Pregnant and Urinary Retention

Body: 

Hello, I am new here, I've been reading for a couple days. I'm kind of desperate for advice. I am 10 weeks pregnang with a happy surprise baby #4, we had tried for more children years ago but fertility treatments did not work so we moved on. Our youngest is 9 and we found out a few weeks ago we are expecting! I have 3 kids- 15, 13, and 9- all natural vaginal births, some tearing with #1. Diagnosed with endometriosis (one laparacopic surgery for pain management and ovarian obstruction) as well as mild pcos, I've been told I have a tipped uterus. I am 38 years old, healthy weight, fairly healthy eater, walk for exercise. Before I realized I was pregnant I started having slight difficulty peeing in the night, a few weeks later I had a few nights with urinary retention that were pretty bad, but with lots of hands and knees and downward dog position I was finally able to go. I asked my dr last week at my pap if I was perhaps a little prolapsed because everything seems to be hanging pretty low, she laughed and said no. Tested me for UTI (never had one before) and it was negative but the more advanced testing revealed red blood cells- which could be UTI or possibly kidney stones. I've been sleeping in a chair for several nights and I'm able to pee fine so long as I don't sleep laying down- so I'm miserable. I had my ultrasound on Thursday and had to drink lots of water and then hold it while I lay on my back and had my bladder pressed on. They had to stop the u/s cuz I was so uncomfortable but I could not pee after. I became completely panicked and sobbing in my car in agony, sweating profusely, blood pressure sky high, shaking uncontrollably, my kidneys were on fire- it was absolutely horrible. I drove like a madwoman to my midwife office and they very quickly got me catheterized and drained a full LITRE of urine. My midwife said I've got some uterine prolapse going on since my cervix was even with the opening of the vagina. It does go up and down, especially depending on how active I am in the day. I don't know if I should take the antibiotics, if they fix the retention and allow me to sleep it would be wonderful while I work on the prolapse. But if it does nothing then I've poisoned myself and baby unecessarily. I don't know what to do but I need help bad. I asked my dr about a pessary to get me through til my uterus lifts out of the pelvis but she dismissed it and said I didn't need it. I'm very frustrated and worried and not sure where to turn. Thank you for any help!

Hi Mommy2Four - Even during pregnancy, the kind of incomplete emptying of the bladder that can be associated with prolapse is generally handled successfully by getting down on hands and knees to urinate, which tips the organs to the proper angle. What you describe here sounds a bit more serious. Since recovering from the ultrasound experience, have you been better able to keep your bladder emptied? Of course, we would like to think that you are checking out our content here at Whole Woman, because there is much you can learn here about pelvic organ support, and now is the best time to start. - Surviving

Thank you, Surviving. I haven't had problems with peeing since it happened, though I am still sleeping in a chair at night. I'm drinking cranberry juice and taking supplements to help if it is a UTI and it does seem to be improving. I tried every position to try to pee after the ultrasound, knees and elbows, etc. I am reading everything I can on the site, trying to learn posture, breathing, etc. I will be teaching this stuff to my teenage daughter, and my mom and sister are learning along with me. :)