"Tipped" uterus

Hi Carol,

I have a tipped uterus also! I've been keeping the posture and working with the exercises in hopes of preventing further prolapse (I think it is believed that a tipped uterus is a prolapsed uterus)...

I have wondered if the posture/exercises will be able to change the tipped position, as I've had a tipped uterus since at least my late teens (the first time I went to a gyno.) and it's still tipped after 2 children.

I'll let you all know if/when I discover the position changes (an interesting experiment I think!!!).

I would say the posture and such would be even more helpful for a tipped uterus because everything needs to undergo such a forward shift!

Evie

Dear Carol,

I'm in the process of renovating this site, which will include an FAQ sheet. Until then I'm just cutting and pasting from previous exchanges. Here is such a response:

There is no information that I can find demonstrating how the structural pathology of a tipped uterus occurs. All we know is that it is extremely common (almost ubiquitous) and was the indication for hundreds of variations of uterine suspension operations performed on women in the early years of the twentieth century.

We do have very solid theories of the development of the female pelvic system that show how intraabdominal pressures actually create both the shape of the female body and the placement of the pelvic organs. This anatomy is fundamental to the natural development of the bipedal female structure. It stands to reason that if the placement of the organs has changed, the structural framework has changed, and the flow of intraabdominal pressures has changed. Which came first is a chicken and egg phenomenon, but it is my belief that the structural framework changes first (we lose our natural posture) and then the organs begin to be moved out of position by the forces of intraabdominal pressure.

It should be very easy to halt, and possibly reverse, the degenerative process that has resulted in your very mild condition. If you ignore it by not changing your posture, the genital hiatus will continue to widen and you may be looking at cystocele/rectocele down the road. This work is fun, creative, and empowering.

Wishing you well,

Christine

hello ladies,
I'm new here and have been enjoying looking through the site. It looks like lots of good info and support...

I also have a tipped uterus. I had several large uterine fibroids removed a couple of years ago, and my uterus is very large. The fibroids were all on the outside of the uterus and it seems the interior cavity is fine.

I have a couple of questions.. First, my cervix is usually about 1 inch away from the vaginal opening (and to the left). Is this considered a prolapse? That seems very low. My only symptom is pain with intercourse. But I am worried that it will get lower as it has been descending slowly over the last 2 years.. Christine, would you recommend that I start doing the exercises in your book?

Second, does a uterine prolapse make it harder to conceive? We would still like to have a child.

thanks for this site and all the wisdom here...
2bees

Dear 2bees,

I would highly recommend the video/DVD, which contains the whole program. The book will tell you how we got here and the video what to do about it. Yes, your cervix is prolapsed and you probably have a very good chance of stabilizing it for the rest of your life. Pain with intercourse is unusual, but perhaps is associated with new fibroids or the myomectomy. Prolapse does not affect conception.

:-)Christine

Christine, thank you for your response. I will order your video and try the exercises. I would be interested to know, did you base the exercises on yoga or on some other tradition? I have been studying yoga for years and so am used to thinking about posture through that practise.

I am very surprised to hear that pain during intercourse is very unusual - don't other women with uterine prolapse mind having their cervix hit hard over and over? {Please excuse me for being so explicit, I am just trying to understand this and especially trying to understand why I might have this pain. It sure puts a damper on things.} You could be right that it relates to new fibroids.

Ok, I guess I've asked another 2 questions! Thank you for any feedback you can provide.

gratefully,
2bees

Hi 2bees,

Yes, the video does contain a few classic yoga poses, such as downward dog, but most are modified or geared toward pushing the organs forward.

Most women with UP don't complain of pain with intercourse, as the cervix is easily pushed back up into it's normal position and nothing else is different. We haven't heard many complaints either from women who develop the slowly progressing, subtle type of cystocele/rectocele. Women who have c/r as a result of traumatic birth injury do seem to have more difficulty with painful or uncomfortable sex. I'm wondering if you have any adhesions or scar tissue contributing??

Christine

Thank you Christine. Perhaps you are right about the scarring or abrasions. I'm not sure whether that can be determined by tests. I know they can look on the inside with various tests (I've seen the inside of my uterus on a screen and the dr. said it looked pink and healthy, as it did to me). I know a manual exam can be done of the outside, but I'm not sure if that would pick up something like adhesions. I will look into that.

If I do have scars or adhesions, I also don't know if anything can be done about that, or if they heal over time. I am going to look into Mayan massage, I think there was a discussion about this on these boards, I will search for that. As well as paying more attention to posture, general self-care, etc.

Thank you for the important work that you do..
2bees

I think there is sometimes pain if things happen to quickly. Have to gently push the cervix up and out of the way. Putting a pillow under the hips is a quick trick too. Diana

Thanks Diana,
I will try the pillow idea..
But I don't think there's any chance of pushing the cervix up and away -- it doesn't budge. The surgeon who did the laparotomy to remove my fibroids (I had 9 removed, one grapefruit-sized) said after the surgery that my uterus was healthy but that it was now larger than it was before. I don't understand this, it seems to me it would be smaller after removing something. But that's what he said.

So I'm wondering if, since my cervix won't move around, it isn't a prolapse but more that my uterus has enlarged and now takes up more space, and so comes down further?

Either way I imagine the exercises on the video would help me..

That does sound strange that your uterus is now bigger?? I hope you get your answers about that. Maybe there is scarring and that's why the cervix doesn't move, but maybe the doctor can check and maybe something can be done. I wish you well! Definitely try the excercises, just the moving and stretching is a good idea, plus maybe getting all the blood flowing will aid in your healing!:-) Diana

I was told 42 years ago that I had a tipped uterus and that I could become pregnant very easily even using diaphragm. I have never had any trouble in all these years. I don't know if this will help you, but I thought my experience with tipped uterus might be of interest to you.

SLV

I also was diagnosed with tipped uterus at 19, am now 57
it is very out
Question
What soap is best to use to cleanse when the uterus is often right out??
Cathy

Hi Cathy and welcome,

I don

Christine, you make a fascinating point, that the medical prof. has no idea what the natural progression of a prolapse is. I am wondering, are there any cultures that do not treat prolapses surgically? I'm assuming that in those types of cultures prolapses probably occur less frequently, but I'd imagine it would still happen once in a while.
It would be interesting to learn from such populations, if they exist.

Yes...these conditions have been around forever, but as you say, less frequently in cultures where women assume natural postures most of the time. It is my dream and intention to find as much cultural info as possible on this subject.

I need to make a correction: in my response above to Cathy I said maybe "my tissues will become more elastic"...I meant less elastic...:-)