I get along with my friend Agnes like a house on fire. Having spent almost a decade together and having practically the same careers, we often find ourselves juggling with the same life questions. I recently acquired a new status in her life when she named me the godmother of her newborn. I was elated at the news, but I couldn’t help noticing the lines of worry on her face after she delivered the baby. Agnes suffered from pelvic organ prolapse and was worried on various fronts. Although, I was surprised that she would choose to worry about prolapse among several other challenges of pregnancy, I decided to get an expert advice by booking a consultation with a urologist in Miami for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Diagnosis & Treatment Options. They helped me with some of the questions and myths that Agnes was carrying around with her baby. Let’s take a look.
First Concern: A long or difficult labor is what caused the pelvic floor prolapse
Agnes had a 10-hour long labor and all the stress and strain that she went through that duration has caused prolapse. To top it off, the baby had to be delivered using a vacuum pump. The doctor suggested that although difficult labor that includes strained and extended pushing or if the positioning of the baby is less than ideal, does damage pelvic floor muscles, a prolapse begins long before the delivery. Carrying a baby, who is of considerable weight does put a lot of pressure and strain on the muscles of the pelvic floor. The damage that begins during the pregnancy, if continued leads to prolapse in the future. Prolapse in any part of the pelvic floor muscles leads to the bulging of the vagina.
Second Concern: If she opted for a C-Section baby, the damage could have been prevented:
Contrary to popular belief, a C-section does not ensure your pelvic floor prolapse can be averted. As mentioned earlier, the prolapse begins with the pregnancy itself. And if you are blessed with particularly weak tissues in the pelvic floor, chances of having a prolapse increase manifold. Genetics carry a lot of weightage in determining the fate of the wellbeing of your muscles as well as the damage done during pregnancy. This information made her beam a little as she contemplated the vaginal birth of her baby.
Third Concern: While she could not bring herself to think of future pregnancies, she was convinced that the symptoms of the prolapse will worsen when the next time she conceives
Before speaking to the doctor, even I was convinced of this piece of myth. However, the doctor clarified. To the best of knowledge there has been no correlation connecting the number of babies conceived to the advancement of the prolapse. Prolapse, in fact, is as common in women who have had no babies with the women who have had multiple babies with little or no prolapse at all. Therefore, your family planning must not be based out of the concern for your pelvic floor muscles.
Fourth Concern: She should opt for a prolapse repair surgery before planning for her next baby
This seemed like a sound action until the doctor vehemently disagreed. The point of having a surgery, they explained, is to keep the muscles in their prime condition for a lifetime. If you have the surgery and then decide to go ahead with the pregnancy, the prolapse could bounce back. Almost as if it had never gone in the first place. There is no question of having multiple surgeries as the chances of infection and other complications exponentially increase with the number of surgeries.
Final Concern: Pelvic floor muscles will remain permanently damaged even post delivery
Even I knew this was not true. As is the case with most organs, pelvic floor muscles go back to their original condition after delivery. The doctor dismissed her concern saying that pregnancy is a biological condition, and it is no way indicative of the condition of your body post pregnancy. There is no way to find out whether any condition that your body remains in during the pregnancy will continue post-delivery. If you are suffering from prolapse, you should contact a urologist for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Diagnosis & Treatment Options and get educated as Agnes and I did.
Story by Ankita Singh
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