Woah. Is something falling out of my vagina?

If this has happened to you, you’ll know the shock: A feeling like something is coming out of your vagina. You might have some pressure in your pelvic area, or some urine leaking. It might even feel better when you lie down, and feels worse when you’re jumping or carrying something heavy. If you recognize these symptoms, you might have something called pelvic organ prolapse.

Essentially, here’s what’s happening: Your pelvic floor muscles have lengthened or weakened, most often as the result of chronic straining or injury during childbirth. Normally, they support all your organs in place, but when they’re weakened like this, they can’t handle extra intra-abdominal pressure. As a result, another organ in your pelvic area--like your bladder, for example--is pushing into your vaginal cavity, and causing the wall of your vagina to be pushed out into your vaginal opening.

And while yes, surgery can ultimately be an option, there are other, non-invasive options to consider first. A doctor or pelvic health physiotherapist will “grade” your prolapse, and, depending on how severe it is, might recommend physiotherapy instead. A pelvic health physio can design you a customised pelvic floor strengthening program, which usually lasts around six to eight weeks of being diligent about your exercises.