The latest.................

Submitted by UKmummy on February 23, 2006 - 2:27pm
Body: 

Well girls,
I have just come from my post natal appointment with a different midwife from my usual one. (I had only previously seen the nurse practitioner since I got the prolapse that first week). This midwife, though not terribly "touchy feely" if you know what I mean, was very down to earth and reassuring. She said she sees 8- 10 immediate post partum prolapses a year and that it does in her experience always improve. She gave me a pretty thorough pelvic exam and stated that my uterus is "High", my cervix moves down approximately 1 cm when I bear down, and that my pelvic floor is "very strong". She also said the front wall of the vagina was strong and did not detect that the bladder had slipped at all. She commented that the area I had assumed was a rectocele is in fact the usual stretching which occurs after a delivery and will improve over time. (I am not so sure being a typical worrier but hope she is right). She referred me for PT also and (sorry Christine :)) said to do kegels as I have been doing to maintain and improve the tone down there. She seemed quite surprised that I was so upset about all this and said "well you didn't expect things to be normal after having children did you?" Anyway, I am cautiously optimistic. I had thought things were better because my uterus had not re- prolapsed since the initial episode so............ I still have an appointment with a Gyn next week and will be interested to hear her opinion. I am realising from this board that there can be a multitude of opinions on these things. I will continue with the posture and bettering my health generally. Hope this provides more information for post partum women out there seeking answers although we are all different of course.
Michelle.

Christine

February 23, 2006 - 5:11pm

You are a very lucky girl...I hope you will always remember the importance of preventing and treating prolapse naturally. :-) :-) :-)

mermaidsd

February 23, 2006 - 7:57pm

Great news, Michelle!! I am so optimistic for you, please keep us updated on what happens with your appointment with the GYN. One of my urogyns also was very supportive and optimistic for us newly postpartum mommies, that things could very much improve in the year following the births of our babies. I can only imagine that implementing the posture and taking really good care of ourselves during this very healing and transformative time can and will effect positive outcomes for us!!

UKmummy

February 23, 2006 - 8:15pm

Thank you!
Whatever the outcome from the appointment next week and the PT I feel so much stronger and more positive every day. I will ALWAYS remember the importance of this whole experience and live accordingly!!!! It has been very painful for me as you will have gathered, (and as so many understand), but it is also I believe a huge opportunity to literally change the way in which I have been living. I was not appreciating my life fully and looking after myself as well as I know I should have been and that is all changing. So fingers crossed, like I said I am cautiously optimistic but will continue to take it a day at a time! Michelle, hope you are continuing to heal well! xx

mommi2three

February 23, 2006 - 8:25pm

So delighted there is much hope and progress for you. Be blessed for all that you have and live life to the fullest. There is nothing like just feeling like your old self again. Be empowered by all the information that you have gathered to stay healthy. Much happiness for you.

UKmummy

March 5, 2006 - 7:18pm

Well, what a roller coaster it has been the past week or so! My little one was hospitalised with RSV which REALLY put some things into perspective for me, she is doing fine now thank god. I also saw the Gyn and the PT and that is where the story continues..............
The Gyn was very reassuring like my midwife saying the changes are "what you would expect after having two big babies". After more questioning she did state that I have a "small" rectocele and cystocele, (I had kind of been suspecting this but was in total denial), but that it would improve a great deal the next few months especially after I stop breast feeding. (How many times have we heard THAT one!) She said I could start running again and basically go back to normal and she gently suggested that I should stop thinking about it and dwelling on it too much! (I only wish!) I left feeling unnerved and down about the cystocele. (I guess now I understand what they are!) The PT I saw was so lovely, she said I have a stage 2 cystocele and rectocele and that she can help me as my vaginal tone is good. She seemed to think it wasn't too bad but definitely needed addressing. So, as with so many of us, what to believe? The PT advised against running but said walking would be OK, she also suggested, which seems like a good idea, that women who have these problems but still love to exercise can wear a pessery for the activity to support the tissues. I have not heard that before but it makes sense to me. I am SO down again, I feel as though my hopes had been raised and dashed although I also suspected that more was going on than my midwife was telling me. It is interesting how different healthcare disciplines seem to approach this in different ways. I guess for OB's and midwives they do see many women with changes after childbirth which might make them think it is no big deal and PT's tend to see the women who are having problems so they think it IS a big deal. I am back to dealing with a new me again............AAAAGH!!!!!
Anyway, just wanted to update you all. I am still hopeful things will improve and I will of course continue with all the work and lifestyle changes and see what the PT brings.
Michelle.

mommi2three

March 5, 2006 - 8:05pm

I know just how u feel! I have just traveled down that road or still am riding the roller coaster.

