At least 50% of women worldwide will be affected by pelvic organ prolapse (POP) at some point in their life. Media and advertising tells us it’s a normal part of life once you’ve had children, or as you age. We are told that light bladder leakage is normal - use these pads for the rest of your life and you’ll be away laughing… even though you wee when you laugh, or cough, or sneeze, or exercise.
As a pre and post natal fitness specialist, I can tell you that whilst POP and light bladder leakage are both very common, these issues are NOT normal and you definitely don’t need to accept them as a part of your post baby life. There is plenty that can be done to both prevent further damage and heal your pelvic floor muscles so that you can live your life without worry of randomly escaping wees, farts or faeces, in some cases.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse or “POP” is what happens when the pelvic floor muscles become ineffective at holding pelvic organs in place. A prolapse occurs when there is drooping of any of the pelvic floor organs (bladder, urethra, uterus, vagina, small bowel, or rectum). In simpler terms, one or more of the organs makes it’s way down into the vaginal canal.
How Do You Know If You Have Pelvic Organ Prolapse?
- A heaviness or dragging feeling in your pelvic floor
- You may be able to see or feel a bulge or extra tissue in the vaginal area
- Tampons or menstrual cups don’t stay in place or are uncomfortable
- Incontinence and leaking of urine, flatulence, or faeces
- Constant urge to urinate
- Pain in lower back
- Pain during or after sex
- There may be no symptoms, or they could develop over time
How is it diagnosed and treated?
At Feel Good Fitness, we have a great relationship with a Women’s Health Physiotherapist
Nichole Cobham. Nichole can assess, diagnose and in many cases support you to manage and repair a POP. She may prescribe therapy to help with correcting pelvic floor dysfunction, healing Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation) , posture and exercises to help strengthen the pelvic floor and core, or relax overactive muscles.
In some cases, other medical or surgical treatments may be required.
The main points I want to make are:
If you have any symptoms, or just aren’t sure that your pelvic floor is functioning as it should be, please seek the help that is out there. Pelvic floor issues are not something that you need to put up with and the sooner you get onto it, the greater your chance of healing really well becomes.
I encourage anyone who has given birth (vaginal or c-section) to get an assessment to ensure you are doing your pelvic floor exercises correctly, as it is possible to do more harm that good if your technique isn’t on point. A Women’s Health Physio has ways and means of assessing pelvic floor far more effectively than your trainer asking you ‘how it’s feeling’. Postnatal Fitness trainers call them ‘our eyes on the inside’.
Finally, please don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed to reach out. Pelvic floor issues affect far more women than you probably know and it’s certainly not talked about as much as it could be! A message or conversation with me will always be treated as completely confidential and I can certainly point you in the right direction.
For more detailed information, you can visit the Continence NZ Website .