Pregnant with 1st and cystocele

Submitted by Agathe on July 14, 2017 - 11:26am
Body: 

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum. I've already searched for existing topics that were relevant to my questions and have already learned a lot. But here I'm opening a new topic, to introduce myself and to hopefully get some personal answers too.

I'm 25 years old, first time pregnant (6 months), and over the last weeks I've developed a cystocele that now bulges out approximately 1,5 centimeter. The first days were spent mourning and being devastated. Like I read somewhere else on here, indeed it felt like a loss, loss of my body integrity, of my female beauty, shame.. betrayed by my body. A big slap in the face. But now I'm ready to go on and do the best I can, thanks to the stories and answers of the women here. I've been practicing the WW posture only for some days.

1) The right natural posture is certainly the most important thing to practice. But what I haven't understood is, does additional practicing of the "standard kegels", while sitting in the posture, or lying on bed, do any harm? I'm interested in the kegels for the delivery only, and not in order to help the prolapse (I have understood that they don't help for that.)

2) The baby is already sitting pretty low. The cervix has been shortened to half of its original length, so I have to avoid tiring activities/straining of the uterus and rest enough, to avoid more contractions and further shortening. This is maybe something to have on mind for the kind souls who may reply to my post. Is the "new kegels" exercise still safe to do? (I guess so, as long as I take it easy and don't feel things pulling too much?

3) Sitting in the posture, on a chair: is it okay to sit cross-legged?

4) Does (or did) anybody else feel pain while peeing with cystocele? Not stinging. It feels like the bulge is under pressure. Or like there's too much blood pressure there. Since I read about it here I do try to sit in the posture on the toilet seat, with feet on the floor and leaning a bit forward. I get the same pain when I get up and walk after long sitting, or lying. I get the urge to press the bulge up, so as not to feel that pressure. Maybe the pregnancy makes it worse too.

5) I would especially appreciate answers from midwifes and moms who have experienced tears/perineotomy for this one. In your experience, in regards to prolapse, are tears preferable to a perineotomy?
Of course it can be a matter of luck..a nasty tear may be worse than a very small/careful perineotomy.
I will certainly make sure to give birth in a good position, laying on the side or on hands and knees. But still I panic at the thought of being "at the mercy" of the doctors at such a vulnerable moment.

Thank you for taking the time to read.
All the best,
Agathe

Forum:

Surviving60

July 15, 2017 - 3:29am

Hi Agathe and welcome. Not sure I can answer all your questions completely.

1) I wouldn't do kegels on your back; I suppose if you want to do them, sitting in good WW posture would be better. I'm not aware of the purpose of standard kegels to prepare for delivery. But I'm not the most anatomically knowledgeable person here. I did them for decades and they certainly did nothing but harm over the years...I would take back every kegel I ever did, if I could!

2) "New kegels" are basically just pelvic rocks with proper attention to the breathing pattern. I agree those would be OK as long as they feel all right to you.

3) If you mean crossing your legs while sitting in a chair, I think that makes it a little harder to maintain lumbar curvature, but I'd be lying if I said I never do it! Just keep your posture in mind.

4) Could be mainly a pregnancy issue.

5) Yeah, this is a tough one. If you are fortunate enough to have doctor(s) who will let you labor and deliver in accordance with your wishes, even then, there comes a point where it's out of your hands and decisions have to be made in your best interest by someone else.

Just be aware that prolapse during pregnancy is very common and generally moves out of the way during delivery. A very important part of your WW work will take place in those immediate days/weeks post-partum. That healing time does go on for quite awhile, up to 2 years. In a way, you are trying to retain that whole pregnant dynamic where the organs are held forward. Pregnant and/or PP prolapse often recedes on its own, but will be back later if you ignore the root causes. That was my experience. So please take advantage of having youth on your side!

Lots of good reading on the website, blog and forum, as you've already discovered; maybe we will hear from some other more recent moms. Best of luck to you! - Surviving

Agathe

July 15, 2017 - 2:10pm

Hello Surviving60, and thank you. It's very encouraging to hear that it often recedes on its own (or becomes manageable by adopting the right posture). Thank you for the advice, I take it to heart! I am wondering though, what's the explanation for a pregnant prolapse during your 1st pregnancy, since the organs are held forward? Shouldn't pregnancy then be a time when prolapse does *not* occur?
The doctor found it strange for a first pregnancy, and said that it might be the result of a cervical cryotherapy (freezing) that I've had years ago.

I have another question for moms. I'm reading about celes and delivery here: https://wholewoman.com/forum/node/1062
Granolamom says that she'll try to deliver on hands and knees, as that position helps with her prolapse. I also feel relieved from the pressure in that position, with a strong lumbar curvature. So are we supposed to maintain a strong lumbar curvature while delivering on hands and knees? What does that do to the birth canal?

Somewhere else I read about regretting giving birth in squatting position with the pelvis tucked in. Is a tucked in pelvis in general bad for delivery - in any position?
I'm learning as much as I can from the experience of other moms, so as to be prepared if the doctor suggests otherwise..

Surviving60

July 15, 2017 - 7:44pm

I would suggest you read Christine's book, Saving the Whole Women, which has a whole chapter devoted to pregnancy and prolapse. -- Surviving

Agathe

July 19, 2017 - 8:03am

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll see to the book, and search for more older topics on delivery.