What is a Pelvic Organ Prolapse?

This is one of the most personal subjects we deal with and in some cases, ladies are so upset about their symptoms that they haven’t even discussed things with those people closest to them.

A prolapse can cause constant dragging and heaviness in the pelvis, it can cause problems when going to the loo and be painful when being intimate with your partner.

Now, this can really affect a woman’s confidence and relationships with partners and unfortunately, we often hear women being told “It’s just one of those things”, or “It’s very common lots of women suffer with one”.
Yes, it is very common, but, NO, NO, NO! It is not just one of those things! 

It can have a huge impact on your life, self-esteem, and relationships. We feel so passionate about getting women the right information about prolapse. Hopefully, we can prevent the need for surgery and or improve recovery if surgery is the only option left.

What is a Prolapse? or POP (pelvic organ prolapse)?

A pelvic organ prolapse is when one of the organs in the abdominal cavity drops, the connective tissue and ligaments that hold them in place can become weak and stretched particularly during pregnancy and post-menopause.

If you have been diagnosed with a prolapse you should have been told which organ has prolapsed and if you have seen a consultant or women’s health physio then possibly given a grade as to how much the organ has dropped, 1 being mild and 3 meaning it is possible to feel the organ on self-examination.

Types of Prolapse

• Cystocele – Bladder Prolapse
• Urethrocele uretha – the tube that carries urine
• Uterine – Uterus Prolpase
• Vaginal vault prolapse
• Enterocele – Bowel prolapse
• Rectocele – Rectum prolapse

Over 50% of women have some degree of prolapse and the most common symptom is leaking or some level of stress incontinence. 

Also, contrary to popular belief, this is not something that only affects women post-menopause either, it is something we see regularly with women of all ages who have been diagnosed with some form of prolapse.

Young women post-birth especially with larger babies, women with abdominal separation who have a core weakness who have either lifted something heavy or put a lot of pressure into the pelvic cavity.

Women with issues like constipation, fit and active women during pregnancy who have not adapted their training and considered the weight of the baby on their pelvic organs and pelvic floor causing a postnatal prolapse.

This can affect any women at any time so we want to encourage you to look after yourselves properly.

In this topic, we are going to discuss how can you improve your symptoms. Small lifestyle changes can really help how you are feeling and improve your strength to prevent you from becoming one of the 50%!