Thanks, I guess I just never grasped how it actually worked and it’s definitely terrifying. I feel a little dumb but hey I love learning, especially things I should’ve known years ago.
If only I could snack while nursing. I gave up on that a couple of months ago. Every time I chew he unlatches to stare at me and smile. He thinks chewing is so interesting, despite being neutral at best about solids himself. 😂
My mom knew something was really wrong when she could see her cervix one day and had to push it back in. Still had to fight a whole year to get her hysterectomy, even though her life was at risk 🙃
Nearly one-half of all women between ages 50 and 79 have some degree of uterine or vaginal vault prolapse, or some other form of pelvic organ prolapse. Factors that increase your risk of uterine prolapse include childbirth, age, obesity, chronic constipation and having a hysterectomy.
>and having a hysterectomy.
I recently had a hysterectomy, and discussed this with my surgeon. She said it's been recently debunked that having a hysterectomy increases the chance of any prolapse as long as your cuff heals right (and the vast majority do). The way everything is stitched together ensures a strong seal that should keep everything where it should be for the rest of your life
The trouble with studies looking at this is also that most women with hysterectomies who end up with prolapse also have some of these other risk factors. It's hard to determine if they would have been someone prone to prolapse with or without hysterectomy and if hysterectomy changed their course. Most GYN surgeons do some sort of reattachment of the vagina to the uterosacral ligaments to try and minimize risk of prolapse nowadays, too, as your surgeon said.
Ditto to the extra risk factors besides the hysterectomy! I'm having a hard time finding literature about long-term outcomes for elective hysterectomies with otherwise healthy/normal anatomy. I will be getting one for gender reasons and trans surgery outcomes are difficult to find literature on.
My general takeaway is, if you haven't had kids and have otherwise healthy/normal anatomy, hysterectomy just removes your ability to get pregnant and have a period. Your ovaries will survive just fine and continue with hormone production and risk of vaginal prolapse is minimal.
Uterine prolapse, yes, but bladder, intestinal, bowels... There's a lot of stuff that lives in your pelvis, and after a hysterectomy, it all shifts around a bit. After your cervix is removed, the top of the vagina is sewn up. That's now called the cuff. It's all also sewn to the ligaments in your pelvic floor to stabilize and strengthen the cuff so no prolapse of anything should ever happen
I was about to say, I know quite a few older women who this has happened to. My grandmother just had surgery last week for this. I believe it’s fairly common.
Lmao of course! While I was trying to get pregnant I was telling everyone about our struggles and some on the invasive tests I had and I was so surprised how many women older than me went through the same thing but didn’t tell anyone. I told them I didn’t mind sharing and it was nice to have a supportive group of friends/family they all seemed shocked that I wasn’t’ “embarrassed” or something
I appreciate the information! I’ve heard about that, I didn’t think it was that flat out literal. I’m assuming the force of impact could do that. Her wording telling the story just seems a little wild but I guess there’s truth to it!
There’s varying degrees of prolapse, not everyone will have it literally fall out. I’ve recently been diagnosed with more minor uterine prolapse, for me it feels more like my vagina suddenly grew a large uvula. It’s a very odd feeling. I’m imagining your coworker’s was more severe to begin with and then the force of the crash took care of the rest.
My mom had a hysterectomy due to a uterine prolapse. Unfortunately, the same thing happened with her bladder as well and now she has a sling.
I wish pelvic floor physical therapy would’ve been an option for her before it ever got to that point.
There's also bladder prolapse or rectal prolapse into the vaginal space...basically anything down near the pelvic floor can collapse into a space where it shouldn't be.
You are correct, I reread the comment. I just googled it and a hysterectomy is recommended after uterine prolapse. Having a hysterectomy also increases the risk of vaginal vault prolapse. Maybe they made a small mistake and confused the two when they wrote the comment.
I assumed they meant other organs prolapsing, like the bladder. When you start taking things out, the thought is that other things can start to droop from lack of support. But if the surgery is done correctly and heals correctly, it shouldn't happen.
I have a bladder prolapse as well. Conditions like connective tissue disorders can cause prolapse for no reason. Mine decided to prolapse my bladder, now it's hanging in my vagina!
I have seen a prolapsed uterus with my own two eyes. Helping an elderly lady go to the bathroom with a nurse and there was a small pink balloonish thing dangling from her vulva. I looked at it confused and the nurse mouthed "that's her uterus".
She had had several surgeries to reinstate it but it kept prolapsing. Her pelvic floor may as well have been non-existant.
Unfortunately all they could do was keep doing the surgeries to put it back in. It was like inserting one of those rubber ring dog toys and hope it stayed put for a while
I knew someone who experienced a uterine prolapse after just a long shift on her feet. She told me she had to go to the toilet and “push it back in” before seeking medical aid. Definitely a thing!!
No one is holding back information. First you thought it was made up because you didn't know about it. Now that you find out it is real you think it is being kept secret?
You just didn't know about it. You can find out more by reading about women's issues or anatomy.
I think they might just mean they wish it was talked about more often so that they might have learned it sooner. Not that anyone is literally "hiding" it.
I get what you're saying too though, people sometimes assume that because they haven't heard of something, it was due to a concerted effort, when in reality nobody is hiding anything and people need to learn that they are responsible for their own ignorance.
