37 years old with cystocel still reaching for hope...

Body: 

Hi
Haven't been here in a bit! I had posted about 17 months ago with my questioning what I was physically feeling after the birth of my daughter...it turns out that I had minor cystocel and the comments that were posted were helpful...
here I am again after the birth of my second daughter...she is 8 weeks now...
Comparing the two birth experiences...the first with all interventions and the second was natural becuase both doctor and anesth. unavailable due to a busy night at the hospital. I do feel that I am overall much better off with less interventions although at the time I was so scared.

To make a long story short I will say that while I feel my overall recovery has been better I do know that the cystocel is much worse. I feel a pinch sensation at times, a bit of pressure and now that I look back on it sex during 8th month of pregnancy was highly uncomfortable and particularly painful afterwards for about a day. I have not had intercourse with my husband since for fear of the discomfort. I just looked at my cystocel in a mirror today and I can see what the doctor described at my 6 week check-up...I had been shocked to hear that she can see that my bladder had dropped. If I had to say which stage I guess I would self diagnose a stage 2?

Anyways...is there hope that the physical discomfort I feel will improve over time postpartum? I really could use some light at the end of this tunnel...

PS-Thanks for reading this :)

Hi Kay

You've had another baby! Well done.

Yes, of course your prolapses will get better, just like the first time. What ya gotta remember is that you went into this last pregnancy with prolapsed pelvic organs, whereas you didn't the first time. It seems worse now, but in a year's time it probably won't be. Don't be too swift to blame this last birth. More than likely the first birth setting the ball rolling set you up for this, and another pregnancy and birth has brought it all down for a while.

Ya also gotta remember that an awful lot of stretching and moving has happened to your already prolapsed pelvic area and organs with the second pregnancy and birth, so it is natural to expect all the stretchiness to hang around for a while. Inside, you will never be like you were before the first pregnancy, and you will always have the prolapses, but they won't necessarily bother you any more in the longrun, than they did before your second pregnancy.

By my calculations you were less than 12 months postpartum when you fell pregnant the second time, so your body may not have completely recovered from the first pregnancy. I think you will find that there is a good chance a full 12 months after this second baby that your body will probably be as good as, or better than it was when you fell pregnant the second time, just because it will have had time to fully recover. It really takes that long, even longer sometimes, not only the 6 weeks that is regarded as the last postnatal visit by the doctor.

I personally think that the recovery from pregnancy and birth goes on for years. Several years after my third baby I remember realising that my pelvic contents no longer slopped around in my belly, but felt much more solid.

So ... no heavy lifting for a while, empty your bladder properly at least once a day, no straining on the toilet, plenty of fibre, loose belly clothes, and WW posture whenever you're not horizontal. You know the deal. Now wipe that black cloud away, paint a smile on ya dial and get on with loving those babies.

Cheers

Louise

Louise, thank you so much!
Your response is really getting me through...I have been rereading it when I am feeling down.
Kay