6 Month Pregnant

Body: 

Hi Everyone,

Its good to read through all of the posts here! I am 6 months pregnant with a prolapse. My midwife is not too concerned about birthing. We are planning a home birth, tub, good positions etc. This will be my second baby. My prolapse did not come till 4 years after my first, so it is still a mystery as to how this happened. However, I am trying to live out of the mystery and back into my body in the here and NOW.

I have not been as active during this pregnancy, which probably seems counter intuitive given the prolapse. However, I worry about doing too much this time around. I have recently started experiencing some pressure down in my pelvis that is a little achy but I am guessing this is normal. Any thoughts about this?

I do mostly stay in Whole Woman posture. I think during pregnancy it is actually a more natural posture than anything else. We are practically forced to be like this anyways!

Does anyone have thoughts about the actual delivery and if the midwife will have to do any special precautions for the prolapse?

Thanks for sharing, yogimae

Hi yogimae. It sounds like you are doing a good job of caring for yourself during this pregnancy. There are lots of moms here who have birthed with prolapse and I don't think there's anything special you need to worry about, but hopefully you will get some other responses, and meanwhile you can use the search box and/or scroll through the Pregnancy and Prolapse category.

I have often wished I knew about WW posture during my own pregnancies many years ago; it seems, as you say, that is the natural posture of a pregnant woman. The dynamics are the same. What a great time in life to get your body on the right track. Remember that your prolapse will change during the remaining months of your pregnancy, and for quite awhile after birthing, so keep taking the best care of yourself that you can. Best of luck! - Surviving

Hi Yogimae,
I am also 6 month pregnant with my 2nd baby. Prolapse happened last year. I've been SUPER active all my life, including my 1st pregnancy. I was still diving, sailing & surfing while 5 month pregnant. However now, due to the heavy pressure down there, I am not even able to walk, even quiet short distances. The only thing that makes my body very happy is being on my fours (cat pose) and swimming, so I do both as much as possible. Being an active person by nature, my current state makes me upset and crazy and I just wonder, what lies ahead - post partum. The only thing, that gets me going is looking at my wonderful daughter and thinking it's all worth it.
I personally think it's best to listen to your body and exercise the way body feels happy. This time I've also gained more weight, but I am not worried about that.
As regards giving birth, mine will be at the hospital, because I had a fibroid removed last year and midwives turned me down due to the possible complications. However, I still intend to have a natural, drug free birth, possibly on my fours. I also plan to take a birthing ball with me to the hospital, I've read a lot of good things about it. I'd be happy to hear how things are going for you.

I am almost six months pregnant with my second as well. I had my first unassisted (planned) and will be doing the same this time (but this time I will have a birth pool :). I visited a midwife to set up a postpartum checkup and to talk about prolapse. I have a very minor prolapse; there is a bulge but nothing protruding from my vagina. I don't suffer incontinence, but I do have trouble emptying my bladder and bowels. I also have been experiencing soreness in my pelvis around the vaginal opening that started about 3 months pregnant. The midwife didn't seem very concerned and said that childbirth probably would not affect it much, and that it would correct itself over time with proper posture.

Hi Freebirth and welcome. We have some super-duper birthing moms on here who have done it all with prolapse and are still at it! Good luck to you. I'd be very surprised if the posture your midwife is referring to, is Whole Woman posture. If you are pregnant, then it's the perfect time to start working on it, because basically your body is already in that posture, with the organs held toward the front. The trick is to keep them that way, and WW posture work will help. You'll also need this awareness after the birth when you are tempted to do too much, and compromise your healing. Read read read..... Surviving

Happymama, your post gives me an answer about hands and knees. Thanks. Remember that you did not have prolapse when you became pregnant the first time, but this time your body had already been stretched by the first pregnancy and birth.

That is probably why your body feels and is behaving differently this time around, and why you and Yogimae are having a little doubt about whether your bodies will revert without a worse prolapse this time around. Alemama is our resident expert on reversion and lack of worsening after pregnancy is concerned.

She know what she talkin' 'bout!

I know this is some what off in the future since the birth of my second child isnt till October. However, I am thinking of having my tubes tied after this birth. However, I am usually very anti surgery, western medicine fixes, etc. With my prolapse and my feeling of being complete with family I do not want to have more children. I have never taken birth control, and hated the IUD. Does anyone have an opinion about tubal ligation and whether it is safe with a prolapse? Can it help or hurt? When is it safe to have it after the birth of my second?

Hi yogi, check out this thread:

http://www.wholewoman.com/forum/node/4021

Thanks for the link chickaboom. That thread talks about there being no ideal form of birth control. I agree!
I was wondering if anyone's partner has had a vasectomy? We are at the stage of considering it, but I feel a bit squeamish about it on behalf of my partner. Can anyone offer any experiences, good or bad?

Hi Curiosity, Just wanted tell you that after three children and a miscarriage my husband decided that he wanted a vasectomy. He did not have any trouble at all - he said it was not bad at all. Best of luck to your partner. I think he will be fine. At least that was my husband's experience and he is glad that he did it. No regrets at all. Hope this helps.

Hugs to you, Jaylove

http://tubal.org/symptoms_of_pts.htm

but we're in the same boat, wondering what will be the best solution.

