r/PelvicOrganProlapse

Struggling with the decision to have surgery or not. My urogynecologist recommends a hysterectomy with mesh (sacrocolpopexy), but I am really unsure.

I've had uterine prolapse since my daughter was born 11 years ago. It progressed to a stage 3 within a couple years. I tried pelvic floor PT initially, nominal difference. Tried a pessary, it was uncomfortable and pushed on my colon causing blocked gas and stool. While it's not exactly painful it is uncomfortable and annoying. I also have adenomyosis but avoided hysterectomy because I am afraid of more prolapse. I am still worried about this and possibility of failed mesh or complications from the mesh. Or making everything worse (pain) by having the surgery. I plan to meet with my urogynecologist again to go over more questions.

If you have gone through hysterectomy with sacrocolpopexy please share you experience. Or if you opted to just live with the prolapse, I'd like to hear your reasons.

Other things to mention: I am also seeing my primary doctor for possible diagnosis of hypermobility disorder, I have hypermobile SI joints...not sure if mesh attached to sacrum would bother that.

Tl;dr: Repairing perineal muscle immediately but postponing other repairs while still postpartum. Has anyone done this?

Obviously I'm in contact with my urogyn about this, but I'm wondering if anyone has direct experience.

I am 5 months pp and also 24 months pp, and I have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for almost 3 years. I have a stage 2 rectocele that is highly symptomatic. I use a ring pessary and estrogen cream, do PFPT, and am following an online prolapse exercise program that includes hypopressives.

I also know because of 3D ultrasound that my transverse perineal muscle is completely severed. I have a dull ache running in the background most of the time, sex is off the table, and I essentially have no perineum.

I don't know how much the rectocele will heal with time; not completely, of course, but potentially to the point of becoming asymptomatic. I don't think it's wise to address it surgically now.

However I do know that I will need a perineoplasty (perineorraphy). I'm toying with the idea of addressing that sooner rather than later, yes while breastfeeding, yes while having little kids still, and yes while unsure about future children, yes carrying the possibility I will still need a posterior repair in the future--in part because it may do a lot to help the rectocele, in part to regain my sex life and self esteem. Has anyone done the same or have thoughts on the matter?

Hi! I’m a first time mom, 32, vaginal birth to a baby boy on 2/27. Normal labor, maybe an hour of pushing, second degree tear that seemed to heal well. Cleared at my 6 week appointment, but around week 9, I noticed a vaginal bulge and swelling sensation that I hadn’t felt before. Immediately made an appointment with my midwife and had an exam while coughing, was told no prolapse and to work on kegels to reprove strength. She said normal healing process, just dealing with residual swollen tissue and that breastfeeding also keeps the muscles relaxed for longer.

3 weeks later and I’m no better but no worse. I’m just uncomfortable now and focused on the sensation, but no urinary or bowel issues. I went ahead and made an appointment with a pelvic floor therapist but I’m feeling so discouraged and afraid I’ll never even be able to walk normally again without feeling this tampon half out sensation. It’s driving me nuts! Did anyone experience something similar, and when did the uncomfortable feeling start to ease up? I’ll be 12 weeks pp this Friday. I will say the anxiety behind this is making it way worse. Thanks in advance!

I met with the urogyn several months ago and she diagnosed stage 2 rectocele. She also explained my perineum is basically gone after 3 vaginal births. She recommended surgery but I’ve been putting off calling to schedule. My main concern is time off work and downtime where I can’t take care of my kids/dogs. I can work from home but my husband doesn’t really have PTO to help out with the kids. For those who had this surgery and have kids, how long until you could walk around, bend, do basic household tasks, get kids on/off the bus? How long until you felt ok enough to work from home if you have a desk job?

Also curious if anyone who had these specific procedures felt it helped with sexual sensation. I think since my perineum disappeared, intercourse just doesn’t feel like much anymore. Trying to manage my expectations on whether this will ever come back.

I have a stage II cystocele, rectocele, and uterine prolapse and am almost 9 months postpartum, still breastfeeding. I did pelvic floor therapy for months prior to delivery and months after and stopped because it got expensive and I was having no results. I scheduled with someone new in network who is supposed to be good, but they can’t see me until late August. I started Pilates and have been religiously doing this since February. I also wear a size 7 dish pessary. It has become incredibly clear to me that I no longer have any sensation - not clitoral or anything. Is this from the prolapse? Is it fixable? I’m so upset.

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My name is Elya, I’m 30 years old. I’ve suffered from severe constipation since I was a child. A year ago, whenever I went to the bathroom, I would strain a lot, and nothing would come out.

I would give up and take several stool softeners until something finally came out.

But they stopped working for me, and I quit taking them (I hate laxatives).

