my new baby and not sink into depression.

I have ordered Christine Kent's book and am very keen to see what it has to say. I have also started standing in the posture (after seeing the description on this site) and it actually feels very good.

Any words of encouragement will be much appreciated at this stage - I always thought prolapse was an "old woman's ailment", not something that could happen so early in life.

Zelda

February 28, 2008 - 5:27pm

Well you sound way calmer than I was. Good for you, I'll be the first to say
throwing a really massive tantrum doesn't help - at all.
I've been dealing with this some 9 months and it was a work related injury
whereas most of us are facing it post-partum, like you. Pretty soon some of them
will undoubtedly post... Take your baby-time to nurse and cuddle and heal yourself.
The posture is the single most helpful thing to master in my opinion, and walking in
posture a little bit every day is good for circulation down there too, which speeds healing.
Don't think that there's nowhere but down with this condition, it has an ebb and flow that
parallels your hormone cycle, and many gradually have more and more good days. It takes
a good year imo to recover from childbirth, so go slow, ask for help vacuuming and lifting.
Get the little ones to climb into your lap and so forth. I am always so glad when new Mums
find this forum, it's a wealth of all the best Qualities of Women. We thrive when we can share
and support each other. Take care, you are so valuable to your lovely family and they will
all learn valuable lessons in care and compassion by helping you. But we have to ask, and
for some of us it's hard to let go of the "SuperMom with 8 arms" image.
I also encourage you to use this forum as a receptacle for any rants and raves. I think
the poor husbands sometimes endure WAY TMI, and I've been amazed at the kind and thoughtful
responses. We don't feel burdened here by each others process so much as inspired. I learned
compassion for myself by first having it for others here. Good luck and welcome.
Zelda

stella

February 28, 2008 - 5:50pm

I thought that prolapse was an old woman's ailment too! Oh well! I am only 36 and was very surprised to discover mine.
Take the advise you were given to take it easy!!! Your body has lots of room to heal if given the opportunity. Just focus on your baby and getting as much rest as possible. Be gentle to yourself.

granolamom

February 28, 2008 - 7:18pm

congrats on the new baby, shellymum!
you sound like a very wise & together mama. there is plenty of reason to remain hopeful. this will not necessarily take over your life. the hardest part of it, for me, was the stuff in my head. feeling old, unattractive, useless, disabled, disfigured, abnormal, etc

the good part though, was that prolapse taught me to slow down. and its kind of ironic, in a way, that having babies brought this about. having prolapse got me to slow down and those babies have benefitted tremendously from the change. I'm no longer constantly rushing about doing twenty five things while holding a nursing baby in one arm. I have to sit more and that means I have time to ***be*** with the kids.

so that's my pollyanna-ism for the day

now get back into bed with your baby!

Zelda

February 28, 2008 - 7:50pm

I love your voice and your down to earth wisdom.
Absolutely straight on thinking.
And what I would give for another day of breast-feeding. Nothing has ever made me feel so Whole and content.
Zelda

shellymum

March 4, 2008 - 5:03pm

Thank you for your warm welcome and kind words, it is amazing how the kindness of complete strangers can help so much.

Granolamum, it's interesting you say this condition has made you slow down, because that's the effect it's had on me too. My hubby and parents are very pleased, they always thought I did too much, but in the past I have found it hard to adjust my expectations of myself (and as Zelda said, the supermum image) to something more realistic! So, it turns out something good has come of this, even though I'd never choose to do it in this way.

jb

March 5, 2008 - 10:34am

I love to read the posts here. Zelda, as I sit reading your post (while nursing my 9-week old Ingrid), I started to cry....thinking that this precious time will end. I'm so thankful you wrote "...what I would give for another day of breastfeeding." I guess I never imagined the day that she'll not be snuggled up to me, nursing away. Over the past several weeks, I've been so down about my body and my prolapse. Feeling broken and old. I think it's powerful to remember just how well it really does work: nourishing another human body. Whole and content! I guess I would actually rather have the prolapse than the inability to nurse, if I had to choose.

You've given me a beautiful moment. Thank you.

jb

March 5, 2008 - 3:11pm

Hi Shellymum,

I am 34, and now I am 9 weeks pp with my first baby. I have a cystocele, and it is mild, but I am very scared it will progress if I have another child (which I desperately want in the next couple of years).

I'm not sure if my doctor is right or not, but he says that usually (>90% of moms in his practice) of pp prolapses will go back to nearly normal (undetectable) over the first 6 mos to 1 year. That's what I'm hoping for. He told me that as long as I do not lift heavy objects or bear down (ie, strain on the toilet), then I will very likely feel 'normal' again. He claims that the vaginl walls do tighten nearly back to normal, just as other tissue in your body pp. For instance, that 'floppy' belly I have will eventually tighten (not back to totally normal, but tight enough that I won't think much of it).

So, rest and give it time. I agree that the posture makes an amazing difference. Regarless of what others say, I also think Kegels help me as well (I prefer to do them while lying completely flat). I'm also praying :)

Most importanltly...NEVER strain on the toliet again. At 16 days pp, you have no idea how you'll feel a year from now. I found my 'bulge' a few weeks ago, and I already think it's slightly improved.

Your rectocele is quite similar when you consider that it's just the sagging of your posterior vaginal wall. No reason to think it won't get back to normal, especially since your cystocele improved. Why wouldn't the posterior wall improve if the anterior wall improved?

TRUST YOUR BODY!