Hem Spotlight: Brooke
A huge part of our mission at Hem Support Wear is to normalize the conversation about pelvic floor health and build a community of support. Many people who experience prolapse or other pelvic floor conditions feel confused, isolated, or hopeless, and we believe it shouldn’t be that way.
Welcome to another installment of our series Hem Spotlight, where we feature real people and their pelvic floor health stories. Our hope is that by providing a platform for people to openly share their journeys, we will all feel less alone, more connected, and more empowered.
The following story comes from Brooke.
Tell us about your experience with POP.
I had a significant side wall laceration and 3rd degree with my oldest child after pushing for 3+ hours, my repair took almost 2 hours to complete and I am so grateful my OB with my oldest was such a skilled surgeon. For the most part, I do not have many complications from the 3rd degree but developed granulation tissue on my side wall repair that had to be removed a few times. The pain was excruciating and I thought it was normal because I'd been told for my whole life I had no pain tolerance. When I went for my 6 week check up my OB was surprised I hadn't come earlier. I was already back at work and still dealing with that pain, latch issues, mastitis, and a baby with significant colic.
My second child was born by C/Section for breech after a failed version and my water broke with meconium. She spent time in the NICU for blood sugar issues and we dealt with latch issues and incisional pain. I did not have a great experience with my C/Section and that carried in to my fear for my third child's birth. I was also devastated to have a C/Section because of some childhood trauma and I spent a lot of time in therapy after her birth working through my fears for my kids. My incision healed well, but I still have painful adhesions and skin sensation problems.
My third child was born via VBAC with a 2nd degree. A few of my stitches ripped out a few days postpartum from a challenging vomiting session...so that was great. I developed COVID shortly after she was born and coughed for 3 months straight when it turned to pneumonia I ignored treating.
I also had hyperemesis with all 3 of my pregnancies, the vomiting lasted from 5-6 weeks gestation through the first few weeks of pregnancy. All of that to say there was some contributing factors to my pain. I do not have prolapse but I have significant varicosities and so much pressure. I also had bladder leakage and the sensation of leaking all the time.
I was told 'everything looked fine' for my vaginal pain and pressure so many times. I was preparing for a bladder sling surgery due to the leaking. I asked for a referral for pelvic floor PT and for the most part, I've never looked back. I have gone almost every week for close to 4 years now.
My PT is truly an angel on earth. She's done so much work on my pelvic pain, taught me how to manage my varicosities, and helped me accept my C/Section scar that's caused so much physical and emotional pain. She kept me at the bedside as a nurse when my pain was affecting my work. But the most important work she's done for me is validating my pain. I can't describe how valuable the validation is because I genuinely don't know where'd I'd be in this recovery without it. As a labor & delivery nurse, I now advocate for all patients to receive pelvic floor PT and have encouraged many friends to see PT as well!
Do you have any advice or words of comfort/encouragement/hope you’d like to give someone who may be at the beginning of their POP journey?
Nothing is hopeless! It sucks to have to advocate for yourself but do it! Push until you find someone to help you. You do not deserve to live with pain or complications. There is hope!
What are your favorite pelvic health resources (online, in person, etc.) if you have any?
My pelvic floor PT has changed my life!!! And now I think my Hem Support undies are going to be a helpful resource too!
How can we, as the Hem Support Wear community, be a source of support and connection for you or someone else?
Reducing or removing the stigma about talking about pelvic pain! And help us not normalize peeing our pants.
What kinds of content/topics would you like to see us talk about on our blog and social media?
I think discussing long term complications from delivery of our babies is valuable, not for scaring new mothers but for letting mothers know what they're experiencing isn't normal or something they have to tolerate. I'd love to raise awareness that bladder leakage isn't something that's normal or something we have to tolerate either.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
How you perceive pain is irrelevant - if you're hurting, you're experiencing pain and your experience (and how it affects you) matters way more than how 'well' you tolerate that pain. Do not tolerate it because you think you must or are supposed to or it doesn't hurt others as much.
Interested in sharing your POP/pelvic health story as part of our series? We’d be honored! Submit your story here.
