Dealing with Cistocel

I could only find this one thread about uterine prolapse, though there’s a tiny bit mentioned regarding urodynamic testing if needed. Admins, please 😁

So, my gynecologist just diagnosed me with Cistocel today. From what I gather, it’s basically when the vaginal wall and the bladder—well, maybe the bottom of the bladder—drop down into the vagina.

I’ve been referred for urodynamic testing, and I actually have the appointment scheduled already.

After my second child, my doctors basically told me this was just a "normal" postpartum thing and that everything would snap back into place if I just did my Kegel exercises. After that checkup, I haven't even seen a gynecologist until now, which has been over two years.

The symptoms didn't hit me right away. Honestly, I can't even remember if they did, because I probably just chalked everything up to standard postpartum recovery. But lately, things have definitely gotten worse, despite all the exercises. It's constant leaking, this relentless pressure on my bladder, feeling like it's never truly empty, and then the stress incontinence—leaking whenever I sneeze, cough, or strain. Plus, the frequent urge to go and that heavy, constant pressure in the pelvic area.

On top of all that, I’m dealing with pain in my lower spine, right around where I had the epidural. The doctor I saw today (she's filling in for my regular OB/GYN) thinks there might be a connection between that pain and the fact that my second labor was such a long, difficult ordeal.

Regardless of all the theories on why this happened, the reality is that it's happening, and I want to know what I can do for myself right now while I wait for my tests and my urine culture results.

Are there any exercises besides Kegel? Can I help by losing some weight or hitting the gym—you know, taking a full-body strengthening approach? I wouldn't say I'm out of shape, but I've been feeling weaker than usual these last couple of months. Besides the fact that I really *should* be doing those things anyway, can strength training actually help with this? Also, does anyone have experience with non-surgical approaches? From what I understand, surgery isn't really an option for me until I'm done having kids (or whenever I decide I'm finished).

And for those who have gone the surgical route, what are the outcomes actually like? Is it just a mesh placement, or are there other methods? Does it come back, and what about side effects?

Does estrogen therapy actually work? Is it prescription-only, or can you get it over the counter? If anyone knows, I'd love to hear your feedback.

I know I'm throwing a lot of questions at you. I've been Googling everything, but I'm terrified that by searching and trying to play doctor with my limited medical knowledge, I'll just end up making things worse—especially mentally. 😁

If there is a trusted resource, a support group, or even just a good link, please share your recommendations, experiences, or advice.

For context, I'm 31 and have two kids. My youngest is almost 2.5.

I’m not exactly an expert on this, but I wanted to jump in.

During my first postpartum checkup, my OB-GYN mentioned my bladder had shifted slightly. He was super casual about it and suggested I start doing Kegels. It didn't seem like a big deal until I got home and started Googling it—then I totally panicked. 😬 Still, I haven't gone looking for a second opinion or visited a urologist yet. I figured since it's just a minor shift and I don't actually have any symptoms, maybe things will just settle back into place on their own. :denial:

That said, I did start seeing a physical therapist. I originally went to get my body back in shape after being stuck on bed rest during pregnancy, but I made sure to bring up this specific issue.
From what I’ve gathered in my sessions, here’s the breakdown:
- You definitely need to do Kegels, and you need to do them right.
- Posture is huge (they gave me a whole list of exercises tailored to my weak spots).
- Keeping weight down, especially around the midsection, makes a difference.😬
- Avoid lifting heavy stuff. 🙄 (Though, I did read somewhere that the science on this isn't even fully proven.)
- Skip the running, jumping, and high-impact stuff like aerobics or Zumba.
...and I think that covers it.🤔

I'm not sure if you've stumbled upon this website or YouTube channel yet, but I started following them recently and they are incredibly helpful. I'm actually thinking about picking up their workout DVDs.

In my opinion, you can help yourself by dropping a few pounds (to take the pressure off that area) and focusing on total body strength, specifically core stability. The key is doing the right moves and avoiding anything that puts too much downward pressure on your pelvic floor.
I'm still learning as I go, but I’ll be happy to share what's safe and what's risky once I know more. 🙂

I don't know much about surgery or other medical fixes, but I was reading C. Northrup’s book, *Female Body, Female Wisdom*, and she mentions options besides pessaries—like a newer type of insert. The book translates it as a "reliable urinary control insert," and she gives it a glowing review. She also mentioned Impress as something coming to market soon. Google shows some info on Impress. These are all great tools if you're dealing with actual bladder issues. 🙂

I'm 33 with one baby. My labor was a marathon—they told me I could have been delivered three hours earlier. That might have played a role in this. 🤷

You've actually inspired me to head back to my primary OB-GYN. I want to make sure she checks everything out and refers me to a specialist if needed, rather than waiting years until this turns into a real problem. 🙂

Hey, Karen Gonzalez69, thank you God I'm not alone in this 😁

Thanks for the link! I actually stumbled upon something pretty similar myself; I'll post it here once I get home and dig it out of my bookmarks.

