Sea Pearl (sponge) instead of pessary?

Body: 

Has anyone used the Sea Pearl (sponge) instead of a pessary? I recently learned of my prolapsed bladder and am looking for solutions, my infant is 3 months old. We had a natural birth at the hospital through a midwife collective I had no idea that this was a potential problem and wow, I guess I was in the dark!! I am so thankful for this site and the information that is shared.

I guess we have all been waiting for a lady who has used the Sea Pearl sponge successfully to come on and answer your post. In the mean while you might like to put Sea Pearl or Sponge in the search box up to your left at the top of this page and you should get a number of hits where this is discussed. For me with uterine prolapse, it's a no go as I can't keep it in. Other people have had success so do a bit of reading about it. Also three months is a short span of time after birth for prolapse. The more important points for bladder prolapse is to adopt Wholewoman Posture so that it becomes natural to you. For while you hold this posture you are strengthening the pelvic muscles which will return your bladder to its proper position. It takes time, but when you think that a woman's body is traditionally considered not to return to its pre-birth situation for two years, you need to think a little long term about it; be mindful, caring of your body and all should be well. The other important point is to ensure that you empty your bladder completely at least once a day. When you toilet lean forward as you urinate (it's like tipping a jug a little) and take your time to complete. Urine left in the bladder adds to its weight and pushes the prolapse and of course can become stale and may lead to bladder infection which can be quite uncomfortable. So really these are your golden rules: posture and complete urination.

Hi Carolcooks - Fab is right, you'll need to use the search box to look for some past discussions of sponges. I can't think of any currently active members who have had much luck with them, but there have been some. Most of the pessary users here also practice WW posture and try to use their pessaries as little as possible. A pessary is certainly not a long-term solution to prolapse, and can cause worsening in the long run. At 3 months PP you would be better served to take a look at the WW posture approach of restoring lumbar curvature in order to help coax the organs forward so they are not invading the vaginal space. A cystocele is quite manageable with a dedication to posture. It will likely resolve on its own to some degree, if not aggravated by too much of the wrong thing. Best to check this out while you are still healing - it's a good time for your body to adopt a change for the better. - Surviving

Hi Nutella,

I use a sea sponge. Not very often, but for me it's more comfortable than the pessary I first used. Since I'm doing the WW-posture I only put the sponge in when I know I'll have a very stressful day and when my menstruation is near (then everything down there is softer). It helps me to manage my work, my 3 kids and everything else. I have an urethrocystocele and no problems with holding the sponge in.

Best wishes
Butterfly