But we are probably also supposed to breastfeed them for two years or more with a late return to oestrus, and 80% of them 'should' probably not make it to adulthood. It is hard to trick a body into not having babies without changing it in ways that are not good for it.

If you allow your baby to nurse whenever s/he wants to, or you want to, including night time, you are unlikely to return to oestrus in the first six months or so (?). That will give you plenty of time to decide after the baby is born. You don't have to have it done at the same time as birthing. I would see that as an unnecessary interruption to your postpartum recovery, and your ovaries could be anywhere! It would be a bit like taking the Maccas upgrade just because it was offered, and not because you are really hungry. Just let it all settle down after the birth. You might not feel like sex for a few weeks or months anyway. And there are always condoms for a while until you decide.

DH had a vasectomy, but waited too long, because it wasn't urgent. I fell pregnant again at age 40, when our youngest was five, which was a bit hard to deal with for about two days, but was OK. I miscarried at 10 weeks in a very messy and scary way. It didn't take DH too long to get himself along to the doctors for his vasectomy after that! He had it done in the doctor's surgery, and got an infection, but antibiotics fixed it, and he was good as gold after that. It was nice to know that we were at last 'babysafe'.

Louise

Hi yogimae,
Couple of thoughts: I guess it's understandable if you're more tired during this pregnancy with another child to look after as well. And your whole experience is bound to be different with subsequent children and also every pregnancy and birth, like people, is different.

WW posture and principles are applicable throught a woman's life, including pregnancy and birth, so following the WW way is a great support.

Re tubal ligation, my personal thought are I wouldn't advise it. It's a surgery that may have negative consequences. Maybe take a look it up on the internet - that kindof put me off! From the WW work we know that prolapse may be the culmination of a life-time of adverse factors, including various surgical interventions. I personally would avoid that. It's a far more serious surgery for women than for men.
Also - I think you're body will have enough to deal with with birth and post partum recovery as it is.

Hope you can enjoy the good bits about pregnancy, as well as cope with all the other stuff - that special bump isn't there for long! Hope you have time for as much pampering as you and anyone near you can tolerate too!

Wishing you all the best, xwholewomanuk

Thanks Jaylove and Louise for your reassurances.

I just saw this: http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/compound-may-lead-to-first-pill-for-men/ so maybe there is a pill for men on the way.

In the mean time, what does everyone else use, and are they happy?

Well, all I can say is that there is one thing about menopause that make up for all the hot flashes and sleep disturbances!

I think my fertility may be returning (grumpy, crampy uterus) and I wish I could just go ahead and hit menopause. I'll take sleep disturbances and hot flashes any old day to just have my body be mine- and not some device or pill to make it so.

Careful what you wish for, Alemama! And may your menopause, when you get there, be limited to sleep disturbances and hot flashes. I have a feeling you will enjoy yours. You'll say, I've been waiting for this, and now it's here, and it's finally "me time" !! - Surviving

Be caaaaaareful. My fertility returned and I was charting meticulously and avoiding during fertile times and here I am in early pg now. I had a freakishly early O. But even so, I can't help but think being pg, bfeeding, mothering a brood of snotty nosed cuties, not having any second to myself, is a better alternative to having crazy artificial hormones, or some copper device in my body. But after four, five kids- then what? Let us know if you find the answer.

I can't remember if you posted of your pg before. Anyway congrats and keep in touch! Always lots of pg or pp newbies on here looking for real-time support and suggestions! Good luck, hope you feel great. - S60

Has anyone checked out very heavy periods with tubal ligation? Perhaps there is someone in the forum who has had their tubes tied and could speak to this. Whenever there is a medical procedure we have to sign an "informed decision consent" but I imagine there are many who sign the consent and are not really informed.

congratulations!
That is so exciting!!!
I have no idea what the answer is- and 5 kids seems great. I think my real problem was starting too soon and spacing too close. If I had started in my 30s and spaced them every three years, maybe I would have been lucky enough not to have to think on it too much.
Oh well. I'm gonna be careful and none of that charting and avoiding- I'm just going to be careful every time ;)

I am 41 years old and am 6 weeks pregnant with my second child. I developed my prolapse 3 mos. after my first baby was born. I am looking for hopefully a little reassurance. I am so thrilled to be pregnant, but very nervous about a pregnancy with prolapse. I have read some of the posts by other pregnant woman and truthfully some of them frighten me. I am very nervous at the thought of my uterus not ascending properly into my body and having a horribly painful and difficult pregnancy. I practice the posture and try to take good care of myself in general. If any others have any other insight or helpful comments I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for "listening".

Hi Karono

Congratulations on being pregnant. Early pregnancy can be such a worrying time, in amongst the joy. I would just continue as you have been, keep your posture tall and graceful, watch your diet and how you use your body during daily tasks. Hope you are free of morning sickness. Just the thought of it makes me feel queezy! I suggest that as your pregnancy progresses, give yourself some time on hands and knees with relaxed belly, or hands and elbows, every day, to allow your organs to move forward into your belly and away from your vagina.

Try not to worry. It accomplishes nothing. Just stay fit and healthy and enjoy it.

Louise