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angelmama
September 5, 2009 - 1:58pm
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Some what similar post, but...
I know I had a some what similar post before, but before I wasn't that far out pp and wasn't actively trying for another baby. I could really use some input, advice and encouragement right now, because I'm starting to feel like I'm never gonna be able to have anymore children.
-living w/Rectocele and Cystocele 3rd degree
alemama
September 5, 2009 - 2:24pm
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1. yes. If you are
1. yes. If you are ovulating then you can get pregnant
2. depends on who you are- many women have periods when they are still nursing.
3. no it won't prevent you from conceiving- if you are unable to conceive after faithfully trying for 1 whole year it would be wise to consider secondary infertility- in other words don't blame it on your prolapse.
4. depends again- I have 4 children and I know I had a prolapse after the second child for sure and I am guessing that I had prolapse after the first birth as well. I will say for me that my prolapse has gotten worse after each pregnancy and birth- but gets better somewhere around 1 year postpartum (just in time for me to want another baby). The prolapse had no effect on my births. I am 5 months postpartum now and feel about the same as I did at 5 months out the last time- and I tore. So there are many factors to consider-
I am guessing the swimmers don't stay in because your cervix is closed- when you do ovulate and want to conceive be sure to put those little guys in deep -as close to the cervix as you can get them- and then hang out in bed a while- they will go in your open cervix for sure!
It is a total myth that you are the most fertile the first few months after birth (probably cooked up by pharmaceutical companies to sell more birth control). Your current breastfeeding schedule is not enough to prevent fertility- the recommendation for lactational amenorrhea is around the clock every 3 hours. So your schedule is just fine- no need to wean any further if you don't choose to.
and the good news is that many women find that once they do retain a pregnancy their fertility issues disappear!
and I'm glad you are going to wait to get pregnant again before going for surgery. I recommend waiting until at least 3 years postpartum to consider it. You are going to be amazed at how your body will heal!
bad_mirror
September 5, 2009 - 5:57pm
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There is a good book
"Taking Charge of Your Fertility" is the name of a book that I think *all* women should read. You might find it clarifies a lot of the mystery surrounding your cycles and the ability to conceive. 1) While af can be a sign of returned fertility, it is possible to have a period without ovulation (annovulatory bleeding). A more useful sign is cervical mucous that looks like egg white. 2) Your body ovulates when it reaches the required estrogen threshold. Alemama is right, breastfeeding isn't the end-all be-all of estrogen production or lack thereof. 3)POP does not prevent conception. Your cervix functions the same regardless of where it is located. You can only conceive when it is open, which is when you ovulate, which is only for about 24 hours, once a month. That is all explained in the book. 4) I can't answer personally, but judging from at least 4 women here, the prolapse disappears by second trimester and doesn't worsen. Read old posts by fullofgrace, granolamom, alemama, fruitfulwomb & louiseds. I also think alemama's advice about waiting three pp years before surgery is wise. The third stage in wound healing (and pp prolapse is precipitated from a kind of wounding) takes several years to complete. (I just learned this in nursing school :-) How pp are you, again? Oh, and *total* myth regarding it being easier to get pregnant soon after birth. Simple biology -- you need the correct estrogenic threshold to ovulate. And then you need to have sex around the day you ovulate ("swimmers" live 5-7 days, eggs live 24 hours). It's probably only "easy" because women have sex w/o birth control or the stress of *trying* to get pregnant LOL!
angelmama
July 30, 2010 - 6:51pm
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An update of what's happen...
I'm currently 13 months pp and 19weeks 6days pregnant w#3 now. I did end up needing fertility treatments and had an IUI and took fertility meds and was pregnant by the time my baby was 9months. I had 2 chemical m/cs before becomming pregnant with this pregnancy also, so I had some heart break along the way. I'm not sure if any of you will remember me because I stopped going on here shortly after I joined because I became depressed by thinking & reading about my POP so much. I basically just focused on my kids and daily life, and took it 1 day at a time.
Then after time passed things began to change for me and my POP. I noticed sex wasn't that painful anymore and I can actually enjoy it sometimes if I don't do it that long(still have cramping in my bladder during and after,but not instantly during), my cystocele now varies from 2nd-3rd degree, my rectocele has ranged from 1st-2nd degree, my urethra is also prolapsed was discovered since I 1st came on here and they say that is 1st degree as well as my uterus. I still have a problem with incontinence and wear a pad to help for the times I sneeze, cough, laugh or lift (to name a few things)that causes my worst problems with that and I tend to have a slow steady leak if I don't empty my bladder and hold it too long. I also have cramping in my bladder if I hold my urine in too long, after urinating and now I have times where I have trouble emptying my bladder so much that straining makes my prolapses at their worst, same for constipation, so I try when I can not to strain too much. I find myself pushing my bladder or bending/standing over the toilet to empty my bladder completely at times and sometimes I don't have that much difficulty emptying my bladder.
My husband and I have decided to not have my tubes tied or the surgery right away after I have my 3rd, just in case we want a 4th, but if my POP gets too bad after having #3, then I will get both surgeries. I really would like to have a 4th (want 1 last try at having a son, because I'm having my 3rd daughter)and am debating whether I should have a C-section to avoid making my POP worse. My OB tells me I risk prolapsing my pelvic floor if I have a vaginal delivery and that worries me because I want to prevent my POP from getting worse. I don't use a pessary and I refuse to put something in like that for feat that I could get an infection.
I guess my question is what can I do to help with emptying my bladder and will having a 4th baby be possible with the POP I have now/after delivery of my 3rd? Also will having a C-section be the best choice so I can have a 4th as well? I'm not crazy about having surgery in general, but I'm leaning towards C-section currently.
aza
July 31, 2010 - 2:51pm
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Hi anglemama, Congratulations
Hi anglemama,
Congratulations on your pregnancy. I misread it at first and thought you said you were 13 months pregnant and did a huge double take ;)
So if I am hearing you correctly, you are 19 wks preg with #3 and less than a year ago you had 3rd degree POP, and in less than a year you actually got t the stage where you could go on with your days and ignore your POP? It sounds like the incontinence is your main trouble? That sounds like remarkable progress in a very short amount of time and bodes well for the healing capacity of your body.
There are many thread on here about vaginal birth or surgical extraction, and to be blunt I think it is a massive decision to make to opt for surgery in light of no true indication save for the what if's. The fact is, surgery carries massive risks to both mother and baby and is, well, surgery! This involves cutting through your body, and cutting through a support system that is trying so hard to keep things where they should be. Of course your OB tells you that your risk prolapsing your pelvic floor. This is what is told to many women as we reach a time when vaginal birth is becoming extinct in the hospitals. Plus, if you have surgery with #3 you are more likely to have surgery for #4 so that is two assaults on your body and sub-optimal births for your babies....all for the what if?
Please get second, third, fourth opinions from people other than surgeons, who understandably, will recommend surgery.