Questioni am 30 weeks pregnant with my third baby. (i have a 2 1/2yr old and a 11 month old). I have been told by a midwife that I have a "good size baby". I have SPD and am experiencing a lot of pelvic pain. i have also recently discovered that I have some sort of prolapse. I have a bulging at the opening of the vagina. i have been to see the doc and she said that it is the rear vaginal wall. i have just had a cough for quite a while and i feel that it is getting worse. (the bulge, which is walnut size, is getting bigger and there seems to be a bigger bulge coming from behind, maybe apple size. Like there is something else wanting to get out!).
My question is, will a vaginal birth do me lots of damage (especially if its a big baby). Should I be having a c-section?
I'm also concerned that I might have had some sort of organ prolapse before i had my children as i have always experienced pain when having sex (pain through deep penetration). Which I have read may be a symptom of a prolapse.
i am worried that the doctor i saw, may have missed that it is something worse than she thinks. So what sort of damage could I be faced with after a vaginal birth?
Any thoughts and advise would be really appreciated. Many thanks,
Niko
AnswerIf you prepare for and manage your delivery properly, you shouldn't have any significant damage from a vaginal birth. You will need to advocate for yourself, though, and avoid practices that will put your pelvic floor at risk.
First, you need to begin an intensive Kegel regimen. If you are already doing Kegels, you need to do more. Aim for 100-200 Kegels a day. Practice long ones, holding for 8 seconds each, and practice short ones, like keeping beat with a song on the radio. Make them an integral part of your life, all the time, all day every day. This will do two things for you. First, it will help your current prolapses recede and become less symptomatic. Continuing the practice after birth will continue to provide benefits. Second, having a toned, strong vaginal wall and pelvic floor will help you suffer less damage during the birth. You will be less prone to tearing, and you will be less likely to suffer postpartum incontinence.
The second thing you need to pay attention to is pushing your baby out. The traditional practice in hospitals is coached pushing, where you are told to start pushing as soon as you reach 10 cm, and you push for a count of 10 three times with every contraction. This kind of pushing often starts too soon, before the baby's head is fully molded, and causes unnecessary strain on your pelvic floor, resulting in more damage. A better practice is to wait to push until your body feels the urge. This urge is absolutely unmistakable, but it can take up to an hour or two after you reach full dilation. This extra time allows your baby's head to fully mold, so that you can push out a much smaller object. When you get that urge to push, just follow your body and push with the urge. Don't count, don't hold your breath, just go with your body. Your pushes will be more efficient and directed, and you will do less damage to your pelvic floor.
Again, don't forget the Kegels postpartum, too. You won't be able to feel them at first, but be diligent and continue practicing, and you will recover more quickly.
After you baby is born, you may want to check out the book "Saving the Whole Woman" for more information on natural, non-surgical treatments for pelvic prolapses.
Good luck!
