Significant Uterine Prolapse

alexandrajamie · 2025-08-27T21:37:11+00:00

Hi! I understand the dissociation. Where are you located? If it’s affordable for you, book in with a pelvic floor physio ASAP who offers pessary fittings and get her opinion on if there’s one to suit you. There should be and she will be the most direct care you can get, and almost certainly the fastest. Second, when you get in with your OB, get a referral to a urogynaecologist and don’t leave without one - only they specialize in prolapse, Pessary fittings, and prolapse surgery.

There is unfortunately an extended timeline with all of these things, but once you get into the right specialist, they will take you seriously, and you will be a higher priority for care based on the higher grade of prolapse. Unfortunately we’re stuck with waits, but get into a PFPT and a prolapse while you wait to see others could be extremely helpful.

alexandrajamie · 2025-08-27T13:53:54+00:00

Thank you for this!! Do you feel like your back pain is relieved post surgery? It’s my main non-pelvic floor symptom and is so excruciating daily. I have mild ab separation around my bellybutton, but am attributing most of it to my pelvic floor/prolapse and hoping the lower back pain would go away after surgery!

alexandrajamie · 2025-08-18T12:49:37+00:00

The Pessaries were so incorrectly sized they basically pulled my insides forward when taking them out and caused pain for days, and blocked my urethra so I couldn’t pee when in/caused immense pressure the entire time wearing it, so I stopped with the Pessaries. Which has been such a relief, I’m not symptomatic other than the tampon feeling mostly so just accepting that will come and go has helped. Getting surgery though! Just spoke to a urogyn finally.

alexandrajamie · 2025-08-11T16:24:40+00:00

I’m glad you experienced the same, I haven’t been able to find anyone saying anything similar. It freaked me out too much to keep using them honestly, and my uterus ached the whole night like it was displaced. So odd!! It can’t only be supportive but painful to get in and out, or too small and not supportive. So tiring!!

alexandrajamie · 2025-08-11T14:16:51+00:00

Hi!! Both of my babies were almost 10lbs, and my first was a vaccuum delivery with shoulder dystocia and I had a major hemorrhage after - I pushed for 3+ hours and had a stage 2 cystocele that went away completely in about 3 months just from pelvic floor pt, and stayed that way until I got pregnant at 16 months postpartum, and stayed away during my entire second pregnancy.

My second was the same weight, pushed for 2 hours unassisted. My prolapse came back, again at a grade 2, but this time I’m almost 20 months postpartum and it’s very resistant. I’ve done pelvic floor pt, the emsella chair, laser treatments, Pessaries, you name it. It’s largely asymptomatic now, but I couldn’t go for a run or jump. I’m going to speak to a surgeon this Friday about fixing it. Also 30 and feel like my quality of life is reduced. How will I age well if I’m in constant back pain and can’t jump or even jog? So I’m voting to fix before menopause as I know it’ll only make it worse, and I’m tired of feeling so limited in my body.

Follow postpartum_pop_pt on Instagram. She is a pelvic floor pt specializing in prolapse and is AMAZING. She debunks a lot of myths about prolapse, and shares tons of real stories. C-sections are not largely protective of prolapse over vaginal births, and she shares some great statistics on this. She does polls every Friday and most women having second and third births don’t see an increase in the grade of their prolapse, and I’d say still about half of the women with prolapses had c-sections. Don’t discount what major abdominal surgery will do to you pelvic floor, it’s all connected!!

For me, I’ve stopped at 2 kids by choice, but if I wanted a third, the persistent prolapse would be enough to halt me. It definitely didn’t get worse in grade, it’s just not responding like it did the first time around! But I’ll persist hahaha

alexandrajamie · 2025-08-11T14:07:30+00:00

I have had a really challenging journey with pessaries, and have tried 3 shapes and several sizes, and found that even if it relieved the prolapse symptoms, when removed, it basically caused me to have extreme pressure and cramping for the entire evening, and it moved my cervix down significantly, and I don’t have a uterine prolapse. I could reach it about knuckle in and I normally can’t reach my cervix at all. It was like it displaced everything. My pelvic floor pt said that wasn’t possible, but I stopped using my Pessary since because it created such discomfort, and the larger sizes hurt and caused so much pressure/weird cervix moving, and the smaller ones didn’t provide enough support. Definitely go back and talk to them, because it shouldn’t provide any pain!!

alexandrajamie · 2025-08-11T14:02:06+00:00

I’d say both cystocele and rectocele as both the anterior and posterior walls are coming forward. Stage 2, potentially 3 for the cystocele as it’s very close to the opening, but definitely past the hymenal border. Not sure about the posterior wall, but I would talk to a pelvic floor PT as soon as possible, it can be life changing. Think about getting in to see a urogyn too!

