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Hi Kaismom
I see that nobody has yet responded, so here's a quickie from me. Firstly welcome to your first post. It must be pretty hard to enjoy being a Mum when this pain strikes you so often. I hope we can help you to sort it out.

Firstly, are the pains related to anything like time of day, nursing times, exercise, menstrual cycle? You mention that you are breastfeeding. That would keep menstruation in check, but there is still some hormonal activity happening, getting you ready for return to oestrus. When did the pain start?

I have had really deep hard spasms that felt like they were in my vagina, rather than the uterine spasms of menstruation. I have had them twice, a few days before a period. They did respond to mefanimic? acid (Ponstan), quite quickly in fact, which told me that it was something to do with my menstrual cycle. They were nasty enough to make it physically difficult for me to walk in to the pharmacy to buy the drug, like late first stage labour pain,, but with no let up between contractions. Very nasty. However, I am close to menopause so all sorts of crazy things happen.

The pain you describe could be related to your pudendal nerve, which passes from the sacrum through all the muscles and ligaments of the pelvis and separates into several different branches in the pelvic area. If the perineum is low, this nerve can become stretched and compressed on its way through and cause all sorts of pain in the pelvic area. It is mostly experienced by women who have had a hysterectomy, but organs are out of position when they are prolapsed so it is feasible that this could be the cause. However, I am not a doctor. www.tipna.org will teach you more about this nerve.

You say you have been using the posture. Have you adjusted your clothing style? How is your diet? What is your seating like? Just wondering if you are spending a lot of time in a nice comfy slouchy chair while feeding your baby?

I really think you would benefit from reading the second edition of Christine Kent's book. It will lead to a much better degree of understanding of how pelvic organs relate to the pelvis and the rest of the body.

I need to sleep now, but have a think about these things and call back again.

Cheers

Louise

Hi Kaismom

It sounds like the nature of the pain has changed, maybe from internal spasms to external. Is that right or have I misinterpreted your words? I am wondering about the relationship between the different types of pain and the timing of starting WW posture? When did you start WW posture?

Cheers

Louise

Hi Kais mom -- just wanted to say welcome -- I'm also a Homeschooling mom of 3. Just want to encourage you -- 6 mos. pp is still early. Maybe now is the time to focus on healing. It's hard when you HS -- I know -- I found my prolapse 7 mos pp with my 3rd. I felt guilty I could barely do anything. That's all changed -- you won't believe how things can change over time. Don't have a lot of time now, but what I want to say is focus on you and your healing, and try to enjoy your baby. It's hard when this can be so stressful. Marie

well there is certainly a range of normal when it comes to prolapse and prolapse symptoms- and I have heard of back pain, muscle pain, and even internal vaginal and rectal pain- but not to the degree you describe. It sounds like you have seen a doctor and they have not found anything seriously life threatening. So now you are stuck with what to do about it.
Time can help but I would try to be more proactive about it. Do you get enough magnesium? It is a smooth muscle relaxer and my help with some of the spasms. I clench my jaw at night but once I started getting enough magnesium it was over- I would wake up and my face didn't hurt. I would also add some anti-inflammatory foods to your diet-like pineapple, ginger, sweet potatoes, beets, guava, and as much omega 3s as you can stand. Vitamin C is good for tissue healing.
Also when you feel it come on you could fill the bath tub with Epsom's salt and hot water and have a soak and I would make a herbal soak and do herbal sitz baths everyday as well.
Lastly I would go see a chiropractor. You could be misaligned and pinching a nerve- and of course acupuncture and massage can help.
Also when it comes on you could get on your hands and knees or get into the downward dog position.
I would apply deep pressure to the rectum as soon as it starts there too and see if that helps.

Hi,
I am not by any means an expert, but I have been experiencing rectal pain/spasms since January. This is what I have found it about my situation.

I have diverticular disease (large intestine disorder caused by straining )and had an attack in October 2007. I was put on very powerful antibiotics Cipro and Flagyl. I have since discovered that Cipro can cause tendons to rupture even months later after you have stopped taking it. (Now I am also wondering if Cipro can "relax" pelvic ligaments??? I am still researching..)

