25-year-old mom from Warsaw, Poland (3.5 months postpartum - everything prolapsed)

Hi Karolka

Welcome to Wholewoman. It is great to know that this website comes up in searches in parts of the world that we have not heard from before this.

Your English is fine. Your 11 years of learning have served you well. I can't speak a word of Polish, so you have the advantage over me!

No gynaecologist should speak to a woman in a way that makes her cry. He was very cruel to say that. On the other hand, by the time I was 40 and had three vaginal deliveries (with a big episiotomy from the first birth) I was very proud of myself for the good job I had done with my three little children. I think I would have laughed in his face and told him to try birthing three babies and see what he thinks after that!!! (I probably would have used a few well-chosen swear words too!) I am sure that by the time you have birthed your last baby and have turned 40 you will be just as proud of yourself, and be able to laugh at his foolishness as well.

However, in your present state I am not surprised that you cried, because finding out about the reality of prolapses when you have a new baby and your whole family life ahead of you is a very sad time. You are entitled to have a good cry.

The good news is that your body will be better in a year's time. Don't draw any conclusions about the long term state of your body for at least another 9 months. It sounds like you are doing all the right things with diet and posture. My book arrived in Australia within a couple of weeks, if not sooner. A couple of weeks will not make any difference in the longer term, though it seems like an eternity at the time.

I am sure you will be able to understand everything better when you can read it for yourself. Then you can come back to the Forum and ask more questions. I am sure by then that you will have much to contribute as well.

Looking forward to hearing from you again.

Cheers

Louise

welcome karolka and congrats on the new baby

you've stumbled upon a truth...nature gives us a pessary. yes, sometimes the bladder and rectum prolapse and hold a prolapsing uterus in place. this is not to say that that is 1- a bad thing or 2- the way you will have to live your life

what I mean is, that many of us are living quite well and without symtopms, with our prolapses. I myself have a cystocele, a mild rectocele, and I bet that my uterus is low too. that's ok, because I am fully continent, have no pain, sex is great and I can do everything and anything I want to do.
also, my prolapses are alot smaller than they were initially, and my uterus has still not fallen out. I don't think it plans to anytime soon.

3.5 months postpartum is very early. so much can and will change, its way too early to tell what will be in one year. I'd like to think of things this way...your bladder and rectum are currently supporting your uterus. you will get your copy of the book, learn the posture, avoid constipation and straining on the toilet, learn the firebreathing, plie workout (in the book) and nauli (type it into the search box here and then follow the links), and by the time your prolapses are less pronounced, your uterus will be better supported by your newly strengthened muscles, fascia and posture.

and I think your dr's not a very nice man. what he said to you was extremely offensive and insensitive. we're seeing here that age has nothing to do with prolapse. at least not as much as a routine episiotomy. but don't get me started on that.

anyway, go cuddle with your baby, and try not to let this cloud your life. its not the end of the world, its something you need to deal with and manage, but things can be ok. they are for me.

don't know how much time I have right now, so in short

I found my prolapse about 3.5 years ago. I'm sure the beginnings of it were there years before it became apparent to me. for reference, I'm now a 36 mom of 4 kids ranging from almost 10 to 19 months old.

my prolapses are actually SMALLER and HIGHER up than they were when I discovered them, and I attribute that to the posture, exercises and lifestyle habits I've learned here. yes, gravity causes things to fall. but if things are well placed, there is no where to go. the posture puts bone under your pelvic organs, so there is no hole to fall out of. when standing in posture, the vaginal opening is facing BEHIND you, not below you.

for safe exercises, really I'd say get the posture down and go for a walk in posture. avoid crunches, sit ups or anything else that compresses your belly.

baby wants the keyboard, will try to get back later

I've been meaning to say hello to you.
Welcome to the forum.
It is logical to assume it can only get worse because of gravity- after all in time everything sags- all your organs- it happens to men too- even their testicles get lower.
But intra-abdominal pressure is an amazing force that will pin your organs in their places.
I found my prolapse after my second child was born- but had no idea what it was and as far as I knew it went away- I have always been very active and independent and of course I wanted a to have another baby as soon as possible.
then after my third birth my midwife diagnosed a rectocele and through a great stroke of luck I found this site and my redemption (that is to say no midwife found it in any of my well woman visits or pelvic exams before or during the third pregnancy-that makes me think that they either did not do very thorough exams or it was so insignificant they didn't notice it OR most women having babies have some laxity to the vaginal walls)-Then of course a few months later I developed a cystocele and my cervix dipped lower into my vagina.
anyway I was 26 when I found out about it and I am 29 now. I am pregnant with my fourth baby and my first prolapse baby (after waiting for my body to recover from the birth- 2 years or so - I would probably have been even better off if I had waited longer but I just couldn't - and amazingly my fertility returned a few months before I was really ready so the time was right) :)
before my pregnancy my prolapses were asymptomatic- the cystocele was gone totally and the rectocele was the size of a small piece of candy- I made many changes in my life to get to that place. First I changed the way I stood and sat- I changed my clothing choices- I changed the way I ate (I went totally vegan for about 9 months and I am still vegetarian)- and I added chiropractic, massage, firebreathing, nauli, and bikram yoga (with posture modifications of course).
Now that I am pregnant the front wall is softer and the rectocele is bigger- maybe olive sized? but I am still asymptomatic. I am very sure that 18 months postpartum will find me again with no visible bulges and all the pelvic organs in their proper places.

You can get there- let go of the MYTH of the 6 week post birth ideal and realize it takes up to 2 years to feel healed from birth. Some cultures already believe this- our culture believes everything should be instant and to be a great mom you have to be super mom- well it is not true-
Hand the laundry and dishes over to your partner and enjoy that baby-
spend time on your hands and knees and even better elbows and knees- try pulling air into your vagina and releasing it- your baby will probably laugh at the sound effects and will love having you on the floor- the two of you there together. Practice lifting the baby off the floor with great posture- your belly and butt way out- knees bent and baby very close to your body.
Feed the baby lying down
Let all your ligaments and tendons have time to bring your structure back together firmly and strengthen your muscles gently to help with the support.
Keep thinking and asking questions.

I really appreciated your post, too.

Marie

This forum has saved my sanity so many times. It has changed the way I live my life and how I see myself as a human. Wisdom from women like Flora and Louise and past posts from someone who only posted once have shaped who I am right now. I am forever indebted to Christine for starting this- for her knowledge and for sharing it with me. And I owe a great gratitude to all you women who continue to visit here. And the hardest part is I will never repay it because as I respond to a post about early postpartum pain or thrush I learn something- I revisit what it will be like to have a new baby and prolapse and I am reminded that this is a journey. I read stories of divorce, cancer, disability, and sick children and I gain perspective. I read about women just like me who started with prolapse young and I am given hope for the future.
So don't thank me- I selfishly visit here. I get more than I can ever give.