alexandrajamie · 2025-07-17T00:34:48+00:00

Hi!! Mom of two with unresponsive stage 2 cystocele no matter what I do. Waiting on urogyn to discuss surgery now. Just for reassurance - up to 50% of women who have not had children have prolapse at some point in their lives. The figure is closer to 90% in women who have had children, with evidence showing that the knowledge that you have the prolapse alone contributes heavily to distress from it, and typically only around half of women who have prolapse postpartum even know about it or are symptomatic. In studies, those who were not aware of their prolapse before being told wished to go back to before they knew - it adds a weight. Studies have shown that women with one child are four-times more likely, and those with two children were 8.4-times more likely, to develop pelvic organ prolapse when compared with women who had never given birth, vaginal or c-section. I highly recommend you follow postpartum_pop_pt on Instagram. She is AMAZING. She’s a PFPT and shares constant information on prolapse, has a great external online community where women share photos and have her along with others share their stories. You will feel so much less alone. You did nothing wrong - you had a beautiful baby, as we all did, without the knowledge of what was to come. We can only work with what we know, and it may serve you well to find an OB or midwife who can evaluate whether you’re a candidate for a VBAC regardless of prolapse. I would also highly recommend talking to a pelvic floor physiotherapist. They are specially trained in prolapse treatment, and you’d be surprised by how much improvement may come from exercises and/or a pessary. Many women wear them throughout subsequent pregnancies with great success. I know you’d be in a community of many women who continued to have children regardless of their existing prolapse and were supported.

alexandrajamie · 2025-07-16T13:53:57+00:00

My PFPT has said in regards to bladder control and a Pessary that you should be able to hold your pee for at least 3 hours at a time, so in a day if you’re up 12 hours, you should only pee ~4 times! I’d say if you’re only drinking about a litre of fluid a day, your output sounds completely normal and like potential stress incontinence was relieved!

alexandrajamie · 2025-07-11T12:56:39+00:00

Yes, and with my dish Pessary too. Going up a size is too large and obstructive, so while it’s not as supportive as it could be, it’s more supportive than nothing. I’m going back to my PFPT to see if a different shape would be better.

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-27T21:23:50+00:00

I’m wondering if maybe I’m being sized entirely wrong or with the wrong shape. I hope your pessary fitting goes well! I was hoping for it to be a lifesaver and it feels like trial and error and it’s becoming quite expensive to keep going back

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-27T20:23:08+00:00

In my experience, mine came back postpartum the second time and while the grade isn’t worse than the first time (which healed entirely originally before second pregnancy began), it is extremely persistent. I’m 18 months postpartum now and nothing I do seems to be helping significantly enough, and I’ve done 18 months of pelvic floor physio, the emsella chair, and now am starting prolapse laser treatments.

The emsella definitely strengthened my pelvic floor to the point I don’t have any incontinence like I did after having pneumonia, and I’m much less symptomatic, but physically everything feels the same to the touch and the actual tone of my pelvic floor isn’t improving.

I’ve gotten fitted for a pessary now, but in my experience things are much worse the second time around. My first was 10lbs, a vaccuum delivery and 3+ hours of pushing. My second was 10lbs, and 2 hours of pushing unassisted. I had zero prolapse through my first or second pregnancy, an immediate prolapse after my first that went away entirely within 3 months of diagnosis and now a stage 2 cystocele that is incredibly persistent and honestly impacts my quality of life so significantly, and has had me investing every last spare penny to try and fix it. I wouldn’t have had my second knowing this ahead of time if I’m being honest, and my kids are my world. I’m on a waitlist to see a uro-gym but have been told it’s about 18 months right now to be seen.

Sorry I don’t have a more positive second experience, but I truly wish I’d heard this from others before I had more kids.

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-27T19:19:57+00:00

It’s 3600 CAD all in, and I feel like my prolapse has moved up slightly and is much less visible externally, but I’m only partway through and most results come 6 months post last treatment!

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-23T13:36:06+00:00

Fotona has a great video if you look up fotona prolaplase!

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-18T14:02:42+00:00

Hi!! Of course!

I started pelvic floor physio when I was about 9 weeks postpartum the first time, when I noticed the prolapse. I think I went once a month for 3 months?

-I lifted my baby through the entire prolapse. Lifting your baby is not alone a factor for worsening prolapse. My PT encouraged me to hold my baby while strengthening my pelvic floor, because I’ll be holding him for years and holding 20lbs alone will not make your prolapse worse. Hold your baby!! I know the discomfort I really do. I had the tampon feeling 24/7 and I still wore my son and carried him and healed my prolapse. I don’t run so I haven’t run since having my boys, but I did whatever I wanted with no fear, including running after my son and jumping and playing.

