3months postpartum - does this sound familiar?

Welcome Michelle,

There are a few Michelle's here!

Sorry to hear your story, yes it does sound familiar to me! It is hard dealing with this at any age, but after having a baby I think it is especially hard. I too went through the same sadness.

I am surprised that you Dr thinks your rectocele can't get any better, and seems to want to "fix" it surgically already. There is evidence that post partum prolapse can improve for up to a year, though it often depends on individual circumstances.

To encourage you, I have seen improvement in my own post partum rectocele, and a huge improvement in my uterine prolapse which was visible, and is now barely a stage 1. I implemented the posture described here, refined my diet to avoid constipation, and did kegels, though not lots. I also find walking helps and sitting around does not, though I don't do a lot of that with two little ones!

Surgery is not a "fix" very often I am afraid from all that I have researched and read. It would be great if it was, but very often it seems to set women up for many more surgeries and problems. You will find evidence of this everywhere you read, though you wont hear it from the Dr's often.

Michelle you are so early in the post partum period I would definitely not make any decisions regarding surgery yet. Read all you can here, and try to adopt many of the lifestyle changes as well, and you may well get improvement enough to not need surgery at all. You have time to decide. I am afraid I am unable to answer many of your other questions but hope that someone else might.

Take care and enjoy your baby. I know it is hard but try not to let this spoil your joy, it goes so fast!

Hugs,

Michelle.

Congratulations on your little one!

You are so early still in your postpartum journey. I can completely relate to the shock and sadness of discovering prolapse, but I can tell you that things will get better. I have a cystocele and the bulginess (for lack of a better word :)!) has definitely improved over time, especially after conscientiously working to strengthen my body and also incorporating many of the lifestyle changes that are discussed on this forum in terms of diet, activity level and, of course...POSTURE.

My precious little one is 9 1/2 months old now and I have to admit that I go through entire days now not even thinking about prolapse. I do end up thinking about it a lot when I go to work out, but not because it inhibits me but just to remain mindful when I'm moving.

Swimming is a great whole body exercise. As for pilates, you do need to be careful about some of the 'jackknife' positions that they do in the mat classes, so you might want to stay away from those for now. I feel like I can work out pretty hard now, I usually use the elliptical for cardio, lift weights (nothing too heavy but I'm not in training anymore so I'm not looking for big bulky muscles anyways)

You've come to a wonderful place here, there are so many great, supportive women in this forum and please know that we are here to support you!

Peace,
Michele (another one!)

Hi MichelleK,

I don’t have definitive answers to your questions, but can only offer a few thoughts from my own point of view.

• We are at least several dozens of women who are stabilizing our symptoms with posture, diet, and lifestyle changes. Why should your rectocele get any worse if you are living intentionally and consciously?
• The enterocele sac is formed in front by the posterior wall of the cervix and in back by the front wall of the rectum. When the cervix drops, the sac becomes a bit deeper, because the cervix brings the front wall of the sac down with it, but a “garden variety” rectocele should have no bearing on an enterocele. Surgeons have created a lot of confusion around this issue, but I like the way urogynecologist Linda Brubaker straightens it out:

“The vast majority of rectoceles are ‘low’, that is, at the perineal body. The literature commonly refers to ‘mid’ and ‘high’ rectoceles, but we have only seen such defects in patients with unsuccessful prior posterior colporrhaphy.”

• There hasn’t been a population of women living long term with rectocele studied over the years, due to the surgical solution. You still have the muscularis of your rectum, which remains healthy if a bit stretched, and an intact, if stretched, back vaginal wall. SO MUCH has been written about the rectovaginal septum, or sheet of tissue that supposedly resides between vagina and rectum, but many surgeons dispute it altogether stating it is all just vaginal wall. This means you have as much tissue as anyone else, it’s just been overstretched. Rectovaginal fistulas are common after repeat posterior repairs. I would think regular, happy sex would help smooth those layers out - sort of like blocking a sweater after you wash it.

• The 2003 edition of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (Drutz, et al) states:

“The operation has long been recognized as a cause of postoperative vaginal scarring, stenosis, and dyspareunia in 20-27% of women, greater than that caused by other vaginal operations alone.” I think those numbers are low, but we'll take it.

• The uterus goes up and down throughout the day, throughout the month, and throughout the years.

When you stop all straining on the toilet and begin to hold your pelvic organs (bladder, uterus, sigmoid colon) over their true pelvic floor, which is composed of two flat pubic bones and their disc that come together like the straps of a saddle underneath you and in between you legs, a point in time will come when you will KNOW than your condition is stabilized. This is the marvelous simplicity we have discovered at wholewoman.

Wishing you well,

Christine

I'm on my way out, but wanted to let you know that my rectocele has begun to improve (hooray!) and my uterus moves up and down all the time. I have actually reached a point in this journey where I appreciate the heads-up it gives me in terms of ovulation/menstruation (it always dips right before).

(((hugs)))

I would say wait - Wait till at least a year post partum

My Mother has a much worse rectocele than mine - She has a pessary ring and loves it

i have stabilised my prolapses through the posture - Christine was very patient when I arrived here understanding nothing and freaking over everything, that was one year ago. Now I am filled with a wonder for her words that I cannot even put into words - lol - I never believed that just posture would make my life MINE again.

I had no faith at all really - lol (Sorry Christine) But I would try anything at that time to avoid surgery - And I can happily say now that My prolapses are stable - Who knows what the future holds - We never know that - But a year ago just walking up the road I could feel it 'peeking' And today - In the now - I have not had that feeling since about two months after Posture-Start.

I say keep the faith - Do the posture - And see what happens before jumping into soething you cannot jump out of :)

I am the most Impatient woman on this planet (My partner tells me lollllll) And I wanted a quick fix - But I also wanted one that wasnt someone rammi g things up my underparticles - lolol

Try Posture - Breathe - Relax - Enjoy your baby - And amazingly in a few Months from now you may very well return to this site and impart how amazingly free you feel :)

Good luck
Sue