I don't really think the gyns think much about managing pain or activities of daily living. It would help if they were a little more educated about prolapse management. Seems like all they do is just provide surgical options and defer all nonsurgical interventions to pt. I think gyns need to be more proactive and educated. They are giving different advice than pts about exercising.

If you are feeling heaviness I just don't think running is the practical thing to do. Did you seek a consult from a urogyn? Will u be starting pt soon?

On the upside, your diagnosis isn't too severe so if you continue the posture and pt you can stabilize your condition.

Well, many hugs to you. I just want to let you know that someone is holding your hand thru all this.

Christine

March 5, 2006 - 8:11pm

Hi Michelle,

So glad your baby is fine. I think you're going to be fine as well. Just keep your mind open as you take in information from all sides.

Please understand that I never discount the necessity of strong pelvic floor muscles. It's just that we are exercising them all the time when we're in these postures. I'm holding mine "closed" every time I'm on my feet - that's a lot of kegels!

:-) Christine

UKmummy

March 5, 2006 - 9:41pm

Thank you Mommi2three and dear Christine!
I have to say that I still don't have that heaviness which is commonly described here or really any other symptoms so that is a blessing but since I heard about the cystocele I feel like I need to pee ALL the time and feel so OVER tuned in to every little ache and pain. I am sure it is totally psychological though as I wasn't feeling that way before. Amazing what the mind can do isn't it? I am still hoping over all else that this will improve somewhat as my post partum recovery continues as I have read in several places and been told by several people that it often does. I know that it will not go away completely and I am OK with that but I pray for some improvement as indeed we all do. Gosh, sometimes I wish there was a person to person support group for all this though I am so grateful for you all! Of course, I would have gladly traded my entire reproductive system to have my baby well again so we are blessed for that...........

UKmummy

March 5, 2006 - 9:46pm

Me again.................to answer your questions properly Mommy2three, no I am not going to get a uro/gyn opinion at this point, it seems a waste of time to hear yet another differing view! I start PT on Tuesday and I am sure it will be largely based on the old pelvic floor tone thing but I will do anything I have to do of course. Interestingly the PT did say that usually when one coughs the pelvic floor naturally contracts and mine does not. She says she sees this a lot and can "retrain" the lazy muscles so we'll see..............will keep you posted! :)

mermaidsd

March 5, 2006 - 9:47pm

Michelle...

Hope your little one is on the mend!

You may have gotten a lot of information this week, and sometimes it's so hard to digest it all, especially considering you receive somewhat conflicting reports of what is going on with your body.

I am very curious about the different levels of activity that are recommended with the level of prolapse that you have. Are you considering using the sea pearls as a pessary especially during exercise? I am so intrigued by the concept of using these natural, soft objects as a space-occupying mass to hold the organs in place vs. a hard pessary.

I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you and going through this with you as well...and that I'm very optimistic for you for the long term. Hugs to you.

Peace.
Michele

UKmummy

March 5, 2006 - 10:00pm

Thank you Michele.................it helps to know you are there! Yes, I will probably try the sponges for exercise eventually though I have made a decision to not run for at least a year. I want to give my body every chance to heal during this very important post partum year. I will be walking though, at least EVERYONE seems to agree that walking is beneficial and will not be harmful. I am very leary to try the actual pesseries in case they cause more problems and I really don't need any support for symptoms generally right now which is a blessing. The PT made me laugh, she said she knows a great nurse practitioner who specialises in pessery fitting, that is all she does and gets GREAT results! I winced at the thought that I might need one and after she examined me I asked "is it bad?" She said "if it was bad I'd be sending you straight to the pessery lady and I'm not going to need to do that!" I got a good giggle out of that which I needed!
Thank you again for your thoughts...............

mommi2three

March 5, 2006 - 10:00pm

Yes, you have had alot to deal with this wk especially being PP too. I think when our children are sick and need us the most it is just instinctive to give everything that we have to make them better. Get some well deserved rest. Tomorrow is another day. YEAH! You do feel mostly symptom free. Celebrate that and the good health of your baby. We feel happy for you knowing that all is well.

mommi2three

March 5, 2006 - 10:04pm

Yes, you have had alot to deal with this wk especially being PP too. I think when our children are sick and need us the most it is just instinctive to give everything that we have to make them better. Get some well deserved rest. Tomorrow is another day. YEAH! You do feel mostly symptom free. Celebrate that and the good health of your baby. We feel happy for you knowing that all is well.