Jen - Embracing a New Chapter: My Journey Back to Exercise with a Prolapse

Pelvic FloorPostpartumProlapseJen's Story

28 Jun

Motherhood, it is a wild ride isn't it?

It has a wonderful way of throwing unexpected challenges our way that test our strength and resilience!

A prolapse was not a challenge I was expecting to face on my fitness journey but having three babies so close together and a Gestational Diabetes pregnancy the odds were heavily stacked against me!

Within this rather lengthy blog I share my story of being blindsided with a prolapse diagnosis after my second baby, how I navigated this moving into my third pregnancy and some advice on returning to exercise with Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

I hope that sharing my experience will empower and inspire those who are going through a similar situation.

The shock diagnosis

The 17th of September 2019 was a very special day, the birth of Rio, my second daughter! I managed to have a natural vaginal birth with a much quicker pushing phase than Sayer, her big sister. With only a few stitches my body naturally healed really well.

Being my second baby I felt much more confident beginning my rehab journey! I started slowly, with lots of walks and pelvic floor work. I remember feeling a sense of urgency when needing to use the loo early on but this slowly eased the stronger my pelvic floor became.

My Women's Health Physio appointment was booked for four months. Looking back I would have loved to have made this earlier but I was in the thick of it! Struggling with a baby that liked to cat nap, Rio was in and out of hospital (Our poor wee bub contracted viral meningitis at 10 days old) and I also had my hands full with her one year old big sister.

I was treating my appointment as a warrant of fitness. I wanted to be 100% sure I was on the right track before pushing forward with my fitness goals.

To my surprise after an internal examination I was diagnosed with a partial prolapse - laxity was observed on my anterior vaginal wall. This was a huge shock given I had no prolapse symptoms.

I experienced a whirlwind of emotions that day. As a fitness lover and a personal trainer this news initially felt like a crushing blow, but little did I know that it would also become a transformative experience that has taught me alot about the importance of self-care, patience, and resilience.

Recovery after my second pregnancy

At four months postpartum I was still breastfeeding Rio which did influence my prolapse due to hormonal changes.

Luckily, my prolapse was mild so my Physio gave me an individualised pelvic floor programme which focused on increasing strength and endurance which I completed daily. This along with She Moves postpartum safe workouts formed my rehabilitation programme.

With a consistent approach I managed to regain enough strength in my pelvic floor to move to high impact exercise at six month postpartum.

I am forever grateful for going to that physio appointment and rehabbing the right way. Without doing so I could have made things significantly worse.

My third Pregnancy

At 13 month postpartum we were blessed to see those two lines appear again, we were pregnant with baby number three! We were so excited, but I was feeling a little nervous about about how my body would cope this time around having another baby close in age!

My third pregnancy was far from smooth sailing…

I had several scans….

Heartburn…

Pubic Symphysis…

SIJ pain….

Gestational diabetes….

And if it wasn't already a rough enough ride, as I expected, my prolapse reappeared at 33 weeks.

I was gutted! I had worked hard on my rehab after baby number two but reality is pregnancy and prolapses can go hand in hand.

All that extra pressure, the fact I was carrying a bigger baby due to Diabetes meant my already weakened pelvic floor muscles were not coping!

I booked an appointment with my pelvic health physio at 33 weeks pregnant.

At this point I was experiencing lots of symptoms; bulging, heaviness and dragging I was struggle to carry my toddler who still very much needed my help with most things.

My physio was amazing during my appointment. She reassured me that everything would be ok, she gave guidance around my pelvic floor exercises and told me to continue with our She Moves Pregnancy safe workouts. She also took lots of time to answer all my worries around how to navigate labour with a prolapse which was something that was really worrying me.

Recovery after my third pregnancy

My recovery this time around was a lot slower. My first week postpartum I struggled to walk, standing to make a cup of tea was challenging, the feeling of heaviness in my pelvic floor was on another level!

