How to Improve or Prevent Prolapse and Heaviness During Pregnancy
If you’re nervous going into pregnancy with an existing prolapse or worried you might CREATE a prolapse throughout your pregnancy, then this blog is for you! My intent with this blog post is to help ease your fears, equip you with some helpful information about preventing prolapse and provide you with practical exercises to help with prolapse and heaviness symptoms during pregnancy.
What is a pelvic organ prolapse?
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is when the bladder, uterus (cervix), or rectum falls into the vaginal canal. This may present with a variety of symptoms, including:
A feeling of heaviness or the feeling a tampon is half in half out
Bulging sensation in the vagina
Dragging, heavy feeling in the pelvis
Lower abdominal or lower back ache
Visible bulge from the vagina
Difficulty inserting or retaining tampons
One key thing to keep in mind with a pelvic organ prolapse is that there can be different levels of severity. For instance, those with a very mild prolapse may experience very minimal to no symptoms…meaning you may not even know that you HAVE a prolapse; while someone with a more severe prolapse may feel pain or discomfort and be VERY aware that something is going on down there.
For a quick refresher on the three different types of prolapse, factors that can cause a prolapse, and tips for prevention or symptom reduction in the postpartum time frame, remember to check out my other blog post, “Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Can It Be Fixed Without Surgery?”.
Can prolapse be prevented during pregnancy?
I have some good news here…YES, pelvic organ prolapse CAN be prevented during pregnancy! And if it’s too late for prevention and you are already experiencing a prolapse or prolapse symptoms, there are definitely things that can be done to help reduce your discomfort and symptoms.
Here are my TOP three tips for preventing prolapse and/or reducing your symptoms:
Pressure Management:
Breathing is SO under-appreciated! One of the best things you can do for preventing pelvic organ prolapse is learning how to properly breath and coordinate that with our pelvic floor and core in order to match the pressure load so that we are not bearing down through the pelvic floor. You want to make sure that you are exhaling when you brace your core or go under any sort of load in order to prevent yourself from holding your breath and pushing all of that pressure down onto the pelvic floor.
Good Bowel Habits:
Without good bowel habits we can get into an array of issues which can cause or contribute to POP. Here are a few things to focus on in order to keep the bowels happy:
Stay well hydrated
Avoid straining when going to the bathroom
Go when you need to, but don’t FORCE it
Preventing constipation through good diet and water intake
Proper Pushing Techniques During Birth:
Birth may be the MOST pressure the pelvic floor ever sees, but emphasizing proper pushing techniques during this time can help reduce the excessiveness of the pressure moving down through the pelvic floor. You want to make sure to use your breath to work WITH your body and baby so that as pressure moves down, your pelvic floor is opening up versus closing off.
For more on how to breathe during pushing, make sure to check out my blog post, “Breathing During Labor: How to Work With Your Body”.
Exercises for Prolapse Management or Prevention:
There are MANY different exercises and movements that can be very beneficial for managing prolapse symptoms OR preventing prolapse entirely! A few things to consider when thinking about exercises that can be beneficial for this purpose is to utilize gravity and your breath work to your advantage.
Here are 3 exercises I find helpful for those with prolapse during pregnancy or who are looking to prevent prolapse during pregnancy:
1. Upward Child’s Pose
2. Adductor Bridge
3. elevated deep breathing
Looking for more prolapse support during your pregnancy??
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