Whole Woman Village Forum

I am a 34 year old with 3 kids under 5. After the birth of my 3rd child just 3 weeks ago, I noticed something bulging out of my vagina. I went to my ob who said I have both bladder and uterine prolapse. He said I need to do Kegels, physical therapy and if that doesn't work surgery. He also threw in some scary verbage about hysterectomy and everything falling out after hysterectomy. I have been an emotional mess for 2 weeks straight. I was a fitness instructor before I became pregnant with my 3rd. Now I can't even stand up for more than an hour without having to sit down. I am normally a busy body who can't sit still. This just isn't me. It is the most uncomfortable thing I have ever experienced.

Hi wise women with wombs

I have had an awful experience today. I know my body is trying to menstruate as it has been about 2 weeks since I felt I went into second fortnight of cycle.

I was preparing to go out to lunch today and was committed to going. I had to wear a hat, so I was sitting putting the finishing touches to it after breakfast and I began to get little shooting pains in my pelvis, similar to ovulation pain. They got worse and developed over the next 20 minutes into full-blown first stage of labour type pain, except that it was there all the time instead of coming in waves. I figured I was about to have a big bleed so put a napkin in my knickers. I could tell it was my uterus from the position of it and type of pain, so I drove in to the pharmacy and bought some Ponstan (anti-prostiglandin for period pain), figuring if it didn't work I would just go to the Doctor and find out what the hell was happening. By the time I got to the pharmacy I was using labour breathing and could hardly walk. Picked up my friend and explained the situation and took a couple of capsules and off we went. By the time I reached our destination the pain had alleviated considerably and disappeared completely during the day, only re-appearing as the Ponstan wore off this evening. I still feel like I have a football blown up in my pelvis. It hurts (distension type pain) when I sit down, but goes away when I am seated. The funny thing was that there has been no bleeding at all, just a bit of mucousy yellow discharge that is odourless and is not sticky like pus. I feel pretty exhausted, even after a nanna nap when I got home (I confess that I did read until about 3am this morning - good novel - couldn't put it down!) and I can't think straight. I will see what tomorrow brings.

Can anyone help?

I have been doing the firebreathing exercises for the past three weeks now and lately when I contract my abdominal muscles, my pelvic floor muscles want to come with the contraction if you know what I mean. Should I let this happen? I have actively been trying to isolate the abs from the pelvic floor until I got some advice from someone as I don't want to do any damage/strain myself.

Thank you

Frankie x

I have read over a lot of the posts here and finally decided to tell my own story and ask some questions since everyone here seems so supportive. I am 33 and delivered my second baby about 11 weeks ago, my first son was born 22 months prior. Both deliveries were all natural, quick and easy (8 hours and 2 hours) and only a couple stitches the first time. I felt great after baby no. 2 so when I got home I did laundry, carried my 37 lb. toddler up the stairs and other household stuff. Then the next day I felt VERY swollen and saw that something was protruding. Doctor says I have a small uterine prolapse, but it seems to me that it is more than a mild prolapse since it is protruding. I have always been very fit, slim and health conscious and had never heard of prolapse and neither have any friends that I told about this. I keep wondering why prolapse is not mentioned in any pregnancy books, literature or magazine! If I had known about it I would have been much more careful - I feel as if I did this to myself and am very depressed about it. My mother kept telling me not to carry my toddler which I did throughout the whole pregnancy. I felt strong as I did after delivery until the prolapse. I assumed not lifting was more to do with fatique, possibly harming the baby while pregnant or the stitches I had the first time since no one mentioned not lifting after the second baby.

I'm 21 and a mommy of 2. My daughter is almost 2 now, and my son is coming up on 8 months.... after my daughter was born I began experiencing major constipation ( the first sign something was wrong) I was going weeks without a BM... I visited my Dr. but instead of looking into things he gave me stool softners and sent me home.... another week passed and I was experiencing so much back and pelvic pain and I was so uncomfortable... AF hit and I couldn't keep a tampon in.... so I got nosey with a mirror, had my hubby confirm things looked "out of place" and began looking into things online... I visited my Dr. roughly 2 wks after my first visit and he sent me to see a gyn and then it began... I saw 4 gyn's before anyone would do a pelvic.... (I was constantly told at 19 yo, with 1 mildly large(9lbs1oz) baby it was NOT possible)... when I was FINALLY given the time of day the Dr confirmed I had a mild uterine prolapse, as well as a cycstocele & rectocele and sent me to PT.

.... I was stronger. I am having a bad day again today. It feels like my uterus wants to come out and say hello and it is such an unnerving feeling. I don't even have the courage to check to see if it has dropped further with all this coughing I've been doing as I don't think I could handle it.

I really must buy Christine's complete package so I feel like I am doing something proactive. I've just googled the surgery and found more horror stories but then I am guessing those that have successful outcomes don't write about it.

When will I find this inner strength to deal with this. Walking around with this feeling down there makes me so sad and I am looking at the world very differently these days. I can't find the good in anything and I look forward to nothing.

I found the following online and thought to share it; it seems that at least some doctors thinkthat hysterectomy is risky and prefer other options in non-life-threatening situations.

Hysterectomy raises incontinence surgery risk
Study: Women who had uterus removed had double the urethra problems

HONG KONG - Women who have undergone hysterectomy, or removal of the womb, are at higher risk of urinary incontinence that needs to be corrected by surgery later on, a 30-year Swedish study has found.
The risk is especially high for women who have given birth to more than one child vaginally, the researchers wrote in the latest issue of The Lancet journal, urging more caution.

I'm still figuring out this format... I've always "hi-jacked" other forums and added a thought. This seems to be the forum I would be most focused on. How to live with this and how to negotiate the people in my life. I see a pattern developing in how I cope with the ebb and flow of my symptoms and sensations. I want to dance with this instead of smacking the wall, retreating, recovering and charging forward again. Smack. Know what I mean ? I'm not sure who - think it was Kit (Thankyou for your substantial postings !! it equals your precious time) who said she would maybe accept the physical aspects of this but would be damned if it robbed her of her mental health as well ! (paraphrasing) Amen. I Have been in some dark places recently and it makes me value my mental health all the more

i have an ultrasound next week which requires a full bladder. The instructions say to drink a pint and a half of liquid, an hour and a half beforehand and not visit the toilet. I don't think this is even possible for me to drink that much liquid and then go so long without using the loo, but presuming it is...is it even a good idea with a bladder that is already prolapsed? i'm really scared sbout doing it in case it causes the prolapse to advance.

in general can we do more damage by hanging on when we need to go....thinking about long car journeys and such times where you end up hanging on a bit longer than is comfortable and not just normal circumstances.

I have several dear friends that are on the heavy side. They range in age from 35 to 55. In all three, their stomachs fold down over their pelvic area like a very large, full pouch. Is this a form of prolapse? Or is this just the skin and fascia not being able to support all the weight? What causes this to happen? Does it appear slowly over time or progress quickly? A younger friend of mine fears she has the same thing happening to her. Is there a way to prevent it, other than losing weight?

I love these people and I would never ask them these questions directly. But one in particular, the younger of the older ones wants to adopt and she is being refused by the agencies because of her weight.