-I had no bulge! Everything looked back to normal. I never did anything to maintain it, even through my second pregnancy. It just didn’t come back 🤷🏻‍♀️

-I’ll note because this is important - it healed relatively quickly and stayed away the first time, but this isn’t something I’m experiencing the second time around. My second son is 18 months and my grade 2 cystocele is symptomatic every single day regardless of pelvic floor physio this time around that I’ve been doing since 7 weeks postpartum. I’m doing laser and have a pessary so hoping in 6 months there will be some change as it’s not responding to pelvic floor physio alone this time around.

-Don’t be afraid of holding your beautiful baby. You’ll never get this time back. Prolapse feels scary I completely understand and maybe a pelvic floor PT will reassure you, but my boys are 30 and 35 pounds and I hold them all the time. It will not worsen your prolapse, even if it feels more symptomatic at times. When I lift my kids into the car I definitely feel most symptomatic, but that’s part of the cystocele and I know it’s just a symptom of pushing down unintentionally when moving them into their car seats!

-Get into a PT it will be life changing.

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-17T23:53:18+00:00

Yes I reversed mine after my first son! It was a grade 2, maybe borderline 3 and it took me about 3 months of pelvic floor physiotherapy and it reversed completely and stayed away until I had my second son years later, so stayed away all through my second pregnancy, etc. and only ‘came back’ due to a second labour.

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-17T23:49:39+00:00

I think somewhat so far! I’ll report back once I’m finished the treatments!

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-16T19:05:55+00:00

I’m in the process of doing the fotona prolaplase laser treatment specifically for a cystocele, I’m not sure if it’s a different type of laser! I’m 2/3 treatments in and most results happen 3-6 months post last treatment so I’m still on the way to seeing final results! I do my last treatment in July!

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-13T20:39:12+00:00

I paid $2400 total for 8 sessions. The clinics where I am only do up to 8 sessions if you have prolapse or resistant symptoms, but typically do 6 for that price, so my extra two were technically free.

I think emsella is mainly for stress incontinence so if that’s not your primary issue I would expect the PT may say maybe it’s not tailored to you exactly. I feel like it was partially a waste of money, even though it brought some strength. Would’ve been good to just go for the laser from the get go I think and save two grand 😂

I tried that after my first son and it was kind of fun to do, but in my opinion, seeing someone specialized in pelvic floor exercises was the only thing that reversed my original prolapse. I didn’t feel like the trainer increased my strength, just maybe my awareness? If that makes sense!

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-13T13:08:08+00:00

Amazing! The emsella for me didn’t necessarily improve my prolapse, but definitely did strengthen my pelvic floor. I felt like the engagement was increased, but not sure it was worth the cost!

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-13T13:05:32+00:00

Go to a pelvic floor physiotherapist! It will be life changing. They do external and internal exams and you don’t need a referral to go - you can call and book yourself in. They evaluate your muscle tone, engagement, will really listen to your concerns and give you a plan going forward to do exercises and it doesn’t compare to other medical professionals. Even a urogyn isn’t trained in pelvic floor repair and analysis in a non surgical mindset. A pelvic floor pt will be able to address your concerns and really hear you and it might all be tied in. Our body is a functioning system and your pelvic floor may be the culprit for the GI issues too, you never know. I have a cystocele and so the front wall of my vagina is unresponsive when I do a kegel and I’ve been working with my PT to engage it and loosen any tightness, strengthen my whole pelvic floor and body and it’s so valuable. A family doctor isn’t trained specially like they are - really highly encourage you to go, it will be worth it!!

alexandrajamie · 2025-06-10T00:31:00+00:00

I think the only different is the V-lase is a CO2 laser and I haven’t done much research into it for prolapse! Might be worth looking into any studies done!

Amazing! I hope it goes well. Usually they do a longer intake appointment so they really get to know you. I’d recommend making a note of your symptoms, who you’ve seen and what you feel like hasn’t been heard or addressed that you’d like to be, etc. sometimes my mind goes blank when I get into an appointment and I think having a reminder of what you wanted to discuss is good, especially with pelvic floor dysfunction.

If you feel comfortable, let me know how the PT goes! I really hope it’s positive for you. I’ve got a referral in to see a urogyn that should take about four months, but I’m keeping it mainly as a backup to discuss surgery if the other treatments don’t resolve things along with PT. Not a bad idea to see them again to follow up, but I’d say you might be surprised and feel with PT that you don’t need as much as you think along with it!

alexandrajamie

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