r/PelvicOrganProlapse

Hey everyone! I’ve been doing reformer Pilates 3-5x/week for 6 months and haven’t really lost any weight (super frustrating), so I’ve been looking to add some form of cardio for fat loss. I haven’t done any cardio since my delivery/prolapse, and admittedly never really regularly before this either. What are we doing that will not aggravate the prolapse or make it worse? My husband wants to get a rowing machine, but I know nothing about that. Is that safe to do? Do you have any recommendations? What has worked for you? Thank you!!!

Have been splinting almost every day for a couple of years now.

it started maybe a decade ago with squatting and external pressure. Did that for a few years (before and after vaginal delivery, so probably somewhat independent of that)

then months/years post partum bought the weird pink shoehorn to try

couldn’t get it to work

found thumb (thumbprint facing toward tailbone) worked way better. Lucky I have long arms. So the “solution” removed the hassle of the un-ideal situation

(fingers never worked, weird angle)

never been evaluated. Am managing so long as able to manage constipation (now a constant battle, unprecedented in my IBS life)

suspect menopause going to be very disruptive (I’m early 40s)

so do I bother or not to see someone? What might happen if I don’t?

Hi there! I am four months postpartum and I was diagnosed with a mild cystocele and mild rectocele. I’m waiting to start pelvic PT but the earliest I can be seen is end of September currently. I’m breastfeeding and I know that prevents estrogen from getting to the vagina and therefor the walls are not being supported the way they normally would. I do plan to see my doctor again when I can and ask about an estrogen ointment I can apply now that my baby is a bit older (doctor wanted to wait in case traces got into my milk).

I guess my whole point of posting is - I was getting into running and doing 5ks before I got pregnant. I really want to do that again. I had attempted to start running 6 weeks postpartum and I think that’s part of why I prolapsed so I had to stop. But I miss it. Is there anyone here who runs or jogs with a prolapse and what advice can you offer?

I found it so helpful to read about other people's experiences healing after going through this surgery. I was so nervous making the decision to move forward, but knowing what to expect helped me prepare in so many ways. I just thought I'd share how things are going so far, in hopes it can help someone else. I'll try to keep updating along the way.

Day of surgery:

Anxiety started to hit hard while I was in preop. Was wanting to change my mind, but knew I'd just have to go through all of this again. Surgery went well, but they did end up taking one of my ovaries due to bleeding, and I needed a little more repair work than originally planned. Had hysterectomy, sacrocolpopexy, bladder sling, and rectocele repair.

I could not stay awake after surgery. I was absolutely exhausted. Thankfully, I opted to stay the night, I don't know how I would've come home.

Surgery was at 9 am, and I slept continuously until 2am except to swallow pills the nurses were bringing me. Pain was well managed with tylenol and ibuprofen. I had a catheter, so I never got out of bed.

1DPO thankfully passed the void trial and got to have the catheter removed. I found the catheter slightly uncomfortable and felt a constant need to pee. happy to be going home to my own bed today. I was much more alert but still slept a considerable amount. Pain was a little more noticeable due to me moving around more. Still not terrible pain, but GasX has been great for relieving some of the pressure.

2DPO took short walks down my hallway just to move my legs. My legs get tired very easily, so I don't get too much walking in yet. Felt good to take a shower today and removed the bandaids covering the steri strips. Incisions don't look bad. minimal to no bruising as of yet. Belly might be a little swollen. I use ice on my stomach often. I've been lucky enough to be able to sleep on my side since the first night home from the hospital. I find it helps to take off some more pressure if I can be on my side some of the time.

3DPO been awake much more today. Appetite still way down. Pain is tolerable, but I can tell when it's about time for my next dose of meds. Sat down for a while in the morning, but I learned that sitting down causes too much pressure. For now, I'll stick to walking or laying down. Petrified to have a bowel movement, but also know I need to have one at some point. Still taking Stool softener and miralax. Appetite is still down, but I'm trying to increase so I have enough calories for healing. Food does not seem appealing. I'm happy to have protein shakes to help with that. Feels like a big day because I had a shower and a visitor and managed to stay awake much longer today.

