I recently had a pretty traumatic birth experience (wish I lived in the UK for women's birth rights - Australia is not kind to women when it comes to informed consent). I now have stage 3 bladder, bowel and uterus prolapse. I find out next week if the muscles have been torn from the bone and I'm praying it hasn't. I'm extremely self conscious and that's partly why I had elected not to try VBAC and have a C-Section but they made me have a VBAC after a spinal tap (I was on the operating table for my C-Section) and forceps (without consent) have done some pretty good damage. I was wondering if anyone had surgery repairs done quickly after the initial damage or if I should spend time in PT before getting it done. I know I want surgery as I honestly won't cope emotionally with this but don't want to rush it if it reduces the chances of it being successful.
If this is your first child i would wait cause if you want more children and they do this again having to do the surgery over and over ant good it's better to do it once and let it hesl very well im sorry that you went through thst so after child birth that is a lot to go through they shouldn't have done that to you hope all goes well best of luck
Hi Helen
My only experience is a long time ago I'm talking 25 years. I had a large baby 4.3kgs assisted delivery with forceps. Was pretty messed up and had a anterior and posterior vaginal repair when he was 3 months old. After that I had a twin pregnancy delivered by cesarean then a vag hysterectomy. I've just had my second anterior posterior repair about 7 weeks ago. My specialist told me nowadays they would've advised a pessary if I was having more children as the weight of the second pregnancy undermined my first repair. Wait until u have healed and then get some advice. Good luck. Child birth is definitely barbaric!
Hi Lynn,
No more babies for me, they were supposed to tie my tubes during my c-section. I get a scan next week to see if they have torn the muscle from the bone. I'm shattered. The hospital has opened an investigation into what happened but no love for Mothers in Australia.
Thanks Kym,
Do you mind if I ask how long it was between your repair surgeries?
Helen
Hi x sorry you are having a rubbish time 🙁 I had my third child in September 2016 and have had the surgery done 12 weeks ago after waiting to go to the consultant as just things would go back to normal. So around 18 months is the time I have had the surgery done after giving birth. My consultant told me that the damage was caused when I had a forceps delivery with my first child when I was 21! My second must have done more damage and then with this one it must have just tipped my muscles to breaking point and everything came down ! X I’m glad I have had the surgery done x
I went to the Drs in the first instance around a year after third child and they gave me pelvic floor exercises to do for a couple of months. I then had an ectopic pregnancy so that all got out on hold but when it was sorted I went back and saw the consultant and she just took one look and booked me in for anterior and posterior prolapse repair.
I think if the muscles are damaged then only surgery can put it right. It was a hard recovery and very miserable for 10 weeks but I’m now back at work after 3 months and feel better. I always do my pelvic floor exercises and they are pleased with the healing even though I have stitches still in so they’ve have prescribed Hormone replacement pessaries to aid in that .
It is hard with a toddler but just make sure you have plenty of help with little one of you have the operation. X
Hope you get sorted soon ❤️
Hi Helen
Almost 26 years!
Hi Helen,
I noticed after my 6th child (I was 43years old) that I had a prolapse looked like a tumor hanging down parting my outer vagina lips , didn't know till I went to GP that it was my inner walls.
She referred me straight to physiotherapist who specialised in post natal pelvic floor, they hooked me up to machine and inserted a gadget that measured the strength of your muscles by monitoring your pelvic floor exersises, I had a couple of visits and with regular exercise of pelvic floor It became stronger and the sagging walls pulled up.
I returned to work, I was on my feet all day in Dry cleaners , it didn't really bother me unless I was covering holidays and in work everyday on long days or when I was on my period it seemed to sag more.
I had went back to university part time to finish an honours degree and also updated my bookkeeping skills (done computerised sage) . Kept applying for office work advice I had done clerical/admin when I left school before getting married and having family, but so difficult to get back in.
So anyway didn't become a big problem until in 2012, that was 9 years later, when not realising how serious pelvic floor weakness is, I had been going to the gym, skipping, trampolining and had changed jobs switching to extremely high impact work clearing tables without a trolley all while menopause had started.
No one advised me to avoid any of these things due to weak pelvic floor, I had no idea even when I presented 9 years earlier I was not advised on what to avoid to protect from further problems. Didn't understand the seriousness of this condition until it all finally collapsed. They finally offers me a pessary (ring) to hold things up, they didn't realise his extensive the prolapse was and the ring just kept falling out and by that time I could hardly walk without being in terrible pain.
So anyway depending on extent of prolapse it can be pulled back up with exercise but will always be weak and should be advise for to be very careful from that point onwards, wish I had been better advised when earlier signs of prolapse presented .
X
Thank You for Sharing.
I'm really struggling with all of this, I was just supposed to have my C-Section and then hang out with my baby and now I am a mess.
I see a PT on Monday and I know I am going to freak out. I'm all for surgery to fix it, I have family who can help out at home, I'm more worried about the day to day running of my business, small business doesn't have lots of staff to cover a long time off work, but need to wait and see if my muscles have come away from the bone, there's such a high reoccurrence rate if it has. I have read lots on the pressy thing to help hold things up, not sure how I will go with that, I'm the person who doesn't even wear tampons ha.
Thanks Vicky,
Is it hard with an 18month old? I'm worried I'm not being my normal mum self at the moment (I have 3 boys, 12, 5 and my newbie), we always have things happening with soccer, forty, swimming and all the normal things boys do hahaha this has kinda taken over my entire thought process and I just want it gone.
