3wks post for triple prolapse. Does heating pad make bottom worse?

Three weeks is very early days, after a triple prolapse repair (what did you actually have done) you will still be very swollen. 

We are all different and the advice we have is unique to our procedure. I can only say what my experience was!

I had a vaginal hysterectomy, sacrospinous fixation, posterior and anterior repair in May. At three weeks there is no way I would have wanted to put anything 'up or inside' me! Everything was so tight, the stitches were still spikey and  I was just about ready to take a quick peep with a mirror! Saying this I wasn't really in any pain, maybe due to all the swelling. 

I did find a hot water bottle comforting for my back, possible back ache from the fixation. 

To avoid constipation I took two sachets of Movicol for about six weeks, had dried prunes and flaxseed daily too; that definitely helped. I have the flax seed everyday still. 

I was advised no pelvic floor exercises for six weeks, the priority at that early stage was healing, those muscles can wait. 

As for helping you daughter, by eight weeks your healing should be getting there. Do you have a follow up date?  I've been told I still shouldn't lift anything more than 10lbs, I avoided all heavy housework, hoovering, bending, stretching for about three months and haven't mown the lawn yet!

Emotional support, cooking meals, light cleaning, possibly ironing, letting your daughter sleep,shopping (I started driving after six weeks) but not lifting the bags will all be hugely helpful. 

I didn't find 'listen to your body' very helpful with regards to activity. I wasn't in pain, but I did religiously do as I was told. Rested, slept if tired, did no housework, bending stretching, loading and unloading washing for st least six weeks. I am very lucky in that my husband is no longer working, he was away from day six for a week, but I went and stayed with one sister for three days and then my other sister came to stay until he was home. 

I was waited on and well cared for, as I said I was so grateful and very lucky. 

If at all worried, or needing  more advice about what you can and can't do, ring your doctor or surgeon. Where are you, in the U.K or elsewhere?

You are at such an early stage, the key to a good recovery is patience, I am not a patient patient! I now realise that I had major surgery, when it's all inside that's so hard to appreciate, I started walking right from day one, pacing the hospital corridors, and built up very slowly adding an extra loop each day. At five months I don't think I am completely healed internally, but have been back at work since week eight and started gentle cycling and swimming after about ten weeks. 

It is a much longer healing process than I'd imagined, the surgery was the easy bit. 

Good luck with your recovery, and congratulations on soon having a grandchild! 😃

Oh for goodness sake! These Dr's give you instructions, and half the time haven't a clue. Don't sit on a heat pack for 20 mins, of course it will hurt, you've got loads of stitches and probably a cut perineum if you've had a posterior repair. Movicol/laxido, every day without fail, no straining or your repair might fail, mine did.

You won't be able to do a lot for your daughter, you will be still recovering yourself.

Don't be lifting babies and bending changing nappies etc. If she has a straightforward birth, she will cope, age is more on her side, and you've had major surgery, healing is hard. You are going back to work early in the healing process.

For now rest as much as you can, and look after youself.

it takes up to a year to get anywhere near normal..x.

I'm so sorry to read your story. I'm now almost 8 weeks post op for anterior & posterior prolapse repairs plus perineum reconstruction & I certainly wouldn't feel yet like helping out with a baby. You really mustn't lift ANYTHING for quite a time. The recovery for this operation is painfully slow,  both physically and emotionally, though obviously we all heal & progress at different rates.  At 3 weeks I was still having an afternoon nap, only walking very short distances, not doing anything around the house & I only lifted a 4 pint bottle of milk at 7 weeks. My husband has been brilliant doing everything ( with a little supervision!!) I couldn't do the PF exercises for several weeks as I was too sore but am ok now. Please don't get constipated. I take 2 sachets of Movicol daily.  I only use a heat pad for my back, not heard of sitting on it. Do keep reading the forum, I've found it invaluable as I was given very little advice by my doctor. The ladies on here have real experiences to share & reassure you. Take care. Best wishes Carol x

tight pelvic floor muscles can cause incomplete evacuation which causes constipation.  If you are really having that, though, all the advice I have read and have been given for myself say to stop doing kegels (which irritate a pelvic floor in spasm) and to do diaphragmatic breathing to help relax the pelvic floor.  I can email a link to you if you were interested.  I’ve had a lot of problems with this myself.

i wouldn’t have been able to help with a new baby at 8 weeks.  You are still doing a lot of healing.  I read in Sue Crofts book that it takes 12 weeks for “maximum fibrosis” which I interpreted as you are still actively working on physically making tissue and healing the repair until then.