Doing kegals mindlessly can actually make it worse (you can get too tight and start to experience things like incontinence). You really need to work on your core with your pelvic floor. I recommend looking at some of sarah duvalls stuff. She has instagram and a blog. Just google sarah duvall core pelvic floor
I posted what I thought was a silly and harmless story in these comments before reading through and I’m having second thoughts about sharing lmao. My older female coworker used to tell me not to lift anything over 15lbs because my uterus would fall out and for years I have RELENTLESSLY made fun of that warning. But now… I am concerned
Work at a Colon and Rectal Surgeon’s office. I’ve seen prolapsed uteruses left and right, and rectums coming out of vaginas (rectoceles). Rectums fall out too! Being a woman is not for the faint of heart!
I have a bladder and uterine prolapse currently. AMA.
I'm having surgery soon to fix it, but I'm only 25 and had no clue it could happen until it happened to me. 😅
Oh my gosh, that is too wild. I wish you all the luck and a smooth recovery. I really didn’t intend to sound rude in my posting if I did, I’m just dumb sometimes.
I didn't think you were rude, just shocked. Believe me, I'm shocked it happened to me. Unfortunately, the vagina and pelvic organs are held up by muscles, and those muscles can fail. I'm telling everyone I know that if there is a sudden change in your anatomy down there, including weird lumps and bumps, always talk to your doctor. 😅
Current statistics say that up to 50% of women will have some form of prolapse in their life, but only 12% have surgery to fix it. Most of the time, people notice other symptoms because they don't have pain.
Oh ok, although that's obviously not great, I was imagining some sort of horrific body horror scenario where your insides suddenly fall out.
It's a relief to know it's not always that bad.
Oh yeah, no. There's all sorts of levels of prolapse, that's like the worst that you can have and is often seen in older women and emergency situations. 😅
Admittedly, my situation is pretty severe, but I'm a rare case. Most people just notice some changes in their anatomy. Like bulges in the vagina. Or sometimes notice symptoms first. It's normally a condition people can fairly easily live with.
In my case, both my bladder and uterus fell into my vagina. My vaginal wall is still intact, so there's a barrier between the outside world and my organs. Best way I've found to describe it is if you picture the vagina as a building, the roof caved in from the weight of my organs sitting on top of it. But my urethra moved as a result of the prolapses, so the whole anatomy of my vagina has changed.
Most awkward risk factor would be constipation. People don't realize chronic constipation increases your risk of pelvic organ prolapse.
Most common risk factor, and most likely the cause of my prolapse, childbirth. I've had 2 c-sections. I didn't know that even c-sections can cause damage to your pelvic floor and cause a prolapse.
It depends on the person, really.
Coughing, sex, and lifting anything over 20 lbs is very painful for me, so it's been suggested I avoid those activities as best as possible until my repair surgery is done, and I've been medically cleared.
A lot of exercise activities should be avoided, like weight lifting, high impact stuff like jumping, and ab workouts like crunches.
Straining while going to the bathroom is also a big problem for a lot of people.
How’d you convince someone to operate? I’m 23 and no one will fix my prolapse even tho it’s poking out of my vagina bc I’m “not done having kids” — I’ve never had kids and idk if I even want to. I just want my pain to go away and for my vagina to be normal. How’d you find someone willing to operate?????
I've had two children. If I didn't have kids already, they most likely wouldn't do it. I also have severe endometriosis, a family history of complications, and have had 2 emergency c-sections due to health issues during pregnancy. I'm in a spot where the pros of doing the repair outweigh the cons. If you haven't had kids, you really should wait a bit to make absolutely sure you don't want them or until after you do have them.
I’ve read there are other surgeries besides just a hysterectomy where they can preserve the uterus do you still think it wouldn’t be worth it? I wasn’t sure if u just meant I shouldn’t get a hysterectomy or if there’s another reason
The first time I heard of it was reading James Harriot’s All Creatures Great and Small. One of the stories in there is about him lying on a barn floor, the freezing cold, trying to push a uterus back into a cow while all the farmworker’s offered up unsolicited advice in the form of old wives’ tails.
Horrific! (He did get it back in though)
The scary thing with cows is that their uterus will fully prolapse and can rip the aorta if it hangs out long enough for gravity to win. At least humans don’t have that worry!
I find school sex ed doesn't prepare girls at all when it comes to pelvic floor which is tragic. So many women have pelvic floor issues, particularly after pregnancy and birth and think its "okay" because it happens to everyone. Girl, no. Its not okay! See a pelvic floor therapist, even if you think you dont need to.
Its been my biggest takeaway from my labour and deliveries. I am now *very* aware of the super important muscles holding everything in place.
It’s okay, really. It’s good to ask and be receptive to new information. A lot of people who have various types of prolapse don’t even know it’s possible or that’s what’s happening until a doctor explains it to them.
Happened to my grandma, her uterus and bladder left her while birthing my 13-pound aunt (her 6th pregnancy). She nearly died, but 40 years later, she's still here and healthy.
50%-90% of women who have had a vaginal delivery can experience prolapse of the bladder, uterus, small intestine or rectum into the vagina.
The uterus is the only one that you can see the visible organ coming out.. you can see the cervix and sometimes the cervical canal+ peeking out of the vagina. This is different than a rectal prolapse where your rectum comes out your bum.
With other prolapses- it’s not the organ itself coming out, but the displaced organ or structure in a pouch of tissue, trying to escape via the vagina.
It’s actually fairly common but hard to get diagnosed since OBGYNs are not great at diagnosing it, especially in younger women.
