Newbie 15weeks pregnant diagnosed with uterine prolapse

That is a new one on me. I never thought it would happen in that condition, so I will defer to Christine. I had what the docs called 'incompetent cervix' with both my babies and had to have my cervix sewed shut. With one of them I was in bed 7 months. Sometimes now I wonder if all my muscles 'down there' are not weak. Anyway, best of luck!

Hi Tlal23

Fear not. POP is not the end of the world with pregnancy (or anything else). I am sure all the Mums who are still the right age to have babies will come and soothe your fears, as they have recently given birth with POP.

Some quick answers.

1 You will find your body is different every time you see a doctor so it is OK that they gave different diagnoses. I get a different diagnosis every time a doctor comments on it. They do that. Don't worry.

2 Prem babies? Never heard that one before, but there might be some evidence for it. If you ask the gyno tomorrow and s/he says it is true, ask him to produce a scientific paper that will prove it, even if it will take a few weeks for him to find one. We would love to know if this is yet another ungrounded fear that we can debunk, or if there is some truth in it. I betcha it is another wives' tale!

3 There is literally no TMI here. It is the one place you can put anything up for discussion, as long as it is in the interests of learning more about the body.

4 Pelvic floor work is probably helpful, just to keep the PF operating, so you have some muscle tone at the end of your pregnancy, but don't go overboard with it. Pelvic floor exercises may help mild POP symptoms but there is no evidence that they will prevent further POP. Adjusting your posture and allowing your body to support your pelvic organs will help with symptoms, but being pregnant it is a bit different. The Mommas will help you with this. I have not been pregnant since 1987, way before WW came along!

5 Generally no need for a c-section. They have their own problems and can cause more problems because the supportive fascia has to be cut during the c-sections. Vaginas are designed to bring babies into the world, so you might decide to go with the tried and tested way.

6 Spotting. I think it might be to do with the doctor. Vaginal exams often seem to produce a little spotting. I would let the doctor know you are spotting and see what s/he says. See if it goes away in the next couple of days. I am sure that you and DH will be able to try gently, if *you* feel like it. Plenty of lube and plenty of foreplay and plenty of time (and reassurance for DH).

7 Christine's book. Oh yes, it saved me from a hysterectomy a few years back. It is the bible of getting to know how your pelvic region operates. There is nowhere else you will find all this stuff in one cover.

Congratulations on your second pregnancy. I am sure you will be fine.

Louise

dear newbie, we are the makers of Sea Pearls sea sponge tampons. many women have been successfully using our natural sponges for Prolapse. They are soft, comfortable and provide gentle support. They may even be used during intercourse. Please visit our website at www.jadeandpearl.com to read more about Sea Pearls - they are amazing! We do ship to Australia - no problem. Peace, gloria at Jade & Pearl

Hi tial23,
Yes, it is slightly amusing how the official diagnosis varies from doc to doc...good thing you stay the same person, because you are the expert on your own POP;) (I didn't mean to rhyme)

Long and closed cervix is great at 15 wks, obviously, though I am not sure about the 'long cervix' statement. Makes me think of pinnochio. Not one cervix is identical to another, and most are simply variations of the same theme...some long, some not, etc.

Re pushing cervix out while pushing....this is certainly NOT the norm in physiological birth, and it is disturbing to me if it is commonplace in medicalised births according to the statement, "most people do and they just push it back".

What part of Aus are you in, if I may ask?

Hi,
I just wanted to say hi because I'm 17 weeks pregnant with my second and I live in Geelong. So we 're pretty close in more ways than one! I have 2 POPs and my Dr also said I'll have surgery when I finished having kids, and another said I won't, so don't freak out- there's other options and different opinions.

As for the birth, search through the forums here, there's plenty of advice about position, pushing etc from women who have been in our shoes, which most doctors haven't, so i know who I believe!

Anyway, good luck and you're not alone
Emma

Hi tial,
Hope your cervix is not offended at my pinnochio reference ;)
I would really recommend checking out all your options for birthing NOW. It is never too early to start. It sounds like even your doc agrees tot he fact that physiological birth is probably the best option for you, so please consider what you can do to encourage that to happen. Where are you planning to birth? What sort of support do you have (private midwife, doula, public system, private ob etc). There is an incredible natural birth community in Melbs, both for hospital and homebirth. Please let me know if you want some contact info!
And Geelong....wow, small world!

Aza, are you in Geelong too? If you are, small world indeed! Maybe we could set up WW centre for the two of us!

Tlal, I had the same problem. When I pushed out my baby, my midwife said to go slow and easy so my whole uterus wouldn't come out. She saw the edge of my cervix when I was pushing and had me lay on my left side instead of being upright kind of half squatting which is what I was attempting. And we waited on the placenta to do its own thing, rather than hurrying it up with any sort of drug. Well, I can't say we waited without doing anything. She did give me an herbal tincture to help it come on out because I never expel the placentas. They just stay there and I never have anymore contractions. They've always had to do something (natural) to get them to come out. What I mean is she didn't force it to come too fast before it was ready to unlatch itself.

My cervix stayed hanging nearly out of my body for a good long time after the birth. Thanks to these exercises, my cervix has moved back up.

Just read your post on sea sponges, how do they keep the prolapse in, I had to give up using tampons as they just won't stay in, will the sponges?
Mary

One place to get sea sponges is at www.jadeandpearl.com. This website is very supportive of natural answers to many feminine products. I believe any internal support of the vaginal walls helps relieve the pulling sensation you feel late in the day when you have been on your feet. I am a Special Education Teacher, and until I improved my muscle tone through Christine's exercise DVD every morning, I needed this support. You can use the search box at the top of this page to research sea sponges. I have some in my cabinet just in case I feel I need a pessary again. I did use tampons for several weeks early in my prolapse recovery. However, after I inserted the lubricated tampon I used the applicator to position it sideways. That may work for you, too. I think the sea sponges do the same job, there is just a little more effort to clean them.
Melly

it's important. Take a look at some developmental photos- somewhere around 20-22 weeks your uterus should pop forward and rise up out of your vagina. you will feel amazing.
and ya- go for the dvd :)

How are you doing now, a few weeks since that last post? One other thing, in addition to what alemama said, is that as your pregnancy progresses your cervix will soften and shorten, so that is one other reason why you will be seeing its disappearance if you have not already!