I believe my prolapse has progressively gotten worse, my cervix is only as far up as my knuckle on middle finger

Question

Hi I am 25 years of age with two children (4 and 2). A few months ago I worked out I had a prolapse, made an appointment with the GP who confirmed a mini prolapse and to perform Kegel exercises. Now I believe my prolapse has progressively gotten worse, my cervix is only as far up as my knuckle on middle finger (really not sure how much higher it should be?). I have just brought Smart Balls Duo hoping to help strengthen faster, although find that they don’t stack on top of each other, they need to bend to fit. I would love to know if continued daily exercises, will help things go back up or has there been too much damage and should I be taking it further in regard with surgery? There is definitely a bulge when pressure is applied. I do not smoke and consider myself quite actively fit and pretty devastated this is happening, I really would appreciate any help you can give me regarding this matter.

Pelvic Floor Answers

If you were diagnosed with a mini prolapse it would be unusual for it to be becoming significantly worse while you are doing kegel exercises, unless you are straining in some way, ie through constipation or heavy lifting.
Can you recall where your cervix was sitting prior to starting the exercises? It does sound as if it is sitting quite low, this could be due to prolapse, but also during menstruation it can hang low and after childbirth it can change position. It would be great if you had a comparison depth/length.
As you know your body best, if you have concerns you may want to return to your health professional or if you can afford it, book an appointment with a women's health physiotherapist, they are experts in the field and cost around $150 if you cannot get onto a DHB waiting list. (you have to be have a significant prolapse to do so).

Strong pelvic floor muscles gained through exercise are very important even if you ended up having surgery they will improve recovery times and support the surgery.

The Smart Balls duo may be a bit strong/heavy, we do not usually recommend the Smart Balls Duo for women with prolapse to start with as there is not usually sufficient room to wear them comfortably.
I would recommend getting starting with the Smart Balls Uno and continuing exercise for 4-6 months regularly 3-5 days per week with the Uno and then perhaps try the Duo again. I recommend following our suggested Smart Balls exercise programme as gaining the confidence and developing a good routine to start are essential.  
we strongly recommend using a hypoallergenic lube with the Smart Balls for greater ease and comfort. We have an excellent lube available, however if you have a good lube already that is not flavoured or coloured (to prevent a reaction to the lube)and is water-based that will work fine.

Alternatively for mild to moderate prolapse the most effective option is the Natratone. We recommend women do the active exercises with the Natratone daily, ideally 2x per day for a minimum of 3 days per week with at least 4 hours between exercise cycles. Each session takes around 5-10 minutes. The Natratone comes with an easy to follow instructional DVD. The Natratone works a greater set of the core muscles and strengthens and tones the muscles that support the prolapse. This programme also enables you to clearly identify where your pelvic floor muscles are and how to activate them.

While it will not reverse the prolapse you are likely to find some improvement and will be in a better position to assess if you need to choose the surgical option. Surgery is not always successful and many women find that they are able to avoid surgery by getting their pelvic floors in to good shape.