new and hoping it gets better- Prolapse

Hello Dear Tkomodo and Congratulations on the birth of your baby. You are in the right place here. Read all that you can within this site. There is so much information. I am only here for a short time so I cannot address your questions with experience, but I can tell you that in less that 6 weeks, I am better and stronger and more hopeful. Once you are comfortable in the WW posture, Christine says that yes you can jog and run. I have been walking three miles each morning and I did a very short jog during part of it today...being very mindful of posture. I feel great. First try to understand this posture and bring it into your life as best you can. You have only just had a baby so if you can be patient it will help. You will hear from others on this site but I wanted to say hello and to tell you that yes, there is much hope. All best wishes to you !

Hi Tkmodo, welcome and congrats on your new little one! As Nightingale says, there are quite a few resources for information on this site, and I hope you have had some time to check some of them out.

Much of what you read here will be quite different from the traditional PT kegel-based model of treatment. Christine Kent has figured out some basic truths about female anatomy, and the true sources of pelvic organ support, that are still meeting resistance by the medical profession. Those of us here, feel like the lucky ones, but every woman has to find her own way in the prolapse journey.

The basis of all this is to restore natural female posture, what we were all born with and used to have (until we were "taught" to suck in our bellies and tuck our tailbones under). This work restores the lumbar curvature and allows the organs to rest forward in the hollow of the relaxed, rounded lower belly, where they are pinned in place by intra-abdominal pressure instead of letting the forces of gravity pull everything south.

Please read some articles and posts, watch some video, and give it some consideration. Since discovering prolapse myself (and doing this work for 2 years now), I see a lot of things through different eyes. I find myself wondering what the prolapse rate is for women lifters and body builders. Eventually it is probably something close to 100%. Yes, you can run again, and do pretty much anything you want to do, if you learn how to protect your organs. Hope to see you back here with updates and questions! - Surviving

Whoa back there, lady Tkomodo.

It is going to take about 2 years for your body to revert on the inside after pregnancy, so your are in the very early stages, when it can still worsen, for no apparent reason. At between three and six months it should start to really improve. It sounds like you are a bit impatient for improvement. It took nine months for your body to grow to term. It is going to take about the same time to go back. Sadly, there is nothing to make it go back faster. Now you have had a pregnancy and a birth, your body will never be virginal again. That's just life. BUT you have a lovely baby for your troubles!

If I understand you correctly, your doctor has told you that your prolapses will improve when your baby weans at about 12 months postpartum. Well, that fits with what i have mentioned above. However, weaning does not seem to have any effect on prolapse or prolapse symptoms. The Breastfeeding Association of Australia has told me that there is no clinical evidence to that effect. When your baby starts sleeping for longer, and having other foods your oestrogen levels will start to rise again in preparation for return to oestrus. For the same reason your vagina will become moister again. Breastfeeding has a similar effect on the vagina as menopause.

Likewise, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles will help with some bladder continence issues, but it won't fix anything but the mildest of prolapses.

Your posture is what will effect improvements in your prolapses. Use your body to move your uterus and bladder forwards, so they are resting on your front abdominal wall and pubic bones, rather than sagging back on top of your vagina.

Relaxing your belly, and not tucking your butt will accomplish this. Lifting your chest by straightening up your upper back a bit will lift the upper part of your abs and make them tighter anyway, so they will be much firmer than if you suck them in, or just let them hang.

Likewise Estrace (if that is what you meant) will make your vagina feel and be moister, but it won't help the prolapses recover. The oestrogen in Estrace will get into your system. I wouldn't like to be using it if I was breastfeeding. See http://www.wcrx.com/pdfs/pi/pi_ppi_estrace_cream.pdf .

If you want some better lubrication than you currently are producing for your vagina I would suggest a personal lubricant, or a vaginal moisturiser like Replens, which will not have the health risks associated with taking extra oestrogen into your body.

Are you taking oral contraceptives? That has oestrogen as well. A non-hormonal cream will probably work well enough for allowing your vaginal surfaces not to 'catch' on each other, which may reduce your current symptoms to a point where they are acceptable for now. Add Whole Woman posture to that mix and you may be surprised how much improvement you will get. In a few months your symptoms will improve anyway, so make a good start now, by doing some things for yourself.

Louise

My only son is now 17 months and I developed a bladder prolapse after he was born. I breastfeed for 14.5 months and there was no additional improvement in my prolapse after I weaned. I can't answer about running. I only 'run' when playing with kids or in mortal danger. But I am physically active. I do hike on occasion and have even wore my 25 pounder while hiking with no problem. That is something I wouldn't have thought possible even a year ago. It has taken awhile for my body to heal from birth and for these WW techniques to be incorporated and make a difference so dont push yourself too much too fast.

you made me laugh! I only run when in mortal danger...I love it.
Tkomodo, things really really really will get better. Sounds like you have a super mild case and you are here now, so you will learn what to do to keep it super mild and even improve.
You might find that running helps things, even distance running. 3 months pp seems to be the absolute worst time for postpartum prolapse. hang in there, it really does get better.