Newcomer, 9 months postpartum, sorry so long

Submitted by Cali_lil14 on June 5, 2013 - 5:08pm
Body: 

Hello I am new here and have been reading and searching posts for the past few days. I am 24 years old and 9 months postpartum with my first baby. I had no complications during pregnancy except for the 60 pound weight gain, I am 5 foot so it was a lot! My labor was very long - 22 hours total, 5 of them I was actively pushing, and my daughter was only 7 pounds. I had the worst constipation after delivery, I was unable to go for 5 days. I was lucky enough to not have any tears or need stitches but I wasn't able to exercise or have sex for about 12 weeks after from being so sore.

Once I was able to get enough nerve to get a mirror and check everything out it all looked fine but when I looked inside I could see this fatty, spongy bump right on the top inside of the opening. I thought it wasn't healed all the way and let it go.

I have had some incontinence when I work out (it's gotten so much better), feeling like I wasn't able to empty my bladder completely, sometimes when I sit I feel an uncomfortable feeling like there is a tampon in wrong even when there isn't one in at all, and tampons don't fit as well. Sex isn't always painful but sometimes I feel way more sensitive than normal and then other times I don't feel the same amount of pleasure as I used to. I just don't feel like its the same, my husband says it doesn't feel or look any different. Sex has been different since having the baby but within the past couple weeks it's gotten worse. Sometimes I feel like it's so dry and I don't know if it's mental or actually something wrong. I have been taking ADHD medicine - dextroamphetamine - for years and recently started again a few months ago. I recently read that could cause dryness, so I'm hoping it will help if I stop taking it.

Everything I read would say "kegels, kegels, kegels" but after doing that I noticed the incontinence would get worse. A couple weeks ago I looked again and the bump is still there, it isn't coming out or anything but it is still right there at the opening and there is also a little flap looking thing on the bottom of the opening. So I researched more and found this website. I haven't seen a doctor for this but at a few different checkups they said everything was fine. I have done the self check and I do feel the beginning and end of the bump like it said the cystocele feels. Even though I haven't seen a doctor I'm pretty sure I have some sort of prolapse.

I know that it takes a while for my body to recovery from pregnancy and delivery but I guess I'm wondering if this could go away with time and posture? I'm so afraid that it will get worse and there is no stopping it, I keep picturing it being 100 times worse in a year. I'm scared that it will impact my sex life and now my husband is afraid to hurt me (I told him he's not). I'm hoping sex will get better with time too but I always thought 9 months was basically the right amount of time for everything to be normal again. And now I have this scared feeling about having more babies! I know that so many people still have children even after having this, but it's this mental fear now.

I'm worried I am not keeping the proper posture. I keep feeling like I am over exaggerating my lumbar curve, like I am pushing my butt out. When I sit I am able to keep the WW posture in my shoulders and back but it feels weird on my lower back. When I sit the way I THINK I'm supposed to it feels like most of the pressure is on my vagina. I can tell when I have bad posture, it feels like most of the pressure is on my tailbone. So am I over exaggerating my lumbar curve if I feel like I'm sitting more on my vagina than my butt? I hope this is making sense. Since I have a 9 month old daughter I am on the floor sitting with her most of the time so I'm trying very hard to keep a good posture. I'm so nervous and feeling depressed about this. I guess I never thought this happens to 24 year olds. I will be ordering the DVDs later this week so I know that will give me more knowledge too.

Also, I was wondering if riding my bike is ok with this? I read squats are ok too.

Thanks in advance. Sorry this was so long

Forum:

fab

June 5, 2013 - 8:27pm

First thing after posture is to make sure you empty your bowel completely at least once a day. You can do that by getting down on all fours in the shower stall, or each time you use the toilet wait a little, maybe even walk back and forth and see if you have incompletely urinated, if there is more, it will come. You just need to break the habit of wee and go, but back up or go for seconds, but never force it, just be relaxed about it.
Yes, I think the dextroamphetamine is known to dry you out, so what about some coconut oil, olive oil, vitamin E cream or some other lubricant applied not just when you have sex but habitually after your shower in the morning.
It is very likely that your prolapse will go away with time and posture, however it would be wise to keep up with posture for happily ever after because this should prevent any reappearance of the prolapse with menopause.
Yes, when sitting in WWposture, your weight is more on your vagina than your butt, this way your lumbar curve is better held. Riding bikes is good where you can maintain posture, walking is good, squatting is not good unless you can get up on your toes and hold lumbar curvature: something very few of us have the required muscle strength to do.
Just hang in there cali_lil, it sounds like you are getting the hang of things. So many of us develop prolapse at a young age like yourself and after our first baby, others develop it even younger and without a baby, others not till they are much older, the odds depend upon a number of things, but the odds are very much in your favour that the prolapse will go. Now you are into WWposture that will protect you for life.

Cali_lil14

June 5, 2013 - 9:18pm

Thanks for your response and answering all of my questions. I know my post was like a huge vent so I appreciate it! My mom is in her 40s and was just diagnosed with prolapse last week, she had a hysterectomy a few years ago and when I told her I thought I had it she said "you're too young, do kegals"... I'm very happy I have been able to do enough research to learn other ways of dealing with it. I really think it was like a perfect combination for me: overweight off and on most of my life, not the greatest bathroom habits, pregnancy and then horrible posture. I will definitely try some of the coconut oil ASAP since that's the only one I have on hand! I'm so grateful to have found this site and take away all of the knowledge people have shared. Thanks again!

wholewomanUK

June 9, 2013 - 7:18am

Hi, so glad you found us!
There's a helpful article in the WW blog called 'the new kegels' with a link to a youtube which shows how to do them. There are also other youtubes where Christine describes the WW work. Please do browse around this site too, there's so much more than meets the eye. Eg if you type in WW posture into the query box on this page I'm sure you'll find some streams on it.

At some point it would probably be helpful to invest in some WW resources, such as the book, dvd/s.. I think of them as a long term investment in my health.

The WW approach is a way of life and fortunately we have the rest of our lives to do this. Ones step at a time.

Wishing you all the best,
xwholewomanuk

laughLOVElive

June 12, 2013 - 6:23am

Yes hang in there - I'm very grateful for all the info & support on this site. I developed prolapse after my first baby too & i do what another bubba but not just yet. I have good days & bad days with prolapse which I've read on this forum is normal. I'm 16 months pp. I was seeing a physiotherapist in the beginning and she advised to always use lubrication for sex which has worked well, however I think I might try the natural suggestions on this forum. Also, apparently prolapse can get worse with subsequent pregnancies but then the severity of it stabilises after about the 3rd or 4th. However, this info was without regards to WW posture and knowledge. Anyway it made me feel ok about having another baby as the prolapse won't keep getting worse. There's also a forum section on here dedicated to post pregnancy.