Beginning pregnancy with uterine prolapse so bad that cervix hangs out...??? really worried

Submitted by booforprolapse on September 22, 2014 - 3:25pm
Body: 

I didn't have a problem after DS was born in 2003. I have had uterine and bladder prolapse issues since DD was born in 2008. I had a surgery when she was 9 months old and it only helped for 2 months. It got even more severe after DD was born in 2011. I had a surgery when she was 3 months old. It didn't help. My OB said that a hysterectomy when we are finished having children will probably provide relief (I realize that many here are anti-hysterectomy. That's not really my question.)
Our embryos will be transferred to my uterus on Thursday (last 2 frozen embryos from 2008). Usually there are times when my uterus and bladder seem to be "up" during the cycle - not hanging out. However, I think due to the increased estrogen and progesterone given to me for the cycle, there has not been any improvement in weeks.
When I wake up, it's all still inside. After just 20-30 minutes up and around it is starting to hang out. I have sat all day today with minimal up and down, so it is staying in for now..
As I have for years, I literally push my bulging uterus/cervix/etc back up into my body before I can urinate. By bedtime, I am having to leave my hand there holding it up so I can pee.
My OB and RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist) have both said that they are not concerned. They said it will pull back up through the pregnancy as the uterus gets bigger.

Here's my concern... For the first few weeks, before it starts getting bigger, should I really be mashing on my cervix and bulge back into my body to pee????

Forum:

Surviving60

September 22, 2014 - 4:37pm

Hi - can you tell us what kind of repairs you had done after your second child? Kind of an important question. You probably haven't read much on the site thus far, but Christine (founder of WW) had a repair procedure which CAUSED her uterus to prolapse. So let's see what we are dealing with here. - Surviving

booforprolapse

September 22, 2014 - 4:59pm

The "lift" using the robotics. That's about the best way I can describe it - where they tightened the ligaments during the surgery. He told me after the surgery that they just didn't have a lot to work with and they were just too stretchy. He wasn't very optimistic that it worked. I come from a whole family of people with severe prolapses - aunt, mom, grandmother. I know part of it is hereditary. I had the prolapse just as bad before the surgery :(
Also, I've been reading some about back pain and the posture... At this point, posture is not going to help me with my current issue of wondering about after the transfer in a few days, but... I have a bulging disc in my spine that has gone back and forth as far as pain for years since before my first DD. In order to improve that pain, I actually sit with my spine curved outward to relieve pressure on the disc. I have purposefully sat like this for years as it greatly improves my back pain. Unfortunately, I'm now wondering if it is somewhat causing the prolapse.

Surviving60

September 22, 2014 - 5:27pm

I just re-read your post and saw that you had another procedure after your 3rd child. Did you have the same thing done again? I don't have a clue about that surgery or what it does to the normal dynamics of the pelvic organs. And I never heard of having any kind of repairs before you were done having kids.

Can you pee bent over or on hands and knees so that the uterus falls into the belly and away from the outlet? At least that's what a uterus would be doing if the positions of the organs had not been altered. - Surviving

booforprolapse

September 22, 2014 - 9:18pm

The first surgery was not with robotics, but both were an attempt to "lift." When my second DD was 2 weeks old, I ended up in the emergency room unable to pee. They did a catheter and drained like 1300cc (and I think your bladder is only supposed to hold 500). It was horrible!
I can definitely try that leaning forward. I've kept pretty flat today - lying down or sitting back in my recliner. Everything stayed "in." Tomorrow, I can sit until after lunch, but then I have to go up to the school for a class period. I'm hoping that it won't all just fall out again. Maybe it's going to pull up some for this week!
My other issue is chronic constipation. The Toviaz I was taking to help with the bladder issues were part of the cause of that. I had to stop taking it when I wanted to get pregnant again. I still suffer constipation which everyone here knows is NOT good for prolapse!!! I need to buy miralax in mass quantities, apparently...

booforprolapse

September 22, 2014 - 9:19pm

My daughters were 9lb9oz and 9lb12oz - both factors that definitely didn't help all this either!

Surviving60

September 23, 2014 - 5:35am

There are many many types of repair surgeries, and robotic or not, these "lifts" do have names and it would be good for you to do a little research and find out exactly what was done. Please don't have any more. As you have found, the first ones often fail, and the later ones virtually always do. What's more, the landscape is now permanently altered to the point where normal anatomy and organ support will be even harder to achieve. This has been Christine's message to women for the last 12 years. Please don't brush off the posture message of Whole Woman, because it is your best hope at this stage of the game. You have to get those organs forward into the belly, not jammed into the vaginal space as they are now. The spinal shape you have been holding is indeed contributing to this problem, as is the constipation. I would start there....use the search box and you'll find lots of dietary suggestions. Or tell us what you eat now. We have some awesome foodies on this forum! - Surviving

Aging gracefully

September 23, 2014 - 6:14am

I have been reading along here, and honestly getting more than a little confused. I also had very large babies, but my ligaments were fine until I started working doing a lot of heavy lifting, straining on the toilet, and sitting around in soft furniture with bad posture all around. I guess a person could have weaker ligaments, but I wouldn't know anything about that. I only know I caused my uterus to prolapse through my actions.
I also wouldn't feel comfortable about advising you about shoving on the cervix while pregnant, but I do know that early on in this work just shoving it up did no good for me. It had to to somewhere, and that was up and over the pubic bone into the lower belly where it belongs. Techniques used in whole woman and the posture is the only way I can keep my cervix inside and my uterus moving in the right direction.
I know you also said you have a bulging disc, so doing this work gently would be well advised. Also get that constipation under control. That is the very worse thing working against prolapse.
And, I would think that doing this gentle work would be a far cry better for your whole body than what you have been doing so far. Read around on this site, we have had many mothers that have had multiple births with prolapse with no problems at all. They learned to trust in their bodies and trust that whole woman could help them before and after having their babies.
I wish you well.

booforprolapse

September 23, 2014 - 1:55pm

I think most of my issue is that I already had pretty "loose" ligaments. During my first pregnancy, I tore cartilage in my knee. In my second pregnancy, I tore cartilage in the other knee. My prolapse was pretty much immediate after my last 2 births - worse after the last one.
The surgeries were to shorten/tighten the ligaments. No mesh, pessary, or other device was used. The surgeries were just to lift everything back up.
I am open to the posture techniques and other ideas rather than the hysterectomy if my embryo transfer is not successful this week. In the immediate future, my biggest concern is for the first month of pregnancy. I'm anxious to see what my RE says this week, and I'd love to hear other experiences!