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Hello all,
I've been voraciously reading this website and forum for the past 24 hours after it turned up within a search for skiing with a Rectocele. I am 34, have a 5 1/2 yo son, who came in a very rapid home birth (3 hrs with 45min of pushing) and I tore significantly. The umbilical cord was around his neck so my midwife did not slow me down in my pushing. It I think I have probably had a minor Rectocele for at least a year or so, but was mostly unaware of it. Saturday I felt the drop and I now feel like there is something in me all the time. I panicked thinking my cervix had straight up fallen out, but was able to locate it in its usual place, thankfully. However, I found a bulge in the posterior wall of my vagina. I called my doctor and they told me I had probably just "found my cervix" and to take some ibuprofen and rest. I told them it was definitely not the case and I wanted an appointment. I am supposed to go in on Thursday.
I am feeling a lot of things right now, but mostly fear of what kind of lifestyle changes I will have to make. I am very active and love lifting, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, backpacking, swimming and playing basketball and any other sport I happen to encounter. I just joined an amazing gym and was feeling so hopeful about really getting fit and strong again. I also work on my feet, waiting tables at an amazing restaurant. Initially I was thinking surgery would be a viable path to just fix it, heal and get back to my life but I am obviously questioning that now.
I guess I am looking for hope in continuing my active lifestyle. And also what I should be doing in this early stage of noticeable prolapse. I am trying to alter my posture today and can feel a difference vs when I tuck my tail bone. Should I be resting? Is this a critical time to help achieve a high degree of healing? Can I still go skiing this weekend? Do I need to drop my gym membership? The workouts can be pretty intense, and I think it's probably what pushed things over the edge so to speak.
Words of hope and wisdom greatly appreciated for this nervous single mama....

Hi SNM and welcome to Whole Woman. It sounds like garden-variety cystocele and/or rectocele to me - it is common to have both. And yes, with proper understanding of posture/exercise/toileting, you can do pretty much any activity you want. I would back off the heavy gym workouts until you learn enough to understand what is safe. You are probably correct in thinking this may have been what pushed you the rest of the way; prolapse happens over time, but when it finally becomes symptomatic, it can seem like it came out of the blue.

Quality rest is important for all of us; but the important work of prolapse management is done when we are on our feet, using gravity, posture and breathing to help hold the organs forward. And you should be doing more than questioning surgery.....you should be saying NO right here and now. Keep reading here, get ready for that appointment; you will most likely not get helpful advice there. - Surviving