Now I’m much worse ))

Whenever I feel my butt numb, with cramps, and my back tense, I know something very thick and hard is waiting for me when I go to the bathroom )

So I wait until I have a very strong urge to poop and pee. (Strong stimulation helps the stool move down a lot.)

And when I can’t hold it anymore, I run to the bathroom carrying a small mirror to see what’s happening.

Then I sit on the toilet, relieve the urge, and start peeing. While I pee, my anus dilates a lot without anything coming out.

The pressure is horrible — it feels like something very hard is pressing against my back, trying to come out, but you feel extremely blocked up.

So I look in the mirror and see my anus very open in an “O” shape, without even the tip of the stool appearing.

I push lightly, my anus swells slightly while staying slightly open, and still nothing comes out.

So what I do is squeeze my anus and open it repeatedly.

Every time I squeeze, I try to stimulate the internal pressure. And when I open it, I direct the stimulation toward the exit until my anus becomes very dilated again without closing. (The dilation increases the urge and helps the stool move down. If your anus stays closed, be worried.)

After that I feel more internal lubrication, but the stool still doesn’t appear.

Sometimes my anus closes and the urge decreases.

So at that moment, what I do is stand up, spread my butt cheeks wide, stretch my anus with my hands, and while stretched out I tighten and open my muscles to stimulate myself like before.

Then I sit back down, look in the mirror again at my anus open, and let the same stimulation move the stool downward.

If it still doesn’t move down, I push lightly one more time. (I don’t recommend continuing to strain because that blocks the exit.)

If the poop still doesn’t move down, I make a ball of scented toilet paper or toilet paper with aloe vera and insert it into my anus. (The scented paper increases lubrication and the urge quite a lot.)

I move the paper around in circles and stimulate my walls. And when I feel a strong urge, I remove the paper ball and let the same stimulation move the stool downward.

I repeat this sitting and standing several times until I feel the stool pressing against my exit.

And finally, when I feel it’s about to come out, I quickly sit on the toilet, spread my butt cheeks wide, and see in the mirror that my anus is very red and dilated.

I feel a lot of stimulation at the opening of my anus, and something very hard pressing near the exit.

I push and relax my anus harder, increasing the dilation.

And with every push, I feel something dark and hard appearing more and more at my opening, swelling and stretching my anus even more in the mirror.

Until with one of those pushes, the head of a very hard and thick stool full of pebble-like lumps finally comes out, stretching my anus a lot.

I relax my anus and feel relieved that the head of the hard stool finally appeared. But now it’s time to get it out 🫠

I spread my butt cheeks, lean forward, and push hard while pouting with my lips.

Some hard pebble-like pieces break off and fall heavily into the water.

I keep tightening and pushing with my butt cheeks spread open, and larger and larger hard lumps come out.

Until at some point they block the exit because they are so thick and hard.

At that moment I try different techniques:

\- I stand up, push while standing, sit back down, and continue pushing while opening my anus with my fingers.

\- I look in the mirror, touch each hard lump, and remove it manually. (You can use gloves if you want.)

\- If it’s still stuck, I insert another ball of toilet paper into my anus to stimulate myself more and increase lubrication so the stool can slide out.

At that point I usually manage to remove all the hard lumps.

But after that comes the most difficult part.

My anus remains dilated, and I feel a thick, uniform, very hard log starting to appear, stretching my anus to its limit.

But because I’m lubricated, I barely feel pain.

When the hard log gets stuck halfway out, I lean forward, insert two fingers into my vagina, and push downward on the stool reflex while continuing to push.

With the other hand, I try to dilate my anus more and pull the stool out manually.

Sometimes I move my hips in circles to force the stool toward the exit, and when I feel it continuing to come out, I grab the stool and pull it out with my hand while pushing.

Until finally everything comes out.

And the best part is that the stimulation and natural lubrication prevent you from feeling pain.

I recently discovered my bladder, uterus, and vaginal walls have all prolapsed (sorry, brand new to this and still not sure of correct terms!) I saw a surgeon who recommended a total hysterectomy (52, perimenopause, but menopause probably not far off even without hysterectomy)

He said it will take 6-9 months to make sure my hormones are in a good place for my body to accept the cadevar materials they will use to rebuild the vaginal walls. (I was not previously on any type of HRT because I haven't been having any menopause symptoms.) I did blood work and all my levels came back on the low side, borderline menopausal. I've started estrogen, testosterone & progesterone.

just wondering if 6-9 months is typical for a wait time ?? I tried searching but couldn't find other posts about this. I am overweight by about 60 pounds, and he mentioned it would be good if I could lose at least 30 of that & recommended a GLP1.

now I'm wondering if the weight is a bigger factor as I've seen some surgeons won't operate on overweight patients.

