What role do hormones play if any in POP?

Body: 

Can someone speak to what role if any hormones play in POP? I am nursing an 11 month old baby and after 8 children am experiencing prolapse. I also am noticing my hair is falling out quite a bit.

It is a bit controversial as to what causes prolapse. Hormones were once only considered contributory to prolapse in menopausal women. We had some ladies on this forum over the past few days who were worried about estrogen loss as a result of lactation making things worse for their prolapse.

A more common explanation for prolapse given currently is that pregnancy hormones, allow the tissues to stretch beyond their rebound limits, and also the weight of an ever-growing womb containing the baby rather than the actual birth or birth intervention which has possibly become more common nowadays. And this is partly to explain why women with caesareans can also develop prolapse.

However, you would know that women who have never had babies can also develop prolapse. And you yourself have had 8 children, and yet, have miraculously avoided prolapse until now. So, even if it were correct that hormones have something to do with it, one would need to know more detailed information about which hormones, and in which amounts etc, and why, before you would give that theory full credit. And even then, you would want to know what other contributory factors there were involved for you to develop prolapse and not that mother over there.

On this site Christine Kent explains her ideas about prolapse: that it is a postural problem. (This wholewoman posture is described under the FAQs tab on the home page.) Recovery from prolapse Christine describes in her book “Saving the wholewoman” and it means what its title says; recovery is a wholewoman approach including posture, exercise, diet, evacuation and living.

Any further questions, feel free.

Best wishes, Fab

Hi Blessed - congrats on bringing 8 babes into the world....I can't even imagine. Is this the first time you noticed hair loss? I only birthed twice but I recall both times noticing that my hair got thicker during pregnancy, then went back to normal afterwards (meaning, all the hairs that didn't shed for 9 months decided to depart all at once!). I think this is normal, but maybe your normal is different.

The post-partum/nursing period is a roller coaster for prolapse. Keep nursing as long as you can, and when you stop, the hormone levels will readjust somewhat in a way that will benefit your prolapse. At least this is my understanding.....I nursed both for a very long time, but can't make the prolapse connection because that didn't crash onto the scene until years later.

But most importantly, I hope you will take Fab's words to heart and look into Whole Woman posture and Christine's body of work. Think of relaxing the belly and holding the pelvic organs forward as if you were still pregnant. This is the perfect time to start. There is so much to read and watch on this site, and a wealth of info to be shared here. - Surviving

I developed prolapse (or the symptoms worsened, who knows...) during my second pregnancy as a result of relaxin causing my pelvis to stretch TOO much. Around the time the relaxin started to slow down, the prolapse improved. I also had the hairloss both times, worse when I had more milk... but it came back! I just noticed a big improvement a few days before my cycle returned so hormones must play a role, however nursing causes uterine contractions so breastfeeding is like exercise for your uterus :)