My surgeon’s restrictions are no lifting over 10 pounds, avoid unnecessary straining, and no power walking, treadmill, biking, swimming, or intercourse for 6 weeks. He said casual walking is fine and that normal movements like getting in and out of bed or a car are expected.
Were you mostly resting at home, or were you doing things like going to a movie, going out to lunch, or running a quick errand? I’m trying to find a good balance between taking it easy and getting back to normal without overdoing it.
I’d love to hear what your recovery looked like at this stage.

I had transvaginal rectocele repair 24 hrs ago. I have some questions for ladies that have went through the rectocele repair as a stand alone surgery ONLY .
Here’s the deal , oddly I’m not in pain. It burns to per, and I am bleeding enough to need a pad but I’m not feeling anything else. Directly after surgery I was administered a good dose of fentanyl and after I woke up maybe an hour and a half later I was given Tylenol and an oxycodone 5.
Could I still be feeling the effects of the fent and or anesthesia this far out? Is this a false sense of confidence? Will it get worse?
When did the pain really hit you?

Got fitted for a cube pessary today, felt really good and I’m so pleased with it. I don’t like taking it out though, for some reason I worry I’m doing damage especially because I have to try get it past my urethrocele.

Has a pessary helped your prolapse remaine stable?

Update: I spoke with my surgeon and he wasn’t concerned. He said bleeding can increase and decrease during healing, and it could also be a small hematoma draining. I was worried because I think I had an orgasm a few days ago, but he said that would not cause the repair to fail. He explained there are multiple layers of stitches, and it would take something pretty catastrophic to disrupt the internal repair.

He said if it would give me peace of mind, I can come in Monday. He’ll be in surgery, but the nurse practitioner will examine me and contact him if she sees anything concerning. I’ll update again after that appointment in case it helps someone else.

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I’m about 2½ weeks post-op from a cystocele repair and rectocele repair. My bleeding had been steadily decreasing, but over the past 2–3 days it’s increased. It’s bright red, I’ve passed a couple of very small clots, and I sometimes see blood dripping into the toilet when I urinate.
I’m not soaking a full size pad in an hour, I don’t have a fever, and my pelvic pain or pressure isn’t any worse than it has been.

I messaged my surgeon and tried calling the postoperative number, but couldn’t get through because the office is closed.

Did anyone else have an increase in bright red bleeding around 2–3 weeks after surgery? If so, what did your surgeon say? Was it related to dissolving stitches, or did you end up needing to be seen?

I’m 16 days post-op from a robotic hysterectomy with pelvic organ prolapse repairs, including an anterior repair, posterior repair, perineoplasty, and a mid-urethral sling.
Overall, I think I’m healing well, but my bladder seems to be taking the longest to recover. I’m curious if anyone else experienced this.
My bladder aches when it gets full, especially overnight or first thing in the morning.
Sometimes my urine stream is slow in the morning or I have to change positions to empty better, while other times it’s almost normal.
I have an almost constant awareness of my urethra, and sometimes my bladder too. Occasionally it aches a little deeper when I pee.
Every once in a while I notice a tiny drip of urine after standing up, but I don’t leak when I cough, sneeze, or laugh.
I’m still having light pink spotting. Tylenol helps quite a bit, which makes me think it’s mostly healing and inflammation.
For those of you who had similar surgery, did you have bladder or urethral irritation like this around the 2-week mark? How long did it take before your bladder finally felt “normal” again?
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences because recovery has been more of a roller coaster than I expected.

I have a mild bladder prolapse and don’t want it to get worse. My pelvic floor therapist said for now I should avoid jumping and high impact exercises. I am really afraid for my bone density though and think I need to do more besides strength training. Is there any exercise that is good to strengthen bones which is ok with a bladder prolapse? I already regularly strength train so I’m wondering about jumping and things like that.

I’ve been diagnosed with a stage 2 cystocele and after struggling to even get the diagnosis, then feeling as though it’s progressed, I’m just feeling very discouraged.

I went to pelvic floor physical therapy for a few months, which helped with symptoms like pain. But from what I’m hearing / researching, unless you get surgery there’s really nothing that can be “done” about it and it’s permanent. Everyone always says it gets better, but what exactly is better if it’s still there? I don’t want to just not feel it, I want it to go away. The fact that it nearly covering my vaginal opening isn’t enough to get surgery frustrates me as well. I feel like I should just give up on the idea of having comfortable sex again, let alone kids.

Does anyone have more specific experiences with this exact diagnoses? I just need some hope and more explanation.