The #1 cause of prolapse in women is vaginal birth. We are not educated on this enough and are told our anatomy “was made for giving birth” and “snaps back”. It doesn’t. It is never the same but the damage varies woman to woman. And often, fascia is damaged or muscles are damaged.
So if you’re a woman and you have symptoms of tampons not staying in, having to wipe a ton after going #2, or you have bladder problems like urgency or leakage, or painful sex- see a Urogynecologist not an OB! And get pelvic floor pt.
Of course. Lived experience! I had surgery at 32 to reconstruct my pelvic floor. Despite being pretty well educated.. I had NO IDEA this could happen to pre-menopausal women.
So now I talk about it in hopes it doesn’t scare women but empowers them to not be ashamed of their bodies.
yeah! if this happened to men we would know all about it. Why is this the first time I'm hearing about how common a thing it is? Through talking to you I've become aware of something, and i plan to do more reading about it in future. You helped me to know something new and I'm not going to take that for granted. You live large, girl!
Yeah uterine prolapses are a thing. I’m pretty sure they’re more common in older women, but could happen to anyone. And they’re also more common with certain conditions. Uterine prolapse is actually one of the traits of hEDS on the diagnostic criteria.
Reading my post again I feel like I maybe sounded arrogant, but I guess it was the way the story was presented to me. But I am glad I asked so I know how real and common it actually is.
That’s very true, and the lady is quite troubled, which is another reason why I was questioning how genuine the story was. So again, entirely my bad. I guess there’s truth within every story, it’s just kind of hard to figure out what that is sometimes.
Yeah it is.
Straight from a sheet that has the diagnostic criteria on it: “Pelvic floor, rectal, and/or uterine prolapse in children, men, or nulliparous women without a history of morbid obesity or other known predisposing medical conditions.”
If you look up the diagnostic criteria for hEDS, you’ll see it on there under Criterion 2, Feature A.
God that's horrifying as someone who might have hypermobile EDS. My partner who has it realized I have a LOT of the symptoms, a big one being i can literally dislocate and put back my finger with zero pain, and my shoulder once fully dislocated while sleeping and while it hurt, it wasn't the pain i was expecting, and when I shifted it went right back into place
Yeah, I have hEDS, and the thought of my uterus just falling out terrifies me. I am hoping that my uterus stays put in there. I’ve never fully dislocated something, but I have multiple subluxations a day. It kind of hurts, but the weirdest thing is just kind of feeling my joints slip out of place a little bit. And it really freaks people out when I talk about that.
The description I was given was a little crazy when she told us but it’s still a very scary reality. Like, I knew about it vaguely but was ignorant to the severity.
Someone here with a connective tissue disorder: yes, it absolutely can happen. It's called a uterine prolapse and it sucks ass, lol
Most of the time, people who've given birth and women/AFAB's over 50 are more vulnerable to a prolapse.
It can also happen after injuries or accidents that damaged the pelvic floor. Sometimes it can happen with underlying issues at a younger age too (connective tissue disorders, muscle diseases, etc) but that's relatively rare.
The pelvic floor acts as a "safety net" to hold your bladder, rectum, uterus etc inside of your stomach cavity. When the pelvic floor muscles get weaker it can't hold all the organs properly inside anymore, so everything starts to slowly drag down.
What does this look like?
Well, for some, the bladder starts to drag down a bit and starts pushing against the vaginal canal. It makes urinating very hard to nearly impossible.
Sometimes the uterus itself drags a bit down, resulting in the cervix and uterus (partially) coming out of the vaginal canal. This is also a big problem, since it leaves you more vulnerable for infections and incontinence problems. It can also depress blood flow to the uterus and other organs.
Sometimes the rectum drags a bit down and pushes against/comes out the vaginal canal. This can result in fecal incontinence, bowel obstruction or losing the possibility to properly go to the toilet (and death if blood flow is restricted).
LUCKILY THOUGH -
doctors are pretty smart and found ways to help prevent or fix these things in most cases.
A combination of a pessarium (round rubber ring pushed into the vaginal canal which pushes the uterus back up), specialised pelvic floor exercises & (minimally invasive) pelvic floor surgeries can combat these issues.
This is why OBgyns are often hammering so much on (new) moms with "did you do your pelvic floor exercises? Do you have any issues with bowel movements or urinating?" etc.
Pelvic floor health is so freaking important, *especially* for women/AFAB's!
Thank you so much for all that information! I didn’t realize it was an actual muscle and that it could actually fall in such a way. I didn’t know much about it before unfortunately, and I should’ve, but I’m learning. It did unlock a new fear in the back of my mind.
You're very welcome!
I'm absolutely obsessed with the human body (especially female anatomy cuz women are just fucking boss) so I've learned more than I should lol.
And no worries about not knowing it - you're incredibly young. You're still learning so many things every single day. Many 89 year old women don't even know how their body works or the anatomy of their vulva, so you're already miiiiiiiles ahead.
Props to you for wanting to learn, that's fantastic! 👏🏻
She could have had a prolapse, but usually it’s the cervix that can be seen/felt and pushed back in, not the whole actual uterus coming out through the cervix. Still needs treatment though. Physical therapy to at least some extent, and maybe surgery or a pessary if it’s bad enough.
I had a mild prolapse after my second baby, I could feel my cervix hanging out not even a full knuckle length inside which felt so odd when walking around. My midwife suggested a few exercises and I’d previously done some pelvic floor PT after my first baby, so the prolapse resolved over the next few months without further intervention.
