Whole Woman Village Forum

I have a question.

Is it possible for a doctor to aggravate a rectocele?

When I went in to check for prolapse the doctor had me bare down and what I saw frighten me, to say the least. I didn't see a rectocele, until (warning graphic details ahead) he inserted his finger into my anus and forced tissue out of my vagina. It was painful. As he did that he said yup thats a 3rd degree rectocele. Ever since he did that I've had much discomfort in my anal area. My bowels move fine. I've taken a mirror to see what the big deal was while I was defecating. It looked to me like the weight of my waste is pulling down my rectocele. I have soft stools. Its not constipation. My prolapses take turns. They usually alternate between the cyctocele and the rectocele. I'm happy to report that my uterus feels like its back in its place. Some times I wonder if I'm feeling my cervix in my vagina or is it the rectocele? Because when I reach in I feel the cervix is high. Its only after I've defecated that its low. Its not low for long. Is there hope for a rectocele? I'm almost convince that a rectocele would be the most stubborn prolapse to fix, or rather, make it symptom free. I didn't feel this way until the doctor did that to me. Did any of your doctors do that to you in order to determine a rectocele?

Everyone swears by "The Posture" but honestly, I just don't have much occasion to practice it. I use the computer a lot, and I have foot problems, so I don't stand much. When I do get up, it's often to do something specific where I find using the posture difficult - doing dishes or laundry or picking things up off the floor. It's not as if I just stand in once place for very long. Will I get the same benefit from trying to maintain an erect posture while sitting?

I have been to my Urologist, I do have a cystocele. He has told me not to lift, but that walking is ok. I have noticed on the treadmill, if I do the incline, it seems to bother my bulge. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what machines, or floor exercises, besides the kegals, I might be safe to do? I have been going to the gym for 10 years, doing cardio and weights. I am 58, and I really just hate to stop working out. When he said not to lift my grandchildren, that was bad enough. He did put me on Estrace Cream. has helped quite a bit. I also have a spastic colan, so if anyone gets an upset stomach, I assure you this aggravates the bulge also. No more coffee for me. Please any suggestions

My daughter is 1-1/2 weeks old, I was told I now have a uterine prolapse. It doesn't seem too bad (meaning I can see it and it's a slight bulge, but not coming out of me totally). My dr told me to do kegals and come back in a month. In the meantime no heavy lifting. Now my dilema, can this correct on it's own? I am a waitress and go back to work in 5 weeks and on my feet alot. will this effect this? will my sex life be normal again? what else can I do? At the dr yesterday he had me try and do a kegal and said he couldn't feel anything. I don't even know if I am doing them right. Does anyone have history of this fixing itself?

Hi again,

Sorry but I have yet ANOTHER question for you wise ones!

I am booked to have a pessary fitted next week and am told it is a 'ring'.

Most importantly can this 'ring' cause any worsening to my Cystocele? Either straight away or long term?

I was hoping for something that would help take away the heaviness and enable me to exercise again (I'm just to horrendously heavy right now).

I hope that it will only be temporarily used and that one day I wont need it but in the mean time I need to exercise.

Also, if the pessary does succeed in enabling me to feel normal enough to exercise does that mean I can do anything I feel comfortable doing eg cycling / aerobics / running or should I still refrain from certain impacts or positions to prevent the prolapse worsening.

I want to say I do not know how it happened, but of course that would be ridiculous. :) We weren't planning #4, but he or she is coming sometime in January. I have felt so healthy and the prolapse so unsymptomatic. Still the only issue is rectocele. I have to be sure to keep high fiber and high water content in my food. That has also helped stave off nausea. I have no fears about prolapse worsening. I am just praying for good weather and that the midwives arrive a little earlier than they did last birth because my husband was pacing like a cat on a hot tin roof. :)

Yesterday, I was out shopping with DS when he needed a diaper change. I decided to do it right there in the parking lot. I got his diaper (cloth) all ready, and then I stood him in front of me, with him standing between me and car (trying to block view of his body from people walking/driving through the parking lot). I then helped him get undressed and put on the new clothes. After several seconds of standing bent over forward in this position, I stood up and got a strong pelvic pain - mostly central and somewhat higher than my c-section scar. My immediate thought was that I must have made my cystocele worse, followed by the thought that maybe I made some other prolapse worse.

Hi All

www.seekwellness.com/incontinence/glossary_of_incontinence_terms.htm defines urinary incontinence thus. “Involuntary or accidental loss of urine sufficient to be a problem. There are several types of UI, but all are characterized by an inability to restrain or control urinary voiding (see mixed urinary incontinence, nocturnal enuresis, overflow incontinence, stress incontinence, transient urinary incontinence, urge incontinence)”. That should sum it up pretty well as far as we are concerned on this site.

I think “sufficient to be a problem” is where it gets hard to define. During my googlings this morning I came across a reference to an article entitled something like “2000 onwards – The No Leak Years”. I have been unable to find it again, but it got me to thinking about modern life and how we like to be so clean all the time.

Hello Christine....I had surgery before I read your book....and was put under loads of pressure by the surgeon to go for corrective surgery he was very unpleasant to me about smelly cervixes although now I realise my prolapse was not that extreme. My womb is now meshed to the base of my spine and I also had surgery on the vagina to correct a front vaginal prolapse.....I can no longer enjoy sexual intercourse with my partner...|I have forgotten what it is like to have an orgasm...the area around my clitoris is numb.....please is there anything that I can do to help my situation? I do some yoga and I walk lots and swim and my general health is good, can you give me advise on diet or herbs or any exercise that can reverse some of the damage that surgery has caused. I really miss my sexuality and sometimes think that I am in some sort of nightmare...if I pinch myself maybe I will wake up and be me again.

Ok, so I am having difficulty with the whole theory behind 'the posture'.

I dont understand how my bladder which is already slipped way down can by my posture end up resting on my pubic bone - it's already slipped way below that so how can having the correct posture move my bladder back up?

I thinbk maybe I'm missing something fundamental here? If I understood the theory more maybe it would help me to more naturally move/stand/bend etc in a way which would be beneficial.

Sorry if this sounds dim. I am having a bad day today - it feels like my bladder has moved even further down which is disheartening as I have made such an effort with my eating and posture. I've even been sitting on a swiss ball in an attempte to strengthen my core muscles.