Anyway, in January I started to experience rectal pain/spasms. I started to journal when I would have them and I was terrified that I was experiencing another infection. I went to my primary doctor and she could not find anything and told me that it could be other pelvic issues. So I visited my gynecologist and she told me that I have prolapses and that is when I found this site.
So I continued to document and found that they would last 10 minutes to an hour. I went back to my primary physcican and she diagnosed it as most likely "proctalia fugax" which means unexplained "pain in the ass". However she wanted me to undergo a colonoscopy and make sure that it was nothing else. I finally had that done in October and they could not find anything. So I am just living with it and continuing to document in case the symptoms or frequency changes. I have found that it happens once a month and close to my menstrual cycle... however I am going through menopause as well.

SO I am left with an unexplained pain. My Doctor did tell me that muscle relaxants might help, but by the time they would get into my system the pain would be gone. SO all I am doing is lying down until it passes. (So far it has not happened to me at work.. I am a first grade teacher and I can't imagine how I would explain being in that much pain to "my kids". I really feel for you, because it is a horrible pain and I haven't found anything that helps other than knowing that the pain does stop. (My theory is that my uterus gets heavier and drops around my cycle and touches a nerve or my sigmoid colon...don't know ..but neither does my doctor.)

In addition I did have lower back pain and THAT has pretty much gone away thanks to posture work. I have been doing the posture work since January and I can tell you that it makes a huge difference. THis is a great site to find out info and I am sure someone else will be able to help you out.
~Mary Kay

Hi Kaismom

Alemama's reply is full of good info. I am still having a lot of body pain related to muscle spasm. Thanks Alemama. I'll be taking some of that advice on.

Kaismom, when you say that distraction and humour help you to cope with it, you may be onto something there. *Worrying* about the pain, and worrying about what is happening in your pelvic area, could be making it worse.

Muscle spasm is my worst enemy. I have been to the doctor and a specialist numerous times. I know that there is nothing causing it that is going to kill me. Pain relief and anti-inflammatories work, but I am not interested in taking them for the longer term because of the side effects. I find that just getting on with life and working away at the things that could be causing it, like stress, bad ways of using my body, diet etc are much more productive. Working my body physically also seems to help, rather than making it worse. Yes, I get the aches and pains the next couple of days, but lots of movement keeps everything moving, and I certainly don't end up feeling any worse at the end of it.

Cheers

Louise

Sorry my last post was rushed. I was attempting to convey that it's ok to focus on YOU right now and your healing, even if it seems other things are taking a back seat for awhile (like homeschooling). I also think your particular symptoms require special attention, and I'm glad some others who have experienced something similar have chimed in. There's wisdom here in this group, and within you about what steps to take next. In a strange way, it's about action and acceptance, doing all that you can and letting go.

Marie

it's about action and acceptance, doing all that you can and letting go.
You are exactly right Marie- I seem to have figured out how to do this with my prolapse but I need to apply this same principle in other places in my life.

Melissa,

Usually my spasms happen when I am at home. However, one time it happened when I was clothes shopping. I just went into a dressing room and sat down for about 15 minutes until the pain lessened. (Luckily no one checked on me! lol!)
My biggest fear is that it will happen when I am at work. I can't just walk away from a classroom of 26 kids and lie down. Hmmm...I guess I should start thinking of a plan....

I don't really know if it is my uterus touching a nerve, but it definitely seems to be happening just prior to my cycle and the pain does generate in my rectal area as I have tried to massage spots within my vagina to see if that helps (kinda like massageing a "charley horse") but it didn't relieve the pain.

In general I am trying to relieve my prolapses with all the great ideas that I have found here and of course the whole woman posture. I am thinking that eventually something will also benefit the spasms.
I can tell you that I feel so much better today (physically and emotionally) than I did back in January. I feel that I have healed so much since then. I am making sure that I have 20-25 grams a fiber a day, drinking 8-12 glasses of water, keeping the whole woman posture, use Christine's balms on a daily basis, trying to do Nauli and fire-breathing exercies daily, eating Activia yogurt, using the tampon ideas as a pessary when I need to, and now I am trying the Vit C idea to help generate tissue. These women on this forum have much wisdom and have provided many great suggestions. So hang in there!
~Mary Kay