I've called around for a second opinion, but the doctors are all booked until August or September. I made appointments because why not if I have to wait, might as well get another opinion! but wanted too see if this wait time /hormone balancing time is typical??

thanks for any help or experience you can share!

Edited to add: I am in the U.S. and I looked at my medical notes and I have grade 4 cyctocele with total uterine prolapse, and need anterior and posterior vaginal repair.

24 yo F with 1 child 2 years pp. had a very long labor and pushed for 5 hours with a vacuum assisted delivery. haven’t had any issues besides i’ve been spotting like my period for the past 2 weeks, but my periods have been irregular since giving birth. thought it was weird so I took a mirror down there to check things out and OH MY GOD. It was like my vagina was gone. there’s no opening, just a bulge of tissue that looks like a ball where the opening USED to be. went down the rabbit hole and am suspecting prolapse. i’m in my twenties and I feel like my body is ruined. have been on a weight loss journey about 2 months lifting weights and now i’m realizing that’s not even going to be a possibility anymore. not trying to be dramatic but i’ve been bawling my eyes out all day. scheduled an emergency visit with obgyn tomorrow but looking for some support in the meantime. again…. im 24…. wtf

I got mine a couple of days ago and I love it already. I feel much more like my old self when I'm wearing it (although still doing the same things as before).

My question is, has anyone here used a pessary postpartum and found that over time their prolapse reduced? E.g. stage 2 to stage 1?

I would love to hear some experiences to give me hope! Thanks

I‘m 8 months postpartum (first baby) with a cystocele that impacts me daily. I was only 27 when I vaginally gave birth to my baby. I was induced and in labour for 17 long and excruciating hours. His head was big and he had his fist balled up next to it so I kept pushing for a while but nothing happened. Ultimately they did an episiotomy which then progressed into a third degree tear. Afterwards I felt mostly fine but when I went on first short walks around 2 weeks postpartum, I realized something was off. I had a lot of pressure down there and felt like all of my organs were going to fall out or I had a tampon stuck. My gyn had a look while I was on my back and said everything looked normal so I went back home and rested some more.

After a while, it still didn‘t get better so I went to a pelvic floor physical therapist at 3 months postpartum. She examined me lying down and standing, did an ultrasound and told me I have a cystocele grade 2-3. I‘ve been doing my exercises ever since but wanted to get a pessary to be able to relieve symptoms while on a walk etc. Got a cube pessary that didn‘t fit (kept moving) and went to a new gyn that specialised in pelvic floor. She said my pelvic floor muscle is really strong and doesn‘t need any more exercising as it‘s probably more on the overactive side. She also fitted me a new hybrid pessary and gave me some estrogen creme. I‘ve been using the creme and pessary for around two weeks now but have noticed a new symptom around 3 days ago. I‘ve never had any incontinence or bladder pressure etc. but now I constantly feel the need to pee. When I go, I feel like my bladder fully empties but the feeling of having to pee remains. Sometimes it also feels like I’m about to pee myself/can’t hold it in. I‘m wondering if maybe the new pessary has irritated my bladder or if it‘s the cream or the combination of the two. I‘m also kind of freaking out at the idea that the cystocele has gotten worse now. I‘m pretty sure it‘s not a UTI as I‘ve had that a few times before and it felt totally different.

I’m slowly starting to get quite depressed because it seems to not get better but worse. I‘ve been tolerating this for 8 long months now but still can‘t live life normally. I can‘t carry my baby, can‘t go on longer walks, can’t workout, can‘t lift things or do household tasks properly and it drives me crazy. I don‘t enjoy life at the moment and feel like I‘m losing hope. All the moms around me meet up and go on stroller/carrier walks and just live this new life while I‘m stuck at home alone with my baby.

Just curious. I take the usuals, but was wondering if there’s something else I should be using.

65F, and I hurt my pelvic floor over exercising. I haven’t started PT yet, but am scheduled to. I’ve been doing stretches (Dr Bri online) and just find my hips to be so sore afterwards, as well as my abdomen.

This all started with UTI symptoms (no UTI) and those symptoms have subsided (using vaginal estrogen for 5 years and increased usage which has helped).

No leakage at all (thankfully) but just can’t get past this uncomfortable feeling. No constipation issues either.

I do have an appt with a urogyn to be certain I don’t have a prolapse.