I have stage 2 cystocele and rectocele. It's finally summer where I live and we were set to go swimming this weekend. Pre-knowing about my prolapse, I would have just used a tampon, but now, I am a little hesitant! I haven't used a tampon in awhile since the past few summers my son either had a broken leg, was hospitalized, or we just happened to swim at times where I was not on my period.

Are they okay to use with prolapse? Is there more risk of leaking now?

29F 7 months pp (first baby), recently had a diagnosis last month of a uterine grade 1 & rectocele grade 2.

I had a 3A episiotomy & forceps delivery. Got referred 3 months pp for physio therapy. Was told I had ‘laxity’ and to do kegals.
General life of being a new mum, and also having a 75th centile baby, I am of course heavy lifting - it can’t be avoided. Anyway at 6 months pp had the typical tampon feeling and was diagnosed.
For the past 3 months my physio has said I’m still scoring a 2 out of 5 on my pelvic floor strength (which in the UK, the NHS score this as weak strength) and I’m currently waiting on a stim machine to hopefully get my muscle strength improved

Guess I’m looking for help & guidance on what my options are to fix this:

Can it be reversed with physio therapy?

Will my vagina strength improve or am I now stuck with a weak pelvic floor?

Am I forever stuck with never being able to cough, laugh or sneeze without feeling like my insides are falling out? My son starts nursery in 2 months and I’m worried with winter approaching we’re going to have a lot of colds & illnesses in the house ☹️

Can I ever walk/hike again? I love walking & visiting castles in my spare time (I’m a national trust member) and after 30 mins on my feet I’m in awful pain.

Gynaecologist said they would recommend rectocele surgery & a hysterectomy (removal of my uterus) once I’m finished having children, but does this mean I may have further prolapses afterwards? Even if I get my pelvic floor strength to strong?

Would like to hear some similar stories if possible please 🙏 I’m basically having mental breakdowns everyday about this lol.

Thanks in advance 💗

I’m 4 weeks post op from anterior rectacele and posterior cystacele repair without mesh and it feels wrong down there. I mean I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like. But shouldn’t I be past feeling like I’m about to give birth when I walk? It feels almost painfully heavy down there. It has since the surgery. Some days are good but I walk around the block every morning and the last couple of days I’ve had to shorten my walk because of the pressure. Should I just be patient and take it easier? Will that pressure go away? If so, when? My 6 week follow up is in 2 weeks.

Hello wonderful community!

I am 3 months PP and my only symptoms are intense pain during intercourse, mild irritation of the urethra, and before there was small amount of foul smelling puss (not sure if that's the correct term) coming out probably from that area since cervical exam showed no infection. I was prescribed vaginal estrogen pills (vagifem) that improved my symptoms a little in that there is no longer that foul smelling discharge.

I am looking for ways to alleviate the pain during intercourse. I am considering getting a pessary, as my husband (who's not a doctor but uses his engineer reasoning) suggested that it will allow the tissues to recover in the correct position. I don't know if that makes sense from the medical standpoint but it would at least seem logical. I have a few questions here:

1. Do you think getting a pessary is justified in my situation considering that everyday I'm rather asymptomatic? The biggest issue is currently with sex only.

2. What are the side effects of pessaries?

3. If I do get a pessary, I have the option of having it fitted and placed by a general doctor at my local hospital who does not specialise in gynaecology, or I have the option to see a urogynaecological physiotherapist who does the fitting. Is there any difference?

4. Can I stop using the pessary by just removing it myself if it doesn't work?

Thank you in advance for reading!

I have a grade 2 rectocele and a grade 1 cystocele. 7 months PP and have been in PFPT since 4 months PP. Symptoms are vaginal bulging, heaviness and pelvic pain.

Today I had a ring pessary fitted and I’m struggling to know if it’s the “right” fit. I am very sensitive to new sensations and I can feel “something” there, but I’m not in specific pain from it or anything. Perhaps the feeling is more akin to some internal pressure, but nothing’s rubbing - it’s more like an inflated balloon inside me.

When people are saying they feel nothing with it in (beyond their improved prolapse symptoms), is it actually nothing? Like you can’t tell the difference between wearing and not wearing it (if ignoring your actual prolapse symptoms)?

Wondering if I’m just being a bit sensitive! I can probably get used to this feeling with time, but do I have to? My GP (UK based) was not that helpful when answering my questions today. Thanks!

