7 months post partum update

Submitted by bad_mirror on June 8, 2009 - 1:28pm
Body: 

Hi all,

I realize that no one is really as interested in one's POPs as oneself is, but I know that several months ago, I was dying to read post partum stories in order to understand what was ahead. So here is my update.

I am 7 months pp and have a primary cystocele. It was never "graded," but I'd say it was on the mild side of moderate or the moderate side of mild, depending on my mindframe, lol. (Though I was told my cervix was "normal" and even "high" I've recently found it to be even higher. So maybe it was/is a bit low, I don't know. I too hide from granolamom's POP police). I had about 15 minutes of UTI feeling on the day I discovered it, and some mild discomfort peppered with a high dose of fear in the early days, but my main symptom is a visual bulge which bothers the heck out of me.

I have been posturing like a madwoman since 13 weeks post partum (I love nursing cross legged on the floor!) and while I'm not exactly where I want to be -- total reversal, don't we all want that? -- I am so, so, so much better than those early days! Oh I shudder to think about those days! Experiencing the healing of POP is a bit like watching an ice cube melt in the refrigerator. Agonizingly slow, until you suddenly realize that there is a puddle of water where there once was a cube. One day I noticed that I had no more escaping air or gas that "rolled forward." Then I could cook dinner without discomfort. Then I could walk for miles and miles without a tampon. I lost my fear of lifting groceries or my son. I stopped feeling self-conscious about sex. The bulge stays out of sight about 90% of the day, and the sloshy pelvic organ feeling is just about completely gone. I was told long ago that I had a "slightly retroverted uterus." This was reconfirmed by a frustrated ER technition during the miscarriage I had before my pregnancy. I think the lift in my cervix may be a correction of this positioning, which I find exciting. I've found walking to be really restorative for my mind and body. I live in a ski resort town, so literally everywhere I go is uphill, lol! I also nauli all the livelong day.

So while my stomach still sinks every time I see or feel the bulge, I am most certainly better than I was, and I hold out hope that I will see further improvement. I do wonder if my miscarriage (at 12 weeks, less than 8 weeks before conceiving my son) may play a role in my healing time frame. I basically had two pregnancies in the space of a year from which to recover. I thank God that both processes were completely natural and free from medical intervention, as I hope that such choices set me up for a more successful recovery.

So yes, I do worry about the future. Sometimes, it is easy to be patient and say to myself, "wait. wait until 18 months pp until you decide this is as good as it gets." I look at the stories of Judy and Stella and know that it can reverse even without the hyper-healing state of post partum recovery. Somedays it is hard, and I think, "good gumdrops, I'm seven months out -- aren't I healed yet?" I can get so weary of thinking about this stupid 'cele. Overall, I know I am doing well . . . but I still want to get even better.

davemayamom

June 8, 2009 - 2:59pm

Thanks for the update Badmirror and Proudmama (what a coincidence you are both 7 months pp). I just love hearing stories of progress, so keep them coming. I too am feeling better (I am crossing my fingers as I say that). I am just over 4 months pp and have really noticed some good changes in last 2 weeks. At 3 months pp I decided to toss the V2 supporter - I was sooo sick of it. I would go to around noon most days, then wear a tampon to get me through the later part of the day. I then realized tampons weren't really doing too much. My prolapse (urethrocele) is so low, a tampon just goes right past it. Soo, the past week and a half I've been without support, and yes I still feel a bit dragging, but less of the "falling out feeling". The P.T. I saw said it was "not that bad" - but she looked at me lying down! Anyway, I am now feeling better and am more playful with my son - which he is really enjoying! I don't feel stable enough to run, but I can walk and stand without much discomfort. I find walking to be quite therapeutic, and my prolapse always feels better after! I have what I consider to be fairly active days prolapse-wise i.e. housework, groceries, walking the dog, taking my son to the park, and my prolapse (for the most part) does not feel worse the next day. I DO try to lie down in the afternoon for at least 30 minutes. As for what I do to help the prolapse....posture like crazy, nauli, firebreathing, and some of the ballet workout (whenever I can fit it in to my day). Things are crazy right now as we are trying to sell our house, and will be moving to a new house in the next 6 weeks! I'm hoping my prolapse will continue to behave. As we all know, life goes on with prolapse, and now I'm feeling well enough not to have prolapse on the brain every second of the day!....I don't know what I would have done without this forum - it has been my sanity!

luvmiboyz

June 8, 2009 - 9:32pm

thanks for posting....I am 8 1/2 months pp...I like your analogy using the ice cube...that has been so true for me. I have never used a tampon or any other type of support and I can now stay on my feet more and more to the point that I don't think i will ever have to. And on days where I've pushed myself too hard I can do a few of the exercises davemayamom mentioned and that always relieves alittle of the heaviness. I got brave today and went to the gym...i walked on a treadmill for 20 min and did an eliptical machine for about 10 min..after that i walked around the track for a bit..I felt alittle heaviness but I came home and did firebreathing and am now resting so i feel good! I have ridden my bike and walked around the neighborhood but i would say this is the longest i have walked in 8 1/2 months.
~Amanda

bad_mirror

June 10, 2009 - 11:02am

I always appreciate your posts too, as you are a bit ahead of me in time frame -- I love seeing you improve, especially since I'm guessing you were a bit worse than me. I hope the walking made you feel good. I know that Christine has posted about the benefit of walking in posture. This makes so much sense to me! And I remember reading an inspirational story about a woman who began an intense walking program 8 years after her last birth. Her perineum was really messed up, but after a year of committed walking, she claims she experienced amazing amounts of healing in that area. I figure humans are made to walk, a lot. So I walk, a lot. And I feel good.

bad_mirror

June 10, 2009 - 11:05am

Good for you! Hope you survive the house stuff -- I know how that goes. I agree about the walking, and not that our bodies all behave the same, but just to let you know, my biggest jump in healing so far was around 5 months pp.

granolamom

June 10, 2009 - 12:22pm

I really do, keeps me hopeful and positive.

I'm so happy to hear that you're doing so much better. and just so you know, I felt a huge improvement at around 6 mo or so and then again at maybe 14 or 15 months? pp. don't remember exactly.
I think that not all of us can expect full reversal, but at 7 mo pp I also think you have plenty of healing potential. no way is your body back to its prepg state yet.