Has anyone else dealt with a rectal prolapse after years of IBS-C? I am facing this and am terrified. How have you managed to? Did pelvic floor exercises actually help or is surgery really the only option. That also terrors me but I can’t live like this.
Edit: 61 years old female who has suffered from IBS-C most of my adult life. I became reliant on laxatives daily. Early this year I started suffering from hemorrhoids that would occasionally bleed. Family doctor prescribed cream and “ eat more fiber and drink more water “ Like I haven’t heard that all my life. I’ve managed to get the bleeding stopped but the hemorrhoids won’t go away. I am in Canada and have tried restorilax which just makes me poop multiple times a day and never feel like my bowels are empty. I’ve recently realized I have a large mass in the back of my vagina (tmi) sorry. I’ve had a hard time getting an appointment with my doctor but did speak to his nurse and told her about the mass. She said that can happen when you are constipation so double up the restorilax. I no longer feel constipated but the mass continues to get larger. Sorry I am rambling. I need to get an appointment with my GP to confirm all of this but I’ve been doom scrolling and now looking for any real life experiences that might calm me down until I can get an appointment.

Hi! I am scheduled for surgical repair of grade 2 prolapses (rectocele/cystocele).

Talk to me about what helped during your recovery. Are I frozen pads helpful?

Im miserable been like this for over a month now all docs just say take some miralax please help I can send pics its nasty but I need help

I currently strength train and walk for exercise. I’ve been told not to do any running or jumping but I’m looking for some new activities to add in. I wanted to train for hyrox but it looks like that’s not happening for me. What do you all do for regular exercise?

For those with a 2 story house. When did you start going up and down the stairs to sleep after surgery?

I had my second child 12 weeks ago and I am 99.999% sure I’m experiencing some mild/moderate pop. Waiting on my gyn appointment next week but I’m having so much anxiety. I’m 30. In addition to the obvious things to be worried about, I want more babies so bad. Has anyone here had pregnancies following a pop diagnosis?

I am currently 10 weeks postpartum from my second baby. After discovering a bulge in my vagina at 5.5 weeks postpartum, the PFPT diagnosed me with a stage 1/2 uterine and bowel prolapse. She also said I have a strong but tight pelvic floor - I am able to contract well but cannot fully relax.

I have been given some stretches to do with breathing and told to do no kegels for the next couple of weeks until I see her again.

I have been doing the stretches and breathing for the last couple of days, but have found I get increased pressure and feelings of discomfort in my vagina and bum afterwards. I can't seem to get comfortable. It almost feels like the relaxation is making symptoms worse...

Has anyone else had a hypertonic pelvic floor as well as prolapse and can share what your recovery looked/looks like?

I think I’ve had a cystocele for many months but only went to my doctor last month and she confirmed a grade 1. I went to a pelvic floor therapist who just said to do Kegels, breathe through exercises (I strength train regularly). I don’t know if it’s my own paranoia but I feel like in the last month it’s gotten worse. I use menstrual cups when I’m on my period and this month it is so hard to insert the cup and my labia is extremely dry and feels thin. I feel like it’s going to tear. I don’t know what’s going on. I have been doing the Kegels. I’m so scared, I don’t know what to do to make it better.

Hello,

I wanted to share some exercises that my PT is having me work on...for GRADE 2 POP. PFPT isn't cheap, so if this can help anyone looking for ideas, please read! The exercises do seem to help, even after just a couple weeks!

And I feel she is giving me more specific directions compared to the videos I've found online too. Like not just squeezing for kegels, but being mindful of a deep breath, then kegel, then lower abdomen squeeze/tighten and hold...

WEEK 1:

• Lay on your back with feet up and pillow under hips
  • Exercise 1: Deep breathing – belly breath. 2 minutes
  • Exercise 2: Breathe in, relax. Breathe out, contract pelvic floor. 2 minutes
  • Exercise 3: Put a block or ball between your knees. Squeeze the block. Then do a kegel. Then tighten belly like pulling it in to your body. Don’t push it out. Hold for a little bit, then relax. Repeat for 2 minutes.
• WEEK 2:
• Exercise #1: Place a ball between your knees. Squeeze the ball, do a kegel, then tighten your core like pulling into your body. Then lift up into a bridge pose. Hips should try to be in line with knee and shoulder. Blow out as you lift up. Relax between repetitions. Repeat 3 rounds of 10
• Exercise #2: Bent knee fallout: Lay with knees bent. Tighten pelvic floor and belly. Slowly lower one knee out to the side towards floor. Go as far as you can keep pelvic floor/belly contracted. Bring the leg back up, keep the contraction, then repeat on the other side. Then relax and repeat. 3 rounds of 10
• Exercise #3: Get on all fours with a ball between your knees. Squeeze ball slightly. Tighten pelvic floor and abdomen. Then lift up slightly to raise knees off the floor. Hold 15–30 seconds. (Just keep breathing as you hold. Relax between each round. Repeat 3 times.)