So Depressed and Need Support

Body: 

I'm 36 and 9 weeks pp with my second baby tomorrow.

I now have a severe rectocele (and bladder prolapse), due to four hours of hard pushing. It's impeding
all aspects of my life. The rectocele is seemingly nearly unmanageable... I am so uncomfortable at
all times.

I don't know if I can live like this and I'm really scared. This
is not the way it was suppose to be... I know no one
who has gone or is going through this.

I studied yoga for years and have been religious about health and exercise
my entire life. This feels like a bad nightmare.

Is there really hope that I can get better? If so, where do
I begin here? I have done acupuncture, the Hab it DVD, Chinese herbs,
Pelvic floor pt and await the delivery of my electro stim machine...

The more I read online the heavier my heart becomes.

Please help me. I am so sad and quite desperate.

welcome and congrats on your baby! First of all: you're not alone. A lot of women here had gone through these very shocking first times of experiencing pop, including me. I too was so desperate and thought noone but me is going through this. Thank god I found this forum.
9 weeks pp nearly everything is possible. Your body needs two years recovery time after pregnancy and birth, so there's still plenty of time for you ;-).
First of all you should watch Christine's first video (click resources). It's a great overview about WW and posture. That's what you have to learn now: posture. Most of us are sucking and tucking all the time. That's very bad for your prolapse. You have to re-learn to relaxe your belly and to have a lumbar curve. Watch the video and read here.
And forget about kegels and e-stim. It can make your prolapse worse. Read Christine's article "Why kegels don't work". She explained there why kegels aren't good.
All the best
Butterfly

Welcome breathe1 - I'm here to second what Butterfly has said. I have cystocele and rectocele and am managing just fine - life does go on once you get a handle on this. Your history of yoga and exercise very likely taught you to suck in your belly and tuck your butt under, and sadly, this posture over time causes a loss of organ support. So if that's been your posture, you'll need to relearn and restore lumbar curvature. It has been a labor of love for me - I feel great and my 'celes do not interfere with my life, nor do I live in fear of the future.

Hab-it, pelvic floor PT and e-stim further complicate things. These approaches are all kegel-based, and kegels essentially pull the organs into the vagina instead of away from it. I did them for decades and I no longer believe that line.

You should be able to get a full refund on that magical machine if you return it unopened. Then you can set your sights on the real solution. It is not a quick-fix and not a cure. But it truly is the way.

Do watch and read the resources that Butterfly has identified. These will get you started. - Surviving

The reason I have such a strong abdominal
wall
and been working towards strength in this
area is because a damaged lumbar spine.
I have to keep my abs strong to avoid really
bad back pain, which worsened with
my first child.

I greatly appreciate your insight and words,
but I am so confused how to let my abs go
and still be pain free or have less pain in my back.

I feel like I'm losing my mind. I want to so
Desperately wake up from this very bad dream.

I can't stop the tears.

You will find here the support and knowledge that you need. Order Christine's book and the DVDs if you can. The book will build your knowledge and the DVDs will set you in the right direction regarding exercise. The shock and depression regarding this are widespread. Most women do not know about this and with this forum and the spreading of the words of Christine, we will hopefully change that in time. The most important thing for you now is to adjust your posture. There are many women on this forum who are advanced in the study of yoga. I was still quite a beginner when my POP presented itself. I now feel that I could go back to that study of yoga but with the knowledge that I need. No pulling in that tummy and no tucking the tailbone. The corset attitude is wrong for women. You are only 9 weeks pp so rest is necessary and when you are up and about, you need to constantly remind yourself of the healthy woman posture. You can read on here and see on the videos all that you need to self teach. If however you are lucky enough to live near a practitioner, then take advantage of that and get a consultation. Even a phone consultation can help you. Congratulations on your baby. Relax, study and in a few weeks or months, you will be sharing with us your success. Best wishes to you.

Thanks for all of your advice. Can you please recommend exactly
what I should buy?

Grateful for your help!

Congratulations on your baby! I am sorry about the POPs though...but don't loose your hope. As a movement professional I understand your back issue tied with the abdominals. You most certainly don't want to push your abs forward as that will stress a herniated disc. Instead, think relaxing the abs (we are taught to "over brace" so much of the time) as you stand tall with shoulders relaxed and chest open and lifted (now make sure on this chest part that you are not squeezing your shoulder blades together, but allowing the shoulders to remain relaxed yet down and open). Now just by doing this your abs will engage without over bracing. However, when you lift the little one/s, you will want to position yourself close and keep the back long (not rounded) especially your low back...think of a duck tail, tail up, if that makes sense, so as not to bother the back or the pops. The First Aid For Prolapse video would be a nice place for you to start...even before the book IMHO. It gives a nice workout and has a spot on the lifting technique (I wish I was a better writer, but I work one to one with people and talk/demo what I am explaining).
Hang in there...it is tough, but not impossible :)

I would start with the book "Saving the Whole Woman" and the First Aid for Prolapse DVD. If you can afford both of them you will find a lot of help from them. Maybe over time, you will want to add the others. I bought the whole bundle since I knew that little by little I would want to vary my routine and my knowledge. You will calm in a bit of time. As you get used to the posture, remain committed to it. I am much older than you, but in 6 weeks time with the posture, I went from panicked and depressed to myself again. Now, I rarely notice that I am managing pop, I just feel normal and fine. It takes time to understand and to make the posture yours. When symptoms are bad, try resting on elbows and knees. Post your questions frequently since as you can see, there are many women here who want to help. Best wishes to you!

First congrats on your baby..
9 weeks pp is still early, you still have lot time to heal.
I just diagnosed with mild ( i think stage 1) recto and cysto also have low cervix but fine.
I discovered the bulge four months ago and been told "just do kegel" and i did..well it doesnt work..i read Christine blog about kegel and itis makes sense..now i did the new kegel by Christine though its hard to stay on posture i but since i did the new kegel i feel improvement..my low back is not bothering me much and also the postire that makes you stand like real woman give me confident.
Read more and educate your self, you will be fine..

Dear Breath1, Enjoy your baby and try to relax. You are barely 2 months postpartum and it is not unusual to have a lot going on physically and emotionally during this time. I hear a lot of fear. The one thing I do when I have fear is to find out all about the matter that is causing fear. So you found the right place. There is a lot of information out there on prolapse but it isn't all good. You have tried a few remedies so you know what I am saying. From what I know, the electro stim machine is not a cure either. I don't know if this will help but I had a similar situation when I delivered my first daughter. It took me a good year to heal and my body to go back to my before pregnancy state. I had 2 more pregnancies but did not have prolapse problems that I was aware of. It was many years later after menopause that I had the physical symptoms of prolapse. In my research I was fortunate to find Christine Kent's work on prolapse. For the past 5 years I have been able to successfully manage my prolapse by following Christine's advice. I have purchased her book and DVD's and they are authentic and excellent. You are not alone. There are a lot of wonderful ladies on this forum.

Hi Breathe,
Just to let you know I am here too.
(((hugs)))
& Best Wishes,
Aussie Soul Sister