Did you do pelvic floor straight away after surgery?
Sounds like you have been through a lot.
Are you feeling okay now?
I am sorry you went through such a horrible delivery. I, too, experienced a HORRIBLE forceps delivery with my first child. Was told I would never be able to have children again due to the damage that the doctor caused from the forceps. My husband and I desperately wanted one more so we went straight to artificial insemination to try to speed up pregnancy so that I could have another baby before the mandatory hysterectomy, cystocele, rectocele, urethrocele could be done. I conceived her on my 8th (and last) try. So thankful to God for both of my children.
I had a hysterectomy, and all the prolapse repairs (along with a total rebuilding of my pelvic floor) when my daughter was 2. That was 14 years ago. 4 years ago, I kept complaining that my TVT sling put in around my urethra was too tight and keeping me from being able to void well. I went back in and they took the sling out. Now, I am in need of all the repairs again as my doctor said repairs last an average of 14 years or so. I dread the surgery. It took me a good YEAR to feel back to normal again. I, too, am so upset over all these problems caused by the decision of one doctor who should have done a C section and didn't.
I did the PT as described above and that didn't help me much. I believe my muscles were torn from the walls. They had to suspend my bladder, urethra and rectum back up when they removed my uterus and cervix.
I wish you well and hope that you make the right decisions. Get a second opinion even. That surgery is no joke and don't do it unless you absolutely have to.
Helen
I've recovered quite well but I've been left with a leaky bladder that I didn't have before the surgery. I'm seeing a physio and I'm working on my super weak pelvic floor muscles. Hopefully that improves things.
I truely hope things get better for you. Thank you so much for giving me some insight on this topic.
Your welcome Helen. I feel very misinformed. My physio says if I'd had a 4.3kg baby today I'd be referred 2 a pelvic floor physio immediately. No one ever in the last 26 years mentioned one word about pelvic floor health or exercises or that I'd ever re-prolapse with a subsequent pregnancy or hysterectomy. In some ways I feel a bit stupid for not knowing but I thought once it was fixed that was it! Hope everything goes well for u wotever u decide 😊
Hi Helen
Really feeling for you. I join the long list of women destroyed by forceps deliveries. After a brutal first birth I delivered bladder bowel and uterus and a baby. My pelvic floor muscles were torn from bone too. Crawled around like a cat that had been run over trying to care for baby. Second baby pregnancy on the couch couldn’t keep uterus up. Another brutal birth that should have been c sectioned.
Lots of PT did nothing. Standing up destroyed me.
First repair after 2nd baby was two years old as I had no one to care for my two children. Hyster and A and P. PT still no improvement.
Second repair - SSF A & P perineum repair. PT still no improvement. Still could not stand after surgery without excessive internal dragging down.
Third repair - A & P and U sling. Now 16 weeks since op still can’t stand for more than about 10 minutes.
Prior to third repair 3Dand4D ultrasound showed pelvic floor muscles fully torn from bone so that was new tech providing unknown information and also makes me feel I will never be able to stand for more than a short while.
There is no surgery for repairing torn pelvic floor muscles I am told.
Every day I make decisions based on these limitations.
So for you, have 3D and 4D ultrasound (standing up) so specialist knows the extent of the damage before considering surgery. Also like me the surgery may make very little difference to your desired outcome.
You will need 4 months to recover - it is a long haul. With no bending lifting carrying limited standing and avoidance of sitting . This is a massive requirement for someone with little children.
Sorry for the long account
My heart goes out to you
Peta (Australia)
Oh my goodness, that sounds so painful. I believe many doctors just believe that injuries to Mothers are just the norm. I was saying I don't want to do this and I had them lifting my legs up and saying it's better this way, Push like your having a big s**t. I had a room full of doctors and nurses telling me to push and I kept saying I don't want to do this. They didn't listen, then they whipped forceps out and said they are safe and I said I don't want those inside of me and they did it anyway. Mind you they shouldn't have needed to use them... the baby was not stressed! They should have just done the c section I had consented to and had planned for the entire pregnancy. Now because of them I'm a mess. I have never felt this low in my entire life. I can't believe they are telling woman that they are safe.
Did you have mesh? We can't have mesh in Australia.
Oh my Lord Peta how sad 😢 And so many stories. The first I knew of my forceps delivery was the doctor putting on a white coat and wellies and telling me he was cutting me open to retrieve my stuck newborn. Why so many doctors against cesarean delivery I wonder? Hugs to u I hope u get better soon 😚
Oh my heart breaks for you! I will certainly be making sure they have those images before committing to surgery. I am praying my little heart out that it's not torn from the bone (not that I think a magically being like god will save me but hey you never know).
Oneday doctors will respect women's choice and inform them of increased risks. I will make it my mission here in Australia.
Thank you for sharing this with me.
Don't feel silly. I didn't even know what a prolapse was. I've always done my pelvic floors because I was told if you don't want to wee yourself when your older you need to do them. I didn't even know Pelvic Floor Therapists existed. I feel that's apart of the problem, we are made to be reactive in treatment when things go wrong instead of being well informed of proactive preventive lifestyle prior any injuries. My doctors certainly didn't inform me of any possible pelvic floor injuries from forceps, they are actively telling woman in labour that they are safe.