I’ve already started on everything you mentioned as potential solutions. Right now, though, I'm having a bit of a struggle explaining things to my gym trainers—trying to let them know about my current situation and which exercises I need to steer clear of for now, like deadlifts. But yeah, I've jumped straight into strengthening all the muscles that support the area around the vaginal walls, and I'm trying to target my pelvic floor with every trick I know.

Honestly, I feel like it's hard to find an exercise at a regular gym that really hits those specific internal muscles. And the Kegels? They haven't been much help for me; I'm doing the classic ones constantly, but nothing seems to change.

I'm curious, where did you go for physical therapy, and who sent you there? Was that a recommendation from your OBGYN or something?

I'm going to hold off on asking too many questions until after my urodynamic study is done, just so we can see where things actually stand. I'm a little worried that I might have caused more damage, especially since I'm already dealing with some mild incontinence.

I'm definitely going to look into that link you sent. In any case, I'd really recommend getting checked out to see what the current status is. It's always easier to fix things when the damage is minor. This whole issue probably isn't insurmountable while it's still in the early stages, but I worry that by waiting, we're just making things worse. I truly believe there's a way to get everything back to normal, especially since we're both young—that's supposed to be our biggest advantage.

Thanks again. Maybe someone else will chime in so we can all learn something new.

silentraven6 said:Hey, Karen Gonzalez69, thank God I'm not alone in this 😁

🙂

Thanks for the link! I actually stumbled upon something similar myself. I'll drop it here once I get home and grab it from my bookmarks.

Go ahead and post it. 🙂

I’ve already started everything you mentioned. Right now, I’m just struggling to explain things to my gym trainers—letting them know what I can't do yet, like deadlifts. But I've jumped right into strengthening all the muscles that support the pelvic floor area, trying to target my pelvis with everything I've got.

Honestly, it feels like there aren't many gym exercises that specifically hit those deep internal muscles. And those classic Kegels? They haven't really done much for me, even though I do them constantly.

Hmm, I’ve never actually been to a gym, so I have no clue how you'd work out there while sticking to these new restrictions. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how this connects to regular exercise. If I pick up that DVD and find it useful, I'll pass it along to you. 🙂

I'm curious, where did you go for physical therapy and who sent you? Was it a recommendation from your OB-GYN or something?

I saw Jadranka Brozd, but I actually sought her out on my own. My OB-GYN made it sound like such a minor, harmless thing—they didn't even suggest physical therapy. They basically told me not to worry because everything should return to normal, and to just stick to Kegels. 🤷
I was on strict bed rest during my pregnancy, so I decided right then that I’d hit up physical therapy as soon as I could. This situation just gave me that extra push to finally go.

I'm going to hold off on digging too deep until my urodynamics test is done so we can see where things stand. I'm a little worried that I might have some actual damage, since I'm already dealing with mild incontinence.

Definitely let us know what you find out and how you're doing. 🙂

I'm going to dig into that link you sent. Honestly, though, I really think you should go get checked out right away. It's like anything else—the smaller the fix, the easier it is. This might not seem like a huge deal right now, but I’m terrified that if we wait, we're just making a bad situation worse. Since we're both young, there's a really good chance everything can be fixed easily; that's actually one of the big advantages here.

You're totally right. I'm hoping I can pull myself together this December to go see someone and get a second opinion.

Thanks again! Maybe someone else will chime in so we can all learn something new.

It would be amazing if we could actually organize all this info, theory, and lived experience into one place. 🙂 It feels like people in the States don't give this much attention at all, and I highly doubt it's as rare as they make it out to be.

During those two years, did you find yourself getting more frequent bladder infections? 🙂 I read that it can happen, and honestly, it's already making me a little nervous.

I just left my OBGYN over on Main Street, and she dropped the bomb: I’ve got cystocele—basically a bladder prolapse. She says the therapy has to be
surgical because the prolapse is pretty significant.

Look, if anyone here has gone through this, or knows someone who has, please hit me up. I need the real scoop on what the surgery is actually like and how the recovery process goes.

Honestly, I'm feeling super uneasy and pretty freaked out—mostly just because I'm flying blind here.

I’m really hoping you can find someone who’s actually gone through this specific surgery before. From what I’ve read, prolapse repairs can get pretty messy sometimes—especially when they start using mesh. It’s just... a lot. So, I guess my advice is to really do your homework and figure out all the ins and outs before you let anyone touch you. I don't mean to freak you out or anything, I just want to make sure you're being super careful about which surgeon you pick and that you're fully aware of the potential risks.

What kind of symptoms are you dealing with because of the prolapse?

Look, I don't have any major issues or anything, but my prolapse is basically hanging way out past the vaginal opening. I’m not dealing with any bladder leakage at all and my bladder capacity seems totally fine.

Anyone else dealing with this kind of thing?