Another one with postpartum prolapse!

Submitted by Luuk on October 11, 2011 - 1:20pm
Body: 

Hello,
I'm a newby to this site, but have been reading many of the posts for the past 11 weeks! I first noticed my rectocele 2 weeks after the birth of my first baby and I am now 13 weeks postpartum. I had such a wonderful pregnancy and delivery so I was distraught to discover my pop. I wonder if the painful round ligament pain I suffered has contributed to my prolapse?? I was glad to have found this site so early. Like Ozmama I too have been trying to maintain the WW posture which also does not come naturally. I have also been doing some of the stretches which I saw on you tube. I ordered the WW package over a month ago (I live in the UK) and still have not received it. WW has sent another out, so I look forward to getting it soon and doing all the exercises.
I have read that pop seems to get worse around 11-12 weeks pp and I think I am experiencing that now. What I find the most uncomfortable is the feeling of needing to do a bowel motion a lot of the time. I know that straining is something to avoid and to let it happen naturally, but it is so uncomfortable. I have never suffered from constipation and I am now very aware of the need to avoid it, but I am anxious that I am getting constipated.
I sit in a lot of my day in a chair, propped with pillows for back support, as this is where I breast-feed. This probably is not the best position for my pop. Can someone please suggest a better position. I do suffer from back pain and see a chiropractor on a regular basis.
I am encouraged by the positive outcomes I have read on here and certainly will avoid surgery which my uro-gyne specialist has already suggested if things have not improved in another 3 months. I told him it was not for me! He also said that it may improve once I have stopped breast-feeding and there are not as many hormones circulating. Is there truth in that?
I start physiotherapy this week, so it will be interesting to see if this helps.
I look forward to reading and learning more from this forum.

Christine

October 12, 2011 - 11:15am

Welcome to Whole Woman!

Postpartum shortening of the round ligaments certainly plays a major role in bringing the pelvis back to (or near) its pre-pregnancy state. While the embryologically-analogous male spermatic cord has been broadly studied, very little study has been made of the round ligaments of the uterus. The shortening down by a factor of five or six after delivery must be under hormonal control. Perhaps it is human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) that helps the round ligaments grow to such a tremendous size and perhaps oxytocin helps shrink them back down. Mere stretching would seem inadequate and anatomically unsound.

If we are going to continue on with that line of thinking, high post-menopausal levels of luteinizing hormone (an analogue of hCG) might contribute to the jump in rates of prolapse in that population.

You might try sitting on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you and pillows under the supporting arm and baby. Sit cross-legged too and as you do so try pushing your belly over your thighs as you flatten your knees closer to the floor. Keep pulled up through the back of your neck (chin slightly tucks), shoulders down and not pulled back as in military posture. Practice these positions for short periods of time until you feel your muscles strengthen through the natural use of your spine. We are not of the belief that prolapse is affected one way or the other by increases or decrease of estrogen.

Surgery will correct the bulge of rectocele for an undetermined period of time, until it blows out again - often times at the level of the perineum, a surgically-induced type of prolapse that is far more severe than the common bulging into the vagina of the anterior rectal wall. Baby your rectocele by splinting (pushing on the bulge if need be to initiate or complete a bowel movement), eating naturally laxative foods and remaining well hydrated. When you receive your materials the instructions in firebreathing and nauli will help you begin to pull everything up into alignment.

Please try not to worry, as postpartum prolapse is very responsive to this postural work. Enjoy your little darling and know this is just part of motherhood and will improve with time and care.

If you want insight into the permanent pain and suffering of rectocele repair, look at posts by Rainbow and Blissedout.

Wishing you well,

Christine

louiseds

October 17, 2011 - 8:05am

Lying down to nurse is another way. Propping a pillow behind you makes it a little easier for baby to latch on if you have small breasts.

Luuk

October 19, 2011 - 3:32am

Hi Christine and Louise

Thank you for you reply and your advice. I'm having good and bad days as to be expected. Unfortunately Im still waiting for the materials to arrive from the US - not sure if it is being held up here in the UK postal system. Anyway, I am following Ozmama's posts as a lot of her questions and concerns are the same as I what I am feeling and I am learning from those. I will look for more youtube exercises that show nuli (?) and fire-breathing. I am walking most days for over an hour with my little man either in the pram or in the sling. With him in the sling I can feel my bulge more which is a little uncomfortable so is it still ok to be carrying him this way? He is coming up 6kg. I am trying to keep in the posture while walking with him.
Many thanks

louiseds

October 19, 2011 - 9:03am

If you can feel the bulge it is a sign that you need to tweek your positioning, or it might be better not to use the sling so much for a while. Alemama and Granolamom are the real experts on this.

If it is any consolation I used to find that the bigger the child the lower they rode on my back. Once they were sitting right down on my hips it was fine, because I just stuck my butt out and they sat in the lumbar curve. On the front is good while they are smaller because it makes you keep your upper body well back. It is a little like being pregnant.

Just don't overdo the sling for now.

granolamom

October 22, 2011 - 10:15pm

hi luuk, welcome and congratulations on the baby!
only have a moment (really should get into bed, its past midnight here), but wanted to briefly chime in.
I was most comfortable bf in the sidelying position. my baby, not so much. she had a reflux so it was better if I sat up, if I had to sit, I went for a cross-legged sit against a wall with lots of pillows under my arms and baby. someone advised me not to worry too much about my bf position (I think it was christine, but dont want to misquote anyone), and that was a true blessing. bf can be so emotionally restorative and joyful, dont let the worry take that away from you. if you can get into a 'good posture', great. and if not, well, get into good posture when not bf.
bringing us to slings......I suspect this is another topic (like lifting babies) that is body-type specific. unlike louise, I found it most comfortable to wear my babies up high, preferably in a wrap or meitai, something symmetrical. I'd tie the bottom right above my last rib, well above my waist (I have a really long torso), and would be able to stay in posture.
but even with that, after 30 min or so I'd rest. personally, if I were walking for exercise, I'd try to go alone or with baby in the stroller.
another good thing to do while walking is alemama's flapping. if you can leave your inhibitions at home, raising your arms up above your head and lowering them down again while walking is so fantastic for POP (at least for me).
last tip and then off to bed.....do check out nauli on youtube. its an amazing exercise.

Luuk

October 24, 2011 - 8:51am

Thank you granolamom. I find it tricky to bf lying down, so have always fed sitting with baby propped on pillows. Glad to hear that I shouldn't worry to much while bf about my posture. Need to try sitting cross legged, but my legs will have to get used to that. It's been ages since I've sat that way!! I wear my baby on my front and like you like to have him rather high and only really use it now if he is very upset while out (i usually have the stroller with me also). Ha ha, I will try try the arm flapping. I am anxiously waiting delivery of the WW book and DVD to really get me into WW posture and thinking about it all the time. I have been slack the past week and my bulge is very uncomfortable and painful at the moment. I have a habit of raising my shoulders while walking with the stroller instead of lowering them. Is there a video of Christine doing nauli and firebreathing? I can only find nauli from yoga instructors on youtube?
Baby is calling, thank you again.