Christina in Chicago

About 3 months after giving birth to my daughter, my dear friend who gave birth 3 weeks before me told me that she and her husband got “back in the saddle.” I was delighted for her, but acutely aware that my own body felt nowhere near ready for that. I still felt… “injured.”

It turns out I was. I went back for another postpartum follow-up with my doctor, and she diagnosed me with a pelvic organ prolapse – a cystocele and rectocele. Since then, it has been a challenging journey, including pelvic floor physical therapy, pessaries, a surgical repair, and ultimately an acceptance and “reclaiming” of a new body that I was not expecting.

I am grateful to ParentData for the open conversation about POPs and pelvic floor health. If you are a few months from giving birth and still not feeling like you are healing, I encourage you to seek out information and help. Unlike the kind of “non-discussion” of these topics in previous generations, the information and help is out there!