Straining leads to prolapsed vj?

Sorry of it's TMI, but I've been wanting to post this thread for awhile and hesistated every time I tried typing.

Lately, constipation became a problem to me regardless of the amount of water I consume, high fiber diet, exercise... I know this is a normal pregnancy symptom which I'm not too worried about.

On the other hand, when I have the urge to defecate, I find myself straining half an hour with no success. Then when I stand up, I noticed in the mirror that my vagina looks pretty prolapsed! I am disgusted by the look, but at the same time, very worried that something is not right! Does anyone else have similar experiences or is this something that bring attention to my Ob?

It depends what you mean by "prolapsed". Towards the end of pregnancy everything starts to "relax" down there, which means it increasingly loses resistant tone - it will feel the same to DH, and look pretty much the same most of the time, but sitting straining on the loo for 30 minutes will allow it all to drop down a little bit - the result of this is that one can see more of the ridged walls at the entrance, and it all looks a bit more "bulgy". In the last few weeks of pregnancy it will relax even more and look like this a lot.

This is totally normal. So long as you're not in pain, don't have a dragging sensation when you've been on your feet a while, and are not incontinent, all is well.

However, straining on the loo for 30 mins isn't too good because it can encourage piles, while many of us end up with anyway at the end of pregnancy from the weight of bubs. So maybe you want to try, in addition to your fibre, exercise, etc., trying for 5 minutes and if you can't go, go for a wee walk, potter about, and try again...? Or possibly hold off until "i think i need to go" becomes "i REALLY need to go"?

One major plus of all this is that you might well have already discovered somewhere you'll feel comfy labouring - on the toilet!

HTH

Bec

ETA - by all means if you are worried talk to your midwife/Ob - that's what they're for :)

Hello I ended up with a prolapse after DD was born but TBH didn't notice anything in late pg. Even if you do have the beginnings of a prolapse (which may or may not be the case for the reasons Bec said) your OBGYN won't do anything about it for several months after the birth as often they resolve themselves. However it's worth mentioning at this stage for the sakes of a) getting some reassurance and b) they might be able to give you some tips with the constipation.

Bec, thanks for your advice. I am going to try to sit on the loo when the urge "really" comes instead of I think it's coming. It's getting so hard these days as DH finds me "trapped" on the loo. I still have about 11 weeks to go, and this is definitely a huge issue to me right now. I am staying away from any form of laxatives even though some are considered safe to use during pregnancy.

The prolapse feeling is definitely very unpleasant because it feels like there's a bulge in between my legs. Sorry for giving TMI. While it's completely a normal body response in the near end of the third trimester, I think mine is due to entirely all the straining I had been doing in that 30 min period. I feel like I am getting a taste of labour! LOL...

After I had Yasin I had a session with the hospital physio, amongst other stuff she told me the correct position for doing a poo (IMO they should have showed us this in ante-natal class) so as to reduce hemmies, pressure on stitches etc.
You should have a low stool or similar in the bathroom (think about 2 yellowpages) so that your knees are slightly above your hips. If you're tall maybe just raising your heels off the ground would do the trick. The you need to lean forward slightly and rest your hands or elbows on your knees while keeping your back fairly straight. Then make an O with your mouth and breathe out before pushing (don't know why but the pysio emphasised this). Don't strain for more than a minute at a time. Also it's better to go to the loo as soon as you feel the urge because the longer the stool sits around the dry and harder it gets (sorry if that's TMI).
Another tip was to drink a glass of hot water before going to the loo - it helps stimulate the bowel. Lots of elderly people have hot water in the morning but it's a habit that seems to be vanishing. Sometimes the quaint things that older generations do have more sense than we realise.
I know you're staying away from laxatives but maybe some prunes might help you.

I found metamucil helped last time. I took the tablets rather than the drink.
I didnt' have a really bad problem with constipation, nor the feeling of any prolapse, but I found metamucil helped, especially when I started taking iron towards the end of the pg to get my blood count up.

A warm drink certainly stimulates the bowel - just ask my DS. He has his cup of warm milk after a shower at night, and GUARANTEED he dirties his nappy LOL. Works for me sometimes too ;)

Hope you find some relief soon!

Thank you for the wonderful advice, dachlostar. After having read your reply, I followed your suggestion and was able to go to the loo without straining. I also found a warm drink really helpful. At least, I've been going everyday so things don't get piled up! Finally, it's a huge relief in the story of my life. LOL