Pelvic organ prolapse is a common post natal condition but something we don’t often speak about because I’ve found either women’s concerns about their postnatal body are dismissed or minimised resulting in us doubting ourselves or not seeking the appropriate treatment.
If you’re not aware, a prolapse is when one or more pelvic organs move out of their original position causing symptoms of:
- Heaviness, dragging or feeling like something is coming down your vagina
- Felling or seeing a bulge or lump coming out of your vagina
- Feelings of not being able to empty your bladder fully
- Stress incontinence (peeing when coughing, jumping or sneezing)
- Discomfort or numbness during sex
A prolapse can affect your womb, bowel, bladder or top of your vagina and is graded on severity depending on your individual circumstances. Multiple organs can be affected at the same time and sometimes can be symptomless but diagnosed after seeing a health professional i.e. for a cervical smear.
After a diagnosis we can feel embarrassed, confused or like we have done something wrong to cause the prolapse. Please be assured that you did nothing wrong and a prolapse is not your fault. There is a multitude of treatment options available to manage symptoms with physical exercises, lifestyle chances and even medical treatment. Should you need it. This post will focus on the nutritional strategies to support healing and pelvic floor health to compliment physical rehabilitation from an appropriate professional.
The following foods are general guidelines to support your rehab and recovery and shouldn’t be used isolation. Prolapse support requires a multitude of things coming together so it’s unlikely one food by itself will make a signifiant difference alone.
Fibre
Severity and symptoms of prolapse can be exacerbated with constipation and sluggish digestion. Constipation and hard to pass stools place additional pressure on the pelvic organs. Eating enough fibre in your diet can eliminate the need for straining and help you to pass a smoother poo leading to a happier pelvic floor.
This means adding in lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses, lentils, quinoa, brown rice and wholegrain pasta (if tolerated) into your diet. The recommended daily intake of fibre is 30g with most adults eating as little as 10-15g. Fibre doesn’t have to be complicated, opting for whole foods and keeping the skin on most fruit and vegetables can increase your intake significantly.
If eating more vegetables seems daunting start with adding one extra portion to each meal and watch the cumulative impact as it adds up. An ideal balance per day is 2 portions of fruit to 3 (or more) of vegetables because we want to keep sugar intake in check.
Fibre and digestion help with hormone balance and as oestrogen is often prescribed as a prolapse treatment you’ll want to ensure your natural hormone levels are in balance to maximise the benefits of this.
Water
Staying hydrated is essential for health but espeically when you’re working on pelvic floor healing. Being adequately hydrated helps to prevent constipation and improve digestion. It also means that your blood can carry the nutrients you’re eating more effectively, so you’ll be seeing greater benefits from including these foods into your diet. It’s a win win.
Water is also essential for preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) and for maintaining our energy levels; which – espeically if you’re a new mum – might need some support anyway. If you don’t like drinking water try adding fruits and soft herbs such as mint to your drink and see if this changes your mind. Herbal tea (hot and cold) also count towards your water intake, as do foods with high water content such as cucumber and watermelon.
An easy way to check if you’re drinking enough is to check the colour of your pee. You are aiming for a light straw colour. Anything darker and you need to increase your intake, anything lighter and you may be over hydrated.
Protein
Protein is the building block of your tissues and muscles and most women don’t eat enough. Ideally we need to make it a priority at every meal and every snack. It helps our bodies to regulate sugar more effectively, contributes to our lean muscle mass and doesn’t have to be just meat. There are plenty of plant based protein sources you can try: lentils, beans, peas (yes! peas!), tofu, tempeh and even quinoa.
One particular protein I want to flag is Collagen. This is essential for skin, muscles, joint and tissue health. Collagen is responsible for helping skin keep its elasticity and decreases as we age so it’s important that we make a census effort, espeically after childbirth to keep our levels topped up.
It can be hard to eat optimal levels of Collagen, espeically if you eat a plant based diet, but great sources include bone broth, eggs, fish and shellfish. It’s one of the core nutrients that I ask clients to consider supplementing but advise consulting with a professional to find the right type and dose for your needs.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerhouse when it comes to healing. Well known for the benefits of immune health this potent antioxidant also helps the body to synthesise collagen! Eating sufficient levels is really easy if you’re getting at least 5-a-day. If you’re stuck for ideas then try spinach, kiwis, broccoli, bell peppers and strawberries. Citrus fruits are also brilliant sources but try to think outside of the orange!
Essential Fatty Acids
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are types of fatty acids that cannot be made by the body (either entirely or in adequate amounts that we need) and therefore need to be obtained by the diet. A core component of cell membranes (the cell ’barrier’ holding it all together) EFAs also gave huge anti-inflammatory benefits and have been shown to positively influencing muscle mass.
Dietary sources include avocados, nuts (almonds, cashews, Brazil, macadamia, pecans and walnuts), seeds (pumpkin, flax, chia) but oily fish comes top of the nutritional pops for the most EFA for your buck. When choosing oily fish think SMASH: Salmon, Mackerel, Anchovies, Sardines or Herring. Opt for the best quality you can afford and limit consumption to 3x portions a week owing to the heavy metal contamination – another post for another day.
As with Collagen EFAs can be an area where I advise supplementation with clients; this is especially important if you’re vegan because plant based sources are handed to find and provide lower levels of EFA than animal products. As with all supplements speak to a professional about type and dosage for your needs.
Hopefully this post shows you a quick reference guide to some simple things you can add into your diet to support pelvic health and prolapse management. If you need any additional support with this click HERE to book in a free 15 minute support session and we can look into your needs a little more.
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