Prolapse

[MrsC10]

Hi ladies. I've had it confirmed today that I have a mild prolapse.
I'm being referred to a physiotherapist, but have to continue with my pelvic floor exercises in the meantime.

Anyone else suffering from this? What are you doing about it? Are you opting for surgery? Just curious as to others experiences.

 

[noon_child]

I don't know where you live but where I am you are unlikely to be offered surgery for a mild prolapse

 

[jessmke]

I have a first degree prolapse, and no I definitely am not considering surgery. Over 50% of prolapse surgeries fail, so it is only advisable if you have a fourth degree prolapse (ie. you have tissues hanging out of your vagina). I am managing my prolapse with physiotherapy and at home exercises. Expect your physiotherapy appointment to be very invasive! The therapist sticks her fingers in your vagina to assess your prolapse, then will touch various areas inside your vagina and ask you to tighten those muscles to determine how much control/strength you have. Then you'll have exercises to do at home. I also recommend trying to find a physiotherapist trained in hypopressive techniques as I've found that to be extremely helpful. It takes time to heal, my sister also had a first degree prolapse and it took her over a year to feel normal again. I am almost 9 months postpartum and I can still feel it most days. Good luck!

 

[MrsC10]

I have a first degree prolapse, and no I definitely am not considering surgery. Over 50% of prolapse surgeries fail, so it is only advisable if you have a fourth degree prolapse (ie. you have tissues hanging out of your vagina). I am managing my prolapse with physiotherapy and at home exercises. Expect your physiotherapy appointment to be very invasive! The therapist sticks her fingers in your vagina to assess your prolapse, then will touch various areas inside your vagina and ask you to tighten those muscles to determine how much control/strength you have. Then you'll have exercises to do at home. I also recommend trying to find a physiotherapist trained in hypopressive techniques as I've found that to be extremely helpful. It takes time to heal, my sister also had a first degree prolapse and it took her over a year to feel normal again. I am almost 9 months postpartum and I can still feel it most days. Good luck!

Thank you. This is really helpful. I wasn't planning to look into surgery as, like you, mines isn't bad enough to require one.
I've been doing my own exercises at home whilst I await my physio appointment and have seen a difference down there already, which is great.

But of a personal question, but how have you found sex? I've found it to be ever so slightly uncomfortable, but nothing painful or that would put me off.

 

[jessmke]

I have a first degree prolapse, and no I definitely am not considering surgery. Over 50% of prolapse surgeries fail, so it is only advisable if you have a fourth degree prolapse (ie. you have tissues hanging out of your vagina). I am managing my prolapse with physiotherapy and at home exercises. Expect your physiotherapy appointment to be very invasive! The therapist sticks her fingers in your vagina to assess your prolapse, then will touch various areas inside your vagina and ask you to tighten those muscles to determine how much control/strength you have. Then you'll have exercises to do at home. I also recommend trying to find a physiotherapist trained in hypopressive techniques as I've found that to be extremely helpful. It takes time to heal, my sister also had a first degree prolapse and it took her over a year to feel normal again. I am almost 9 months postpartum and I can still feel it most days. Good luck!

Thank you. This is really helpful. I wasn't planning to look into surgery as, like you, mines isn't bad enough to require one.
I've been doing my own exercises at home whilst I await my physio appointment and have seen a difference down there already, which is great.

But of a personal question, but how have you found sex? I've found it to be ever so slightly uncomfortable, but nothing painful or that would put me off.

We haven't actually had sex since my DS has been born.

While I've been assured that sex won't make a prolapse worse, I just don't feel right down there so the thought of having sex makes me nervous. That coupled with sleep deprivation and my non-existent sex drive thanks to breastfeeding and I just have no desire whatsoever. My poor husband, he is very understanding though. I've been told that if I do feel like having sex, positions where your hips are elevated are best, so missionary with a pillow under your hips, or doggy style down on your elbows, for example.

 

[KatBar]

Hi there,

I’ve had a mild-ish prolapse since the forceps birth of my first son. By mild-ish, I mean it’s occasionally uncomfortable (bulging sensation downstairs), but it’s never protruded out, or to the entrance of my lady regions. Although I’ve seen a prolapse specialist, I don’t actually know if it’s stage 1 or 2, or if it’s just my cervix, and/or bowel and bladder (I know it’s definitely cervix as I can feel that’s heaps lower when I inspect myself, but I suspect I may also have a mild bowel or bladder prolapse as well).

Mine is not at all painful or noticeable during sex, and I don’t suffer any leakage issues either. However, I noticed mine back after I had my first son when I began to exercise again. I am a big fan of weight lifting, along with things like squat jumps and burpees (ok, I don’t love the burpees lol), and when I started these up I noticed I’d get this bulging down south. The more I did it, the more uncomfortable and noticeable it was. Upon inspection I realised I had a prolapse.

I did my research, saw a specialist and a pelvic floor physio. I religiously did my pelvic floor exercises and backed off all the exercises that make prolapse worse (heavy lifting and jumping stuff). However, the pelvic floor exercises did jack-all in the end (I was very consistent with them over a long period of time).

Thankfully my second son didn’t make my prolapse any worse, so it’s still very mild and managble. I am seeing a physio again, but basically I’ve just accepted that I will never be able to do all the things I used to do, and that I’ll never get my pelvic floor back to a level I’m actually happy with.
Because exercise is an important thing for me, I now do reformer Pilates and other exercises that don’t do any damage to my pelvic floor.

I think the other ladies have said it, but surgery is definitely always going to be a last resort thing, and only for more severe cases generally.
Hopefully you’ll find sex gets more comfortable again and just find ways to work around any discomfort!