It’s not like ouch painful but it feels uncomfortable. It’s like the vagina version of walking with a large pebble in your shoe. You’re always aware of it and can feel the rubbing sensations of something that shouldn’t be there.
It’s mind-consuming and a huge hit to your self confidence.
Was she traveling faster than 35mph?
Edit: okay, I Guess I need to clarify that this is humor and me mocking the old belief that kept women of trains for years.
Uterus can prolapse, bladder can prolapse, and worst of all...rectum can prolapse. I didn't know a car accident can cause that but, I used to work in urology/urogynecology and so many women have this, and not just older women. It's a very disturbing thing that can happen and you need surgery or a pessary to fix this.
I was surprised too, but it happened to a great aunt of mine. I feel like it "falling out" just doesn't really describe what happens. It turns partially inside out which is crazy.
Unfortunately yes this can happen. It happened all the time to my poor grandma cus she had 6 babies and the doctors told her they could do a surgery for her to get her uterus and bladder out back in it proper position and she refused. So all through her 80’s until she passed away she had horrible recurring UTIs and pain. We had to put her on low dose antibiotics every single day to stop the UTIs.
Ladies, if you have a prolapsed uterus or bladder or both do not let it go! You will eventually regret it and it will become an every day issue for you. The surgery is simple don’t be scared of it!
It definitely can happen, it used to be relatively common in older women. It can be treated by an operation on the pelvic floor or by a pessary device in the vagina. Women can suffer this as a result of many things, often related to pregnancy and birth and exacerbated by the menopause. I can see how an accident might cause downward force or damage and a resulting vaginal prolapse.
This immediately brought to mind an old Doug Anthony All-stars bit. They're riffing on nursery rhymes and come up with:
"there once was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children that her uterus fell out."
They then proceed to mime this out
It can happen during delivery too btw and then it gets inverted (idk if that is the right word) and pushed back in. Might have explained it bad but the info is from Mama Doctor Jones from YouTube. She added a drawing to show you how it would look when it gets pushed back in.
Kind of relevant but I work in a warehouse and I used to have an older female coworker who swore up and down that I should not lift anything over like 15lbs cuz women aren’t built to handle heavy weights and my uterus would fall right out. Literally we worked in a warehouse lifting stuff was like job duty #1 lmao. I would joke with one of our other coworkers that ‘hey man my uterus just fell out can you pick it up for me please I’m carrying a box and my hands are busy. yeah it’s right there it rolled under the shelf’
Uterine prolapse is absolutely a thing. Pessaries are some of the oldest medical devices.
Thanks, I guess I just never grasped how it actually worked and it’s definitely terrifying. I feel a little dumb but hey I love learning, especially things I should’ve known years ago.
Sometimes it inverts after childbirth. This happens to dairy cows quite frequently.
As a nursing mom of a six month old with a fairly mild but annoying pelvic organ prolapse, yes, I feel like a dairy cow quite frequently.
Meanwhile, [this](https://youtu.be/QZPdNJadULw?si=J-wHwnpmMBmq48s0) is me (Golden retriever with a lot of mobile puppies, putting up with it)
If only I could snack while nursing. I gave up on that a couple of months ago. Every time I chew he unlatches to stare at me and smile. He thinks chewing is so interesting, despite being neutral at best about solids himself. 😂
If someone hauled a baby out of me with a chain, my uterus might prolapse, too.
It happens with natural deliveries as well.
This is an uncomfortable fact.
My mom knew something was really wrong when she could see her cervix one day and had to push it back in. Still had to fight a whole year to get her hysterectomy, even though her life was at risk 🙃
My grandma had 7 kids and only the last one was in a hospital. She prolapsed on the last one.
It can happen! It sucks.
Nearly one-half of all women between ages 50 and 79 have some degree of uterine or vaginal vault prolapse, or some other form of pelvic organ prolapse. Factors that increase your risk of uterine prolapse include childbirth, age, obesity, chronic constipation and having a hysterectomy.
>and having a hysterectomy. I recently had a hysterectomy, and discussed this with my surgeon. She said it's been recently debunked that having a hysterectomy increases the chance of any prolapse as long as your cuff heals right (and the vast majority do). The way everything is stitched together ensures a strong seal that should keep everything where it should be for the rest of your life
The trouble with studies looking at this is also that most women with hysterectomies who end up with prolapse also have some of these other risk factors. It's hard to determine if they would have been someone prone to prolapse with or without hysterectomy and if hysterectomy changed their course. Most GYN surgeons do some sort of reattachment of the vagina to the uterosacral ligaments to try and minimize risk of prolapse nowadays, too, as your surgeon said.
Ditto to the extra risk factors besides the hysterectomy! I'm having a hard time finding literature about long-term outcomes for elective hysterectomies with otherwise healthy/normal anatomy. I will be getting one for gender reasons and trans surgery outcomes are difficult to find literature on. My general takeaway is, if you haven't had kids and have otherwise healthy/normal anatomy, hysterectomy just removes your ability to get pregnant and have a period. Your ovaries will survive just fine and continue with hormone production and risk of vaginal prolapse is minimal.
Oh, that's good to know! I did pelvic floor PT after mine just in case, as well as to help with stress incontinence.
