Damage done ?

Submitted by worried new mom on November 26, 2013 - 11:59pm
Body: 

Six months pp and wondering if you think one time straining on toilet could cause lasting damage? I know we all have ups and downs but I'm worried about permanent set backs. How resilient is the body from just the odd misstep? ( lifting something heavy- straining on toilet one time).? I'd hate to think I've caused "damage" when otherwise I follow ww techniques but things feel worse right now.. Also I think I may be over accentuating the curve in back- can this cause worsening of problems? I feel like I may have rectocele but never had before ..

Forum:

AnnieMay

November 27, 2013 - 3:23am

Hi worried new mom

I m in the same boat I m 9 months post partum and I keep thinking what if lifting that shopping has given me a permanent set back

Please advise

fab

November 27, 2013 - 4:07am

The old fashioned and rather wise advice was to give yourself two years to recover after childbirth. Permanent damage is unlikely when you are both so young. The one mis-step is frightfully unsettling, but should by all accounts be retrievable. The baby's suckling plays its role in uterus recovery, your diet and toileting habits and posture and exercise also play their roles in pelvic organ prolapse recovery. Lifting and feeding baby in posture or posture friendly maneuvers, refraining from other heavy lifting and awkward back bending work, giving yourself time for rest and gentle exercise and anxiety free time to take baby outside into the fresh air, indulging in a little liberty; these all help to bring mum back to strong, lithe moving young woman.

worried new mom

November 29, 2013 - 11:52pm

Thanks a lot fab. I also have another question that maybe someone can help shed light on:

I am just over 6 month pp and am just now noticing ( I guess that doesn't mean it want there before) what I believe is a mild rectocele. Can feel very small pillowy bilge at opening... I was feeling improvement around the six month mark and now feel like I've gone backwards . I notice some difficultly with bm. I have been using a technique that a pt showed me that I thought was splinting but now I am reading that maybe it's not. I take the toilet paper and apply pressure up to my perineum area which can help ease it out. I do notice that as I apply the pressure I still need to bear down/ push somewhat. Is that bad? I know intense straining is bad but is some bearing down while applying this support / pressure also really bad? If so do you think me doing that a few times lately could have caused the rectocele or some relapse in my condition .. I just really struggle feeling like I'm going backwards when everyone says six months is when u should start improving.. Thanks for any insight.

Surviving60

November 30, 2013 - 6:10am

New mom - splinting is when you insert a finger or two into the vagina, to gently push the rectal bulge back, allowing the stool to pass more easily and not get stuck in the bulge.

If you do have to bear down (and let's face it, we all do at times) do so in a gentle, controlled manner and try to maintain the position Christine describes, where you lift off and forward a little bit into a half-squat, put your weight on your feet, and maintain lumbar curvature. This is illustrated in her book and on the FAFP dvd.

As fab says, at your age it's unlikely to have been an irreversible event. But it should be a good reminder to be mindful and gentle ALL the time. Prolapse-wise, 6 months or even later can indeed be a time for setbacks, so take heart, but do consider it a wakeup call. - Surviving