What happens to celes during childbirth???

I am not a Dr (I am sure Christine will help more here)

But I have a feeling that as the baby gets bigger in the womb the stretching inside of you will return these celes to their normal position (there will be no room at childbirth for them to sag as I think about it)

So - I do not think it will be a big worry.

I know from looking back my celes started in my first birth (I ignored the signs) And I went on to have two sucessful births from there

:)

Hope that helps a tiny bit
Sue

I hadn't specifically thought about that. I was worried about pushing and how that wouldn't be great for the 'celes. didn't think about the baby's head pushing against them.
I think the baby will have room to pass through, the vagina can stretch & stretch and the 'celes are mobile. I can't imagine that being reason for episiotomy, which cuts through perineal tissue and doesn't do anything to reduce the prolapses.
maybe positioning is key? I'm sorta planning to get into a hands and knees position for delivery, but I know when it comes down to it I won't be thinking much and will just do what my body tells me.

so basically, I'm no help here. the best I can do is let you know how it goes for me, I'm a few weeks ahead of you.

Hey mouchoir,

I'm about 28 weeks along and am very anxious about D day and the aftermath. I just wanted to say I know how you feel and hope all us of preggos have great births with no worsening of our celes.

Hugs,

Bigmomma

I just posted the below response to a different thread, but it seemed to fit here...I don't know if there is any protocol on this, so I've just copied my post...

I had a 2nd pregnancy/birth with an existing stage 2 cystocele/rectocele from my 1st birth (homebirth by the way with pushing in a water tub and delivering on my knees - not the kind of birth that you would expect would give a prolapse). Anyway, everything went fine (actually wonderfully) with the second pregnancy/birth.

My prolapse had improved a little by the time I became pregnant again. My midwife had told me that after the baby is a certain size, the pelvic area bones are doing a lot of work holding up the baby. That was enough to reassure me and the pregnancy was fine (just a little more of a heavy feeling right near the end). The delivery (another home birth and completely in water) was no problem - nothing seemed to get in the way.

I do have some input on the pushing (my second birth was amazing): My first birth, when the midwife said "you are about at a 10, you can push if you feel like it", I didn't feel like pushing but I thought "whatever will get this baby out and stop these contractions asap" so I pushed away (for the next 2-3 hours) without ever having an urge to push. I have sometimes wondered if all my forced pushing contributed to my prolapse. At any rate, on the advice of an awesome doula, during the second birth, once again I heard "you are about at a 10, you can push if you feel like it"...and I just waited. Wow! I can only describe it as the opposite (direction) as throwing up (you know how you don't have to think or push to throw up, it just happens). My body just did this amazing synchronized rolling downward muscle push that I had absolutely no control over, and the baby was out after just 2 of those. Amazing what your body can do when you let it.

Best wishes to you.

Hey Carolyn 1,

Your post has given me something to think about when I start that "woulda coulda" state of mind that blames me and my four epistomies and lying on my back hospital births for my prolapses. I guess prolapse can happen to anyone, even when all the right things are done. I am very interested in the not pushing idea as I never felt the urge with the other ones and found the hospital coaching "hold your breath, push, count to ten" deal to be very annoying and unproductive. Good for you on your two homebirths! I hope this one, my first, will go well.

Bigmomma

I think I read on this site somewhere about the midwife holding the bladder out of the way - B

gives me the chills too! but its an idea, although I think I'd rather hold it out of the way myself if need be. nah, I don't like that visual either.
I'm sticking to my 'all fours' position, that usually moves my bladder to where it should be.

Granolamom- have you considered a water birth? When I was pregnant I read some about the all fours position and it seems like I read some where that it narrows the pelvic outlet. This last birth I had a water birth but I will tell you that the water wasn't deep enough. I did the deep squat thing - but if I could do it all over again (and I may one day) I want to do it in that dancing position- where you are holding onto your partner in front of you in an almost squat(the position I think Christine recommends for pushing with a BM) and having someone behind and kind of under you to "catch the baby. I think in that position the bladder would be out of the way. In my ideal birthing dream I would be in cheast deep water doing this. I wish during my last birth that I had stood up more (but I did do the push naturally thing - he came fast I pushed 4 or 5 times, but soft like a grunt- the first two births I was in the seated leaning back on pillows position with my legs out and squeezed together (until they wrenched them apart and pushed my knees up)- and of course pushed and pushed and pushed with the first birth, with the second I waited for the urge but pushed really hard for 4 pushes.
anyway now I am rambling but I just wanted to put it out there that I wish I had done the standing squat thing. B

I was thinking- if you push on your rectocele or cystocele with your fingers doesn't it just move the way you are pushing it? and when the baby's head is decending it probably just pushes it back up to where it belongs because to push it down and out would be the path of most resistance because at least for the cystocele that would mean pushing past the pubic symphasis. and I don't think even if it did come down some that you would opt for an episiotomy- you would probably just push it in some. as for the fleshy bit - I don't know about that? are you talking about the urethral opening because I think that tissue is supposto be there (or else I am a freak:)). and as far as being sore after sex I haven't been too sore this time around but I remember being sore after sex for almost half a year after our first baby was born and I definatly remember being really sore after birth for a while (like 6 months after my first birth it hurt to wipe) with all 3 births.
Birthing my babies was an intense process for me and I am still recovering from it. B

that sounds like a good idea too.
I've not considered a water birth because I don't like to be sitting in water. I hate baths, dislike pools or hot tubs. I can't imagine getting into a tub while in labor, seems like the most uncomfortable place in the world to me.

but thanks for suggesting the standing squat, and I will look into quadruped and see what that does to the pelvic outlet.