New pregnancy w/previous existing POPs

Submitted by angelmama on July 30, 2010 - 6:01pm
Body: 

I'm currently 13 months pp and 19weeks 6days pregnant w#3 now. I'm not sure many 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 genera, but I'm leaning towards C-section currently. I also would love to hear experiences of other women about pregnancy/delivery after prolapse

aza

July 31, 2010 - 2:53pm

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.

JDsmommy

July 31, 2010 - 10:17pm

Anglemama, congratulations on your pregnancy!

I think one of the most important things in Aza's post is the comment that obstetricians are surgeons. This is a key point. Obstetrics is a surgical specialty and a very large part of an ob/gyn's training is in learning how to perform surgery (c-sections) and other interventions. It is therefore very difficult for them to just "let" a woman give birth; if they don't "do something" they don't feel like they're doing their job.

That's a vast generalization, of course, but something to consider.

Jen_747

September 20, 2010 - 9:10am

Hi! I had my second child after I had developed pop from having my first. I'm not sure what degree things were because it was undiagnosed at the time but I know I had a rectocele. The second pregnancy did not make the rectocele any worse if that helps you any. Both my deliveries were c-sections (the first was breech).

If you had that much improvement in that short a time, I hope things will continue to go well for you!