Question

Sometimes I can feel something in my vagina 'coming down'. If I push it up, I'm able to a bowel movement. What is it due to?

Answer

it sounds as if you have a problem called prolapse. This basically means that the vagina and pelvis have lost their support and relax downwards toward the vaginal opening.

Prolapse usually develops over a number of years. Due to aging, and a history of childbirth, the strength of the tissues that support the uterus and vagina are lost. You can have a prolapse of the uterus, where the uterus is coming down toward the vaginal opening, and you can also have a prolapse of the bladder (cystocele) and also of the rectum (rectocele).

With your fingers , you are probably feeling one of these, or possibly a combination of them. And the prolapse can be pushed up, as you described; sometimes this is necessary to allow you to have a bowel movement or to urinate normally.

The usual way of correcting a prolapse is with surgery to put things back into a normal position. Sometimes a round rubber ring called a pessary can be placed in the vagina to hold it up. At all events, you should consult a gynecologist to get help for this annoying problem.

Links

• Prolapse and Pelvic Relaxation