Yes, your vagina can fall out of your body
Alright, so until now, I have tried to be gentle with my words. The last thing I want to do is scare someone who is about to have a baby or who just had a baby. Gentle words are good, but I just don’t think they really tell how it is so here it goes…..
Yes, your vagina can fall out of your body. Your uterus, your bladder, and your rectum can all fallout.
Now, it is rare to have them really and truly fall out of your body, but these organs can start to descend (come down) causing you to be able to feel a “bulge” inside your vagina. In some cases, they can actually fall outside your body, but this is very rare and VERY preventable.
When your organs start to fall like this, it is called a pelvic organ prolapse, also known as a POP.
It is very common for them to descend a small amount after having kids. To be honest, even if you have never had a child, but you strain to have bowel movements or you do high intensity sports, the chances of you having a small prolapse are fairly good. This is not a problem as long as it does not cause any issues.
It becomes a problem when you can feel a bulge inside your vagina, it is uncomfortable, it causes pain or pressure, you have difficulty having a bowel movement, you have difficulty fully emptying your bladder, you leak urine, or it interferes with sexual activities .
There are ways to prevent having a POP.
First, your delivery matters. If your physician has to use a vacuum or perform an episiotomy to get your baby out safely, you are more likely to have a prolapse. Luckily physicians are becoming more knowledgeable on the importance of decreasing the interventions used in birth, but sometimes, it is truly necessary to use a vacuum assisted birth to make sure your baby stays healthy and you stay healthy.
One of the best ways to make sure you only have the necessary interventions done is to have a doula at your birth. Research shows that having a doula decreases the rate of unnecessary interventions at births and results in better birth outcomes. So….. if you are pregnant, GET A DOULA!
Second, your postpartum period really does matter. Even if you are feeling AMAZING, the importance of taking it slow and easy those first few weeks postpartum is SO important. Read this post on the best ways to allow your body to heal. During pregnancy you have a hormone called relaxin in your body to help you be able to have a baby. That hormone makes the ligaments (the tissue that connects to bones and organs) be able to stretch. Once you have a baby, you still have this hormone in your body. In fact, it stays in your body for 6 weeks after having a baby, and even longer if you breastfeed. While this hormone is in your body those first 6 weeks after having a baby, it is so important to take things slow and easy.
For the first 6 weeks (and especially the first 2 weeks):
Avoid straining to have a bowel movement
Don’t lift up your older children. If they want to be held, sit so you can hold them
Don’t carry heavy groceries especially up stairs
Don’t return to high intensity exercise right away
Don’t run or jump
Avoid stairs
Take it EASY! Use this time to bond and relax with your new baby
Now, I know that this just isn’t feasible for everyone. If you are a single parent or your partner has to return to work right away, you will likely have to pick up your older children and carry heavy groceries. If this is the case, be sure to speak with a pelvic floor PT before having your child so they can show you ways to protect your body while doing your necessary tasks.
What to do if you have a prolapse?
If you suspect you have a prolapse or you know you have a prolapse, it is important to see a pelvic floor physical therapist to help manage your symptoms. If you have one, it is possible to decrease the amount of the prolapse so you no longer have symptoms. You can also talk to your physician about using a pessary which can help manage the prolapse and your symptoms. In some cases, your physician might want to do surgery. I highly recommended trying more conservative options first, as this can just cause more issues in the future.
Conclusion
Well, there, I did it. I wrote a post that was in your face about the possibility of your vagina falling out. My goal of this post is not to scare you. It is to inform you of what can happen and to let you know that there are ways to prevent a prolapse.