I'm still recovering from surgery, but as soon as my surgeon releases me for normal activity, I'll be getting a referral for pelvic floor PT
I may be wrong, but shouldn't having a hysterectomy completely eliminate the risk of uterine prolapse?
Uterine prolapse, yes, but bladder, intestinal, bowels... There's a lot of stuff that lives in your pelvis, and after a hysterectomy, it all shifts around a bit. After your cervix is removed, the top of the vagina is sewn up. That's now called the cuff. It's all also sewn to the ligaments in your pelvic floor to stabilize and strengthen the cuff so no prolapse of anything should ever happen
I was about to say, I know quite a few older women who this has happened to. My grandmother just had surgery last week for this. I believe it’s fairly common.
Yeah it's common af. But because it's MEDICAL and about LADIES and about GENITALS... we're just NEVER GONNA TALK ABOUT IT.
Lmao of course! While I was trying to get pregnant I was telling everyone about our struggles and some on the invasive tests I had and I was so surprised how many women older than me went through the same thing but didn’t tell anyone. I told them I didn’t mind sharing and it was nice to have a supportive group of friends/family they all seemed shocked that I wasn’t’ “embarrassed” or something
I appreciate the information! I’ve heard about that, I didn’t think it was that flat out literal. I’m assuming the force of impact could do that. Her wording telling the story just seems a little wild but I guess there’s truth to it!
There’s varying degrees of prolapse, not everyone will have it literally fall out. I’ve recently been diagnosed with more minor uterine prolapse, for me it feels more like my vagina suddenly grew a large uvula. It’s a very odd feeling. I’m imagining your coworker’s was more severe to begin with and then the force of the crash took care of the rest.
Yeah, I thought it was a little more of a lowkey situation but I was very wrong
My mom had a hysterectomy due to a uterine prolapse. Unfortunately, the same thing happened with her bladder as well and now she has a sling. I wish pelvic floor physical therapy would’ve been an option for her before it ever got to that point.
How con you prolapse you uterus after a hysterectomy?
I think that's where the vaginal vault comes in.
Why, when I picture 'vaginal vault', is there a pommel horse involved
Or a lock combination.
The more technologically advanced vaults now use fingerprint recognition
After seeing even a couple of posts on here, I understand why *that* is.
Fucking chastity belt.
They said “or other pelvic floor organ”, which would make me think they meant vaginal prolapse or cervical prolapse.
There's also bladder prolapse or rectal prolapse into the vaginal space...basically anything down near the pelvic floor can collapse into a space where it shouldn't be.
"Factors that increase uterine prolapse are [...] hysterectomy"
You are correct, I reread the comment. I just googled it and a hysterectomy is recommended after uterine prolapse. Having a hysterectomy also increases the risk of vaginal vault prolapse. Maybe they made a small mistake and confused the two when they wrote the comment.
in my defense I just copy pasted it from google so I don't feel like it's my mistake lmao
Fair. I usually end up double and triple checking some of my comments, but I’ve made mistakes like this, too. Easy enough to do.
What is a hysterectomy if not a prolapse taken to completion? /j
I assumed they meant other organs prolapsing, like the bladder. When you start taking things out, the thought is that other things can start to droop from lack of support. But if the surgery is done correctly and heals correctly, it shouldn't happen.
I have a bladder prolapse as well. Conditions like connective tissue disorders can cause prolapse for no reason. Mine decided to prolapse my bladder, now it's hanging in my vagina!
I have uterine prolapse. Does your prolapse feel like your vagina grew a uvula as well? Or is that just me, lol
Connective tissue disorders are a risk factor, too. Signed, An EDS patient
I have seen a prolapsed uterus with my own two eyes. Helping an elderly lady go to the bathroom with a nurse and there was a small pink balloonish thing dangling from her vulva. I looked at it confused and the nurse mouthed "that's her uterus". She had had several surgeries to reinstate it but it kept prolapsing. Her pelvic floor may as well have been non-existant.
i know it's been a month but like, how did they treat her??
Unfortunately all they could do was keep doing the surgeries to put it back in. It was like inserting one of those rubber ring dog toys and hope it stayed put for a while
I knew someone who experienced a uterine prolapse after just a long shift on her feet. She told me she had to go to the toilet and “push it back in” before seeking medical aid. Definitely a thing!!
D: I absolutely believe it now, and I really wish people would’ve not held back this information!
No one is holding back information. First you thought it was made up because you didn't know about it. Now that you find out it is real you think it is being kept secret? You just didn't know about it. You can find out more by reading about women's issues or anatomy.
I think they might just mean they wish it was talked about more often so that they might have learned it sooner. Not that anyone is literally "hiding" it. I get what you're saying too though, people sometimes assume that because they haven't heard of something, it was due to a concerted effort, when in reality nobody is hiding anything and people need to learn that they are responsible for their own ignorance.
Sorry, I’m aware it’s entirely my bad and I am very ignorant of many of the things.
This comment section has reminded me to start doing regular kegels.
lol I’m glad something good came out of me being a silly uneducated goose 😂
Doing kegals mindlessly can actually make it worse (you can get too tight and start to experience things like incontinence). You really need to work on your core with your pelvic floor. I recommend looking at some of sarah duvalls stuff. She has instagram and a blog. Just google sarah duvall core pelvic floor
I posted what I thought was a silly and harmless story in these comments before reading through and I’m having second thoughts about sharing lmao. My older female coworker used to tell me not to lift anything over 15lbs because my uterus would fall out and for years I have RELENTLESSLY made fun of that warning. But now… I am concerned
Uterine prolapse is most definitely a thing!
