New here (childbirth, babies mentioned)

Hello all. I found this board and I think it is great having so much info. I've been searching the internet regarding my problems and couldn't really find anything about personal experiences. This is great.

A little about myself. I am 33 yrs old and my problems started about 2 years ago. I had a IUD and one day it felt like it was coming out. (TMI maybe, but kinda like a tampon is not in correctly is that makes any sense) when I went to have it removed I specifically asked about wether I had a prolapse (My mother had a hyst & pelvic prolapse so I thought my chances of having one were high, plus my first baby was 9lbs 4 ozs) Anyway, she said no, it was where it should have been blah blah blah. I knew something felt different but how could I argue with a doctor right? I knew when we moved (We are in Hawaii now) we wanted to have our second child. Which I had no problem getting pregnant shortly after we got here in May. Well, at exactly 11 weeks I had acute urine retention. I thought I might have had a UTI and the clinic (We are military) was closed for the holiday (It was Labor Day weekend) so they told me to go to the ER. Well, I had 3 liters of pee. I was in sooo much pain. I couldn't go without a catheter so I had to wear a foley for about 3 1/2 weeks. It was not so pleasant LOL. Well, I kept asking them, could it be an incarcerated uterus (Meaning it is not moved up and stuck under my pelvic bone) they told me that was very very rare and they didn;t think so. I told him of my mother's history and my questioning if I had a prolapse. I guess it's hard to tell when you are pregnant? Not to mention, the only thing that I could find on the internet related to what I thought it was. Did they believe me? NOPE. Did they believe me my baby was going to be big? NOPE. I begged to be induced early., They wouldn't. Finally a week and 1/2 later they do induce me and guess how big my baby was 9lbs 11.5 ozs. I made sure they acknowledged I was right LOL. And yes, they were both vaginally. (I can picture you all crossing your legs right now LOL) well, I knew something was different, when she was born it felt like my insides were ripping apart. I inly had 1 stitch and I looked and noticed some tissue. I asked my nurse practitioner at my 8 week post partum visit. And I have the cystocele and the rectocele. She referred me to the surgeon who then said I also have the uterus prolapse. He said my uterus should be at a 7 and it's at 4. I am done having my own children (It seems these babies are just sucking the life out of me) so he wanted me to try to pessary first which I refused. I don;t feel comfortable wearing one, plus my mother had a really bad infection when she had hers. Plus, I hear there is a smell regardless of how regularly you clean them. So, he said he could do surgery but stressed because of my age he cannot promise that the correction would last for my life expectancy. Well, I hope I am not wrong in thinking this way, but why should I have to live with this pain (My back is KILLING me, it feels like something is coming out of my privates) until I get older. I mean, I think I will be more active now that my kids are still young then when I will be 60 right? If it needs to be redone..well, I won;t hope for that, but I think I would rather see the relief now. Does that make sense? I go for my urodynamics testing the beginning of August. He wants to wait until maybe November for the surgery. He wants my body to heal completely from childbirth although I think because I am carrying some fluffage he's hoping I will lose it LOL He didn;t mention my weight that goodness. I did just have a baby in March for heavens sake. Give me a break. Anyway, I am very nervous.

OH, this is kinda funny. He said my vagina opening is big. I thought my husband was joking when he said I felt bigger. Guess not LOL How embarrassing is that?

So anyway, I am looking a removing my uterus (Didn't mention the ovaries or tubes or cervix, but I read when they do it vagainally they do remove the cervix too? I have to ask him that) repairing the cystocele and rectocele and making my vagina opening smaller (I always do the embarrassed laugh when I think of that)
I am scared of how much pain I will be in really, I hear vaginally is less painful then through the tummy. Plus, I have a 9 year old and a 3 month old. I am hoping my DH can take off time from work to help me?

That's for reading if you have gotten this for. I am just so nervous and it's not something you can just talk to anyone about KWIM?

Thanks!

Denise

Hi,
Read my post I made today...we sound like similar situations. Glad someone else is out there.

Kat (rkaos13080)

I needed the surgery for the same reasons - but my prolapses gradually got worse to the point they were interfering. I didn't have any incontinence, just constant pressure and irritation. I actually had never heard of any of these prolapses before I went to the OB/GYN - I thought my uterus was falling, but had no idea your bladder and rectum could fall.

I am 43 and I made the decision to go ahead, but my family is all teens now.

How I wish more people would talk about this - I might not have waited so long. But,
I guess I would be concerned about having the surgery now and having to lift your little one.

Ididn't like the idea of pessaries either and never tried one but I hear there are lots of different ones. It might just be a temporary solution until your little one is bigger.

Perhaps start a thread asking about the pessaries and people's experiences? I don't know how you could start one asking how women with babies manage after this surgery, as we are not really supposed to mention children.....

Good luck with your decision. It's never an easy one.

Hey Denise. I just had a LSH in April because of fibroids, adenomyosis and some lingering complications from my fourth c-section. They removed the uterus only and left the cervix and ovaries.

I just turned 34 and when I had my surgery my kids were 10, 6, 2 and 3 months. I was still getting up 2x at night with the baby and was nowhere near recovered from childbirth. My DH could not take much time off so I enlisted the help of extended family and friends and was 2 1/2 weeks post-op before I had to stay home alone with the kids. DH took over the night feedings because I couldn't lift the baby for 2 weeks and frankly because I was so zapped of energy there was no way I could have gotten up at night. I really needed those 2 weeks, I was so fatigued from the surgeries and everything else going on!