Multi-organ Prolapse Postpartum, Cause?

Body: 

Hi everyone,

So, 78 hour labour, 9 lbs baby. Bled for 5 weeks fresh blood with clots, and kept trying to get into a gynecologist, sensing something was wrong, but finally got a referral when I noticed bulging last week. It hasn't been confirmed, but there are three distinct different things filling the cavity of my vagina - rectum, uterus, bladder. Seeing the gynecologist this week and a pelvic floor physiotherapist.

Given the bleeding and the degree of the drop and amount of organs dropped, I'm wondering, based on others' experiences, if you found cause linked to the complete tearing and deterioration of the lining holding all those wonderful organs up (including muscle)?

If yes, did you somehow magically grow new tissue to hold everything back up again? Has anyone else with the same extent of prolapses had any substantial recovery (i.e. - organs have gone back up again enough to not see the bulging)?

I'm 37. We're 6.5 weeks postpartum. This is my first (and very, very likely only) child.

I am a very sexual person. I am a very active person. I think I've gotten into the acceptance stage, but then find myself flung right back into grieving again. I wish this was at least a milder case.

I'm still able to relieve myself fairly easily, thank goodness. I have a supportive husband. But damn, I'm still having a pretty rough time with this.

I would love to know the cause. Feeling impatient and hoping an ultrasound will help confirm soon, just so I know specifically what I can expect and what I can do to work on addressing this pronto. Right now I'm practicing the posture (putting up signs around the house). Can't do much from the sample exercise video on youtube yet. Feels pretty raw. I also have a yeast infection that I'm having a tough time fighting right now.

Like everyone else on this forum, I'm thankful for this resource and am definitely going to be ordering the vid and book! And I'm sharing the fact that this can happen with everyone I know right now! Word needs to get out.

It's so early in your healing! It might not seem so because we live in a world that expects women to be back to normal 6 wks after birth. I'm 1 yr PP and still seeing progress. It can take a long time! As far as sex goes, i felt like my vag was a 4 lane highway at first which didn't give either one of us good sensation. Gradually it has tightened up so now it's a very very enjoyable single lane road, so to speak! Sex has helped my healing a lot. The problem was it took a long while for my hubs vasectomy to be declared successful so we'd been abstaining for too long. (At ages 42 & 47 we didn't want to have any more surprise babies since our one kid was a surprise. We didn't want to take any chances w birth control. Baby was the best surprise ever, and we're so glad it happened, but one is enough for us). Anyway, more to say later. You're lucky you found the WW site this early in your healing phase. It took me far too long. Have hope!

Hi Sasha,
First time mama is correct. It is way too early in your postpartum healing to know where you are with prolapse when it takes up to two years to heal completely after having a baby. I remember my vagina being a train wreck after having my babies too. The good news for you is that these organs are not supported by a soft tissue layer, they are pulled into the lower belly and held there by intrabdominal pressure, out of the vaginal space.
You will learn all this information once you get your book and DVD. And, yes it does take the time that your body needs, we are all a little different in that, but dedication to this work will help you along as you heal.
Best wishes to you and your new baby!

Can you clarify re: tearing because it sounds like you had a grade 3 tear? Or what? I had an episiotomy and the way it healed it seems like the tissue has a lump to it centrally and then on either side it drops down to these crevices (this is hard to explain).. Sometimes it feels full there and I wonder if it's only the rectocele playing a role or it's partly the way the tissue healed. During my periods my tampons leak because it'll settle toward one side and the blood seeps down from the other side. I always wear a pad in addition to tampons. Curious what other gals have experienced re: that.

That's interesting, first time mama. I also had pretty big episiotomies with my babies, but never had a rectocele. I have always leaked outside my tampons, but that was even way before I noticed prolapse. I have always had very heavy flows.

There has been some discussion about the more severe tears on here, just put it into the search box for more information.

so my case is pretty severe. my organs are actually hanging out. and they say it really is hard to have hope that things will get better. besides intra-abdominal pressure, the muscles and tissue must do some holding in! any success stories that you guys can point to more know of at this point to give me hope? I really hope I don't have to have surgery. I do thank you for your words of encouragement!!! on a side note interestingly, my clitoris is inaccessible having retracted completely. this is likely due to the fact with the muscles to the clitoris hood are loose or gone. I am grieving the loss of my womanhood.

I did have a rather small perineum start with and definitely did tear and did not receive any stitches. home birth, not sure what degree it was.

Here is one of the better threads about torn perineums with some great advice:

https://www.wholewoman.com/forum/node/6436