I was thankful my hubby was able to take a few weeks off work which meant I was able to spend a large chunk of each day lying horizontal on the couch with Maker and rest.

Reality set in when Caleb returned to work. I was solo at home with three kids under the age of five. It was tough. There was no resting between feeds and carrying my toddler made my symptoms worse.

I did my best to go slow during the first six weeks, I stayed consistent with my pelvic floor exercises, and began to reconnect my core and pelvic floor through gentle breath work.

My physio appointment was booked for eight weeks postpartum and as I suspected my prolapse was still there, at this stage it was grade 2a on my anterior wall. I also had a mild abdominal separation.

At this point my physio wasn't happy with where my pelvic floor strength was despite the work I had been doing so she introduced pelvic floor weights to my rehab! Yes, you read that right, pelvic floor weights, they are a thing!

Twice a week for 20 mins I used my pelvic floor weights. I’ll save you all the gory details but basically they were inserted (Looked like super, super tampons) My pelvic floor had to switch on to hold the device in place, which, overtime strengthened my pelvic floor.

Building my pelvic floor strength was essential if I had any hope of returning to high impact exercise.

Unfortunately, across my three pregnancies and births the weight of my babies and trauma to my pelvic floor had weakened and stretched my fascia (think about fascia as “ropes” - a connective tissue that helps to support and hold our pelvic organs in place) Once your facia is stretched there is no reversing, so strengthening my pelvic floor was the only way forward.

I had many weeks where doubt crept in and I wondered if I would ever feel strong again. I stayed determined and consistent with my pelvic floor plan for a further four months.

Pelvic Floor weights and an individualised pelvic floor exercise plan
She Restores workouts three times a week

It was tough - it was really frustrating for someone who loved to sweat and give it my all. I was lucky and my consistency paid off, I built enough strength back in my pelvic floor to be cleared for high impact exercise once again! I was beyond stoked!

I started back playing Beach Volleyball the summer of 2021 and have just begun my return to running, would have been sooner but three kid life is busy!

Where I am now

Still today I am listening to my body's cues and honouring it’s limits.

A prolapse is not something that just “goes away” but you learn to manage the symptoms. Pelvic floor exercises will always be a part of my fitness routine. I’ve learned to adapt my workouts, modify movements and intensities to ensure that they are safe and supportive for my body depending on how it's feeling.

I’ve learnt that there are different phases of my cycle where my pelvic floor functions better and phases where it needs a bit more TLC.

Over the past 20 months I have had several setbacks; bad coughs, bouts of constipation while breastfeeding both of which have weakened my pelvic floor. There were and still are days when frustration creeps in but as long as I listen to my pelvic floor and keep up my exercises I can manage my prolapse symptoms.

My advice for women struggling with a prolapse diagnosis

Below are my top four tips to help you return to exercise with a Pelvic Organ Prolapse diagnosis;

Book in to see a Women's Health Physio - Knowledge is power and they are worth their weight in gold!
Patience and consistency is key - Results don't happen overnight. Stay consistent with your pelvic floor exercises and find an exercise programme that is prolapse safe. Our She Restores workouts are ideal. Give one a go here!
Honor where you are at - Listening to and understanding your body's unique needs on any given day is important. Take time to become familiar with the sensations and signals your body sends.
Avoid comparing yourself to others or to your pre-prolapse self - I know this one is hard but instead, try your best to shift your focus to the progress you are making and celebrate each small step forward.

As women our fitness journeys can be messy whether you're dealing with a prolapse, trying to exercise with kids or have other obstacles that stand in the way of your fitness goals, remember that you are not alone.

Seek support from pelvic health professionals, postpartum fitness trainers (AKA She Moves ;), educate yourself and embrace a new normal that prioritises your well-being. With patience, determination, and a little self-compassion, you can continue to exercise, you can move forward on your exercise journey and do so feeling stronger than ever!

Remember, setbacks are only opportunities for comebacks.

Jen x