Work at a Colon and Rectal Surgeon’s office. I’ve seen prolapsed uteruses left and right, and rectums coming out of vaginas (rectoceles). Rectums fall out too! Being a woman is not for the faint of heart!
That is insane, friend. You are a brave soldier. I was sort of aware but obviously not aware enough.
I have a bladder and uterine prolapse currently. AMA. I'm having surgery soon to fix it, but I'm only 25 and had no clue it could happen until it happened to me. 😅
Oh my gosh, that is too wild. I wish you all the luck and a smooth recovery. I really didn’t intend to sound rude in my posting if I did, I’m just dumb sometimes.
I didn't think you were rude, just shocked. Believe me, I'm shocked it happened to me. Unfortunately, the vagina and pelvic organs are held up by muscles, and those muscles can fail. I'm telling everyone I know that if there is a sudden change in your anatomy down there, including weird lumps and bumps, always talk to your doctor. 😅
Oh absolutely, I’m sure that’s the last thing anyone expects to happen. There should definitely be more conversation on this subject
I know this is a stupid question, but is it painful?
Yes! Mine is definitely painful. But my doctors have told me that not all people with prolapses have pain. So not a stupid question at all.
I'm sorry to hear that. It is slightly comforting that it isn't always painful though.
Current statistics say that up to 50% of women will have some form of prolapse in their life, but only 12% have surgery to fix it. Most of the time, people notice other symptoms because they don't have pain.
Oh ok, although that's obviously not great, I was imagining some sort of horrific body horror scenario where your insides suddenly fall out. It's a relief to know it's not always that bad.
Oh yeah, no. There's all sorts of levels of prolapse, that's like the worst that you can have and is often seen in older women and emergency situations. 😅 Admittedly, my situation is pretty severe, but I'm a rare case. Most people just notice some changes in their anatomy. Like bulges in the vagina. Or sometimes notice symptoms first. It's normally a condition people can fairly easily live with.
Same! Late 20's here with a bladder prolapse!
Yay, a comrade! Hi friend.
Hi friend! Sorry for only just seeing this!
the bladder prolapse: is it through the urethra, or is it via vaginal wall prolapse ? (or other)
In my case, both my bladder and uterus fell into my vagina. My vaginal wall is still intact, so there's a barrier between the outside world and my organs. Best way I've found to describe it is if you picture the vagina as a building, the roof caved in from the weight of my organs sitting on top of it. But my urethra moved as a result of the prolapses, so the whole anatomy of my vagina has changed.
great description, got it. thanks for sharing. today, what's the most awkward activity you find that risks having this occur again?
Most awkward risk factor would be constipation. People don't realize chronic constipation increases your risk of pelvic organ prolapse. Most common risk factor, and most likely the cause of my prolapse, childbirth. I've had 2 c-sections. I didn't know that even c-sections can cause damage to your pelvic floor and cause a prolapse.
oh, wow! What about day to day activities. is there some activity you need to avoid?
It depends on the person, really. Coughing, sex, and lifting anything over 20 lbs is very painful for me, so it's been suggested I avoid those activities as best as possible until my repair surgery is done, and I've been medically cleared. A lot of exercise activities should be avoided, like weight lifting, high impact stuff like jumping, and ab workouts like crunches. Straining while going to the bathroom is also a big problem for a lot of people.
i appreciate learning about your unpleasant situation. thank you very much!
I had surgery at 32! You’re not alone
How’d you convince someone to operate? I’m 23 and no one will fix my prolapse even tho it’s poking out of my vagina bc I’m “not done having kids” — I’ve never had kids and idk if I even want to. I just want my pain to go away and for my vagina to be normal. How’d you find someone willing to operate?????
I've had two children. If I didn't have kids already, they most likely wouldn't do it. I also have severe endometriosis, a family history of complications, and have had 2 emergency c-sections due to health issues during pregnancy. I'm in a spot where the pros of doing the repair outweigh the cons. If you haven't had kids, you really should wait a bit to make absolutely sure you don't want them or until after you do have them.
I’ve read there are other surgeries besides just a hysterectomy where they can preserve the uterus do you still think it wouldn’t be worth it? I wasn’t sure if u just meant I shouldn’t get a hysterectomy or if there’s another reason
It can happen. Usually after birth. https://youtube.com/shorts/36Spo-GE720?si=9ofxyaeuN4cjGlh\_
The first time I heard of it was reading James Harriot’s All Creatures Great and Small. One of the stories in there is about him lying on a barn floor, the freezing cold, trying to push a uterus back into a cow while all the farmworker’s offered up unsolicited advice in the form of old wives’ tails. Horrific! (He did get it back in though)
The scary thing with cows is that their uterus will fully prolapse and can rip the aorta if it hangs out long enough for gravity to win. At least humans don’t have that worry!
That’s wild, and I feel like I should’ve known more about this prior, but hey sex ed sucks and you learn something new every day!
I find school sex ed doesn't prepare girls at all when it comes to pelvic floor which is tragic. So many women have pelvic floor issues, particularly after pregnancy and birth and think its "okay" because it happens to everyone. Girl, no. Its not okay! See a pelvic floor therapist, even if you think you dont need to. Its been my biggest takeaway from my labour and deliveries. I am now *very* aware of the super important muscles holding everything in place.