After my vaginal foreceps delivery I found things were very different down there. I went to a pelvic physiotherapist and was diagnosed with a grade 1 cystocele and a grade 2 rectocele. I got the weights, the pessaries the physio sessions.. I couldn't use tampons. Any time I would exert myself (Im a powerlifter) I would feel like something was up there the next day. I worked my core obsessively..

I was in the facebook groups reading about how poor the surgical outcomes are, that they almost always take your uterus when they do the repair, the weight list for the surgery in Canada is years long. The environment was so negative and hopeless. I went through three different pelvic floor physiotherapists getting frustrated I wasn't seeing any results. I just wanted so badly to be able to return to powerlifting.

I'm 1 year pp and I don't have any symptom. I'm sure I still have the rectocele because those don't typically heal on their own but I was forgetting the biggest part of birth recovery.. time.

Things are normal for me now. I can use tampons, sex is great. I cant believe I was 3 months post partum crying because I couldn't hold the lightest keegel weight inside.. I had just given birth for goodness sake.

I am 31F, nurse, no kids. I have been suffering from tearing during sex for the past 4 years and was recently diagnosed with Lichen Sclerosis which is a rollercoaster in itself since I need to let treatment work before I have sex again.

Yesterday, while examining my vulva and surrounding areas (and feeling extremely hopeful that things are looking better) I noticed a bulge in my vaginal opening. I knew prolapses happen but usually with postpartum or old age. My heart stopped for a few seconds because I couldn’t understand why all of this is happening to me. I booked an appointment with a Pelvic floor physio for tomorrow but I feel really broken down and also hopeless that things will ever get better for me, intimacy wise especially.

I have a very supportive partner but I can’t help but feel bad for him having someone like me when he could be with someone completely normal without any problems. I am feeling so alone, so isolated and asking myself why does this keep happening to me!

I feel so defeated. Please tell me your success stories with just exercises. I really do not want to insert any pessaries or have surgeries. I am really counting on strengthening my pelvic floor and maybe get rid of all these problems once and for all.

Thank you

That’s all I wanted to say. I guess most people don’t experience pain, but every time the nurse moved the catheter, it felt like someone was stabbing a knife straight into my urethra. And my body kept pushing it out, so she had to reposition it multiple times. Also, it would trigger pelvic floor spasms which would then jiggle the catheter and cause another flash of stabbing pain. My nurse was really an angel about it though and kept checking in with me to make sure I wanted to continue. I didn’t want to but I had to get this test done in order to get any kind of treatment so here we are. Now I guess I’ll just continue pissing blood and feeling like I’m being stabbed every time I pee for the next day or two.

Hey all,

Been lurking in this sub for a while. I just had my first gynacologist appointment after a GP referral and I just want to share my thoughts.

I've been dealing with this for a while, as long as I can remember. Using tampons was always uncomfortable because I had no idea what side of the mass (uterus) I was supposed to put it. I've never delivered a child or been pregnant, I'm a virgin. No Ehlers Danlos.

Few months earlier after bleeding when wiping I googled a bit again and discovered pelvic organ prolapse and was like damn, that's exactly what I have, I think.

That was a very stressful period. I felt really alone and especially with such a private area it's affecting, I felt I had nobody to turn to. I went to the GP and got referred to the GYN which had a 40 day waiting list, and I just came back from my first appointment.

GYN stated a grade 2 uterine prolapse and suggested pelvic floor physical therapy. Damn, guess I wasn't stupid for feeling like something was odd.

I'm just so distraught. I really don't want to be dealing with anythingn right now, I'm already so busy with uni and keeping myself afloat.

I really wouldn't mind a hysterectomy. I don't need to worry about feeling less like a woman, I already have a very complicated relationship with gender and if anything, a hysterectomy would just be a win win, no periods and no children, lol. I'm not planning on having a child either. I know I'm still very young to have "decided" this but because of autism I don't think I could handle a pregnancy at all. I have a very low pain tolerance and anything disrupting my daily routine is distressing to me. If I would want a child, which is reasonable, I would not be the one to birth it.

Anyway, that doesn't really matter. Because of my age the GYN does not consider surgery at all, said it's because she's worried about damaging tissue that is not fully developed. I've been referred to PT and I hope that'll help. I've also been introduced to a pessary.

Just, uh, fuck.

Any advice on how to keep my head steady and any support would be appreciated.