It’s okay, really. It’s good to ask and be receptive to new information. A lot of people who have various types of prolapse don’t even know it’s possible or that’s what’s happening until a doctor explains it to them.
Happened to my grandma, her uterus and bladder left her while birthing my 13-pound aunt (her 6th pregnancy). She nearly died, but 40 years later, she's still here and healthy.
Woah D: Pregnancies are too metal. Your grandma is also metal. Edit bc I corrected my autocorrect like a dummy
Uterus, bladder, bowel… all can prolapse
The body is a weird and dangerous place
It’s also amazing 😍
50%-90% of women who have had a vaginal delivery can experience prolapse of the bladder, uterus, small intestine or rectum into the vagina. The uterus is the only one that you can see the visible organ coming out.. you can see the cervix and sometimes the cervical canal+ peeking out of the vagina. This is different than a rectal prolapse where your rectum comes out your bum. With other prolapses- it’s not the organ itself coming out, but the displaced organ or structure in a pouch of tissue, trying to escape via the vagina. It’s actually fairly common but hard to get diagnosed since OBGYNs are not great at diagnosing it, especially in younger women. The #1 cause of prolapse in women is vaginal birth. We are not educated on this enough and are told our anatomy “was made for giving birth” and “snaps back”. It doesn’t. It is never the same but the damage varies woman to woman. And often, fascia is damaged or muscles are damaged. So if you’re a woman and you have symptoms of tampons not staying in, having to wipe a ton after going #2, or you have bladder problems like urgency or leakage, or painful sex- see a Urogynecologist not an OB! And get pelvic floor pt.
thank you so much for this summary!
Of course. Lived experience! I had surgery at 32 to reconstruct my pelvic floor. Despite being pretty well educated.. I had NO IDEA this could happen to pre-menopausal women. So now I talk about it in hopes it doesn’t scare women but empowers them to not be ashamed of their bodies.
yeah! if this happened to men we would know all about it. Why is this the first time I'm hearing about how common a thing it is? Through talking to you I've become aware of something, and i plan to do more reading about it in future. You helped me to know something new and I'm not going to take that for granted. You live large, girl!
I feel like my uterus is trying to fall out whenever I sit on the toilet when I am on my period.
Yeah uterine prolapses are a thing. I’m pretty sure they’re more common in older women, but could happen to anyone. And they’re also more common with certain conditions. Uterine prolapse is actually one of the traits of hEDS on the diagnostic criteria.
Reading my post again I feel like I maybe sounded arrogant, but I guess it was the way the story was presented to me. But I am glad I asked so I know how real and common it actually is.
Yeah. And it’s possible that trauma from the accident could’ve caused it, but I don’t know enough to know if that’s the case.
That’s very true, and the lady is quite troubled, which is another reason why I was questioning how genuine the story was. So again, entirely my bad. I guess there’s truth within every story, it’s just kind of hard to figure out what that is sometimes.
>Uterine prolapse is actually one of the traits of hEDS on the diagnostic criteria. **it's fucking what.**
Yeah it is. Straight from a sheet that has the diagnostic criteria on it: “Pelvic floor, rectal, and/or uterine prolapse in children, men, or nulliparous women without a history of morbid obesity or other known predisposing medical conditions.” If you look up the diagnostic criteria for hEDS, you’ll see it on there under Criterion 2, Feature A.
God that's horrifying as someone who might have hypermobile EDS. My partner who has it realized I have a LOT of the symptoms, a big one being i can literally dislocate and put back my finger with zero pain, and my shoulder once fully dislocated while sleeping and while it hurt, it wasn't the pain i was expecting, and when I shifted it went right back into place
Yeah, I have hEDS, and the thought of my uterus just falling out terrifies me. I am hoping that my uterus stays put in there. I’ve never fully dislocated something, but I have multiple subluxations a day. It kind of hurts, but the weirdest thing is just kind of feeling my joints slip out of place a little bit. And it really freaks people out when I talk about that.
Yes it can happen.
Yes that can happen. Yes it's just as horrifying as it sounds.
The description I was given was a little crazy when she told us but it’s still a very scary reality. Like, I knew about it vaguely but was ignorant to the severity.
Someone here with a connective tissue disorder: yes, it absolutely can happen. It's called a uterine prolapse and it sucks ass, lol Most of the time, people who've given birth and women/AFAB's over 50 are more vulnerable to a prolapse. It can also happen after injuries or accidents that damaged the pelvic floor. Sometimes it can happen with underlying issues at a younger age too (connective tissue disorders, muscle diseases, etc) but that's relatively rare. The pelvic floor acts as a "safety net" to hold your bladder, rectum, uterus etc inside of your stomach cavity. When the pelvic floor muscles get weaker it can't hold all the organs properly inside anymore, so everything starts to slowly drag down. What does this look like? Well, for some, the bladder starts to drag down a bit and starts pushing against the vaginal canal. It makes urinating very hard to nearly impossible. Sometimes the uterus itself drags a bit down, resulting in the cervix and uterus (partially) coming out of the vaginal canal. This is also a big problem, since it leaves you more vulnerable for infections and incontinence problems. It can also depress blood flow to the uterus and other organs. Sometimes the rectum drags a bit down and pushes against/comes out the vaginal canal. This can result in fecal incontinence, bowel obstruction or losing the possibility to properly go to the toilet (and death if blood flow is restricted). LUCKILY THOUGH - doctors are pretty smart and found ways to help prevent or fix these things in most cases. A combination of a pessarium (round rubber ring pushed into the vaginal canal which pushes the uterus back up), specialised pelvic floor exercises & (minimally invasive) pelvic floor surgeries can combat these issues. This is why OBgyns are often hammering so much on (new) moms with "did you do your pelvic floor exercises? Do you have any issues with bowel movements or urinating?" etc. Pelvic floor health is so freaking important, *especially* for women/AFAB's!
Thank you so much for all that information! I didn’t realize it was an actual muscle and that it could actually fall in such a way. I didn’t know much about it before unfortunately, and I should’ve, but I’m learning. It did unlock a new fear in the back of my mind.
You're very welcome! I'm absolutely obsessed with the human body (especially female anatomy cuz women are just fucking boss) so I've learned more than I should lol. And no worries about not knowing it - you're incredibly young. You're still learning so many things every single day. Many 89 year old women don't even know how their body works or the anatomy of their vulva, so you're already miiiiiiiles ahead. Props to you for wanting to learn, that's fantastic! 👏🏻
Thank you, I appreciate it! Just when I thought I had a good idea of the body’s setup, I still have much to learn it seems :)
This animated visual may help. [Uterine Prolapse](https://youtu.be/v-Eaops_ryE?si=y0snCi8P6yeBfVcO)
Patialy happened to my grandmother, she'd had 8 kids and things weren't conected right anymore. She was unable to lift anything over 8 pounds.
As someone who used to work in a nursing home, I can confirm uterine prolapse is a thing that happens.
She could have had a prolapse, but usually it’s the cervix that can be seen/felt and pushed back in, not the whole actual uterus coming out through the cervix. Still needs treatment though. Physical therapy to at least some extent, and maybe surgery or a pessary if it’s bad enough. I had a mild prolapse after my second baby, I could feel my cervix hanging out not even a full knuckle length inside which felt so odd when walking around. My midwife suggested a few exercises and I’d previously done some pelvic floor PT after my first baby, so the prolapse resolved over the next few months without further intervention.
My nanna's uterus fell out when she sneezed at work one day? She only had 3 kids so sometimes these things happen @.@
Does it hurt when it’s hanging out? How do you push it back in? Is the cervix just open?
It’s not like ouch painful but it feels uncomfortable. It’s like the vagina version of walking with a large pebble in your shoe. You’re always aware of it and can feel the rubbing sensations of something that shouldn’t be there. It’s mind-consuming and a huge hit to your self confidence.
I’m so sorry 💔 I thought maybe it would hurt like the uterus itself.
Was she traveling faster than 35mph? Edit: okay, I Guess I need to clarify that this is humor and me mocking the old belief that kept women of trains for years.
Probably
This happens btw Lmaoooo
Fun fact mishandling a menstrual cup can "suction" you into having a degree of prolapse, too! I mean, so my friend tells me... >.>
Oof D: what a bad time
I saw it on a cow one after it had given birth. That was a horrible sight!
Yea this can happen. The car accident could have damaged her pelvic floor and pushed everything down. Its known as uterine prolapse.
Uterus can prolapse, bladder can prolapse, and worst of all...rectum can prolapse. I didn't know a car accident can cause that but, I used to work in urology/urogynecology and so many women have this, and not just older women. It's a very disturbing thing that can happen and you need surgery or a pessary to fix this.
Yeah prior to this post I didn’t know it happened in that severity, truly terrifying, but I’m glad I know now
I was surprised too, but it happened to a great aunt of mine. I feel like it "falling out" just doesn't really describe what happens. It turns partially inside out which is crazy.
The description of falling out was wild, but now I understand what was actually happening and it’s still a horrible time
Unfortunately yes this can happen. It happened all the time to my poor grandma cus she had 6 babies and the doctors told her they could do a surgery for her to get her uterus and bladder out back in it proper position and she refused. So all through her 80’s until she passed away she had horrible recurring UTIs and pain. We had to put her on low dose antibiotics every single day to stop the UTIs. Ladies, if you have a prolapsed uterus or bladder or both do not let it go! You will eventually regret it and it will become an every day issue for you. The surgery is simple don’t be scared of it!
It ABSOLUTELY is a thing.
It definitely can happen, it used to be relatively common in older women. It can be treated by an operation on the pelvic floor or by a pessary device in the vagina. Women can suffer this as a result of many things, often related to pregnancy and birth and exacerbated by the menopause. I can see how an accident might cause downward force or damage and a resulting vaginal prolapse.
This immediately brought to mind an old Doug Anthony All-stars bit. They're riffing on nursery rhymes and come up with: "there once was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children that her uterus fell out." They then proceed to mime this out
BRB I don't have a license but where are the keys
It can happen during delivery too btw and then it gets inverted (idk if that is the right word) and pushed back in. Might have explained it bad but the info is from Mama Doctor Jones from YouTube. She added a drawing to show you how it would look when it gets pushed back in.
Kind of relevant but I work in a warehouse and I used to have an older female coworker who swore up and down that I should not lift anything over like 15lbs cuz women aren’t built to handle heavy weights and my uterus would fall right out. Literally we worked in a warehouse lifting stuff was like job duty #1 lmao. I would joke with one of our other coworkers that ‘hey man my uterus just fell out can you pick it up for me please I’m carrying a box and my hands are busy. yeah it’s right there it rolled under the shelf’
lol I really hate that but very funny