What Does a Prolapse Feel Like?
Answer:
A prolapse can feel different for every woman. Many describe a feeling of heaviness or dragging in the vagina, or a sense that something is coming down. Some can feel or see a bulge.
These feelings are often worse at the end of the day, after standing for a long time, or after a day of lifting, carrying and caring for your baby. They usually ease when you lie down.
Some women don’t notice anything at all. Others find a prolapse affects their bladder, bowel or sex life.
Changes to your bladder
A front wall prolapse, also called an anterior wall prolapse or cystocele, can affect how your bladder works. You might notice:
- A bulge at the front of your vagina, which you might feel or see
- A slow or weak stream when you wee
- A feeling that your bladder hasn’t fully emptied
- Needing to lean forward or change position to finish
- Needing to go more often or more urgently
Leaking can also happen alongside a prolapse, as both can come from changes to your pelvic floor after birth. For more, read our article Leaking Urine After Having a Baby: What Can You Do?
Some of these changes can have other causes too, so it helps to talk them through with a health professional.
Changes to your bowel
A back wall prolapse, also called a posterior wall prolapse or rectocele, can affect how your bowel works. You might notice:
- A bulge at the back of your vagina, which you might feel or see
- A feeling that your bowel hasn’t fully emptied
- Poo feeling like it gets stuck before it comes out
- Needing to press on your perineum, the back of your vagina or your abdomen to help empty your bowel
Constipation and straining can make a prolapse more likely, but a prolapse isn’t usually the cause of constipation. For tips on making it easier to go, read our article Constipation After Having a Baby: What Can Help? | WHEN
Some of these changes can have other causes too, so it helps to talk them through with a health professional.
Changes to your uterus or cervix
A top prolapse, also called a uterine or apical prolapse, is when your uterus or cervix drops down from the top of your vagina. You might notice:
- A feeling that something is coming down or sitting low in your vagina
- Feeling your cervix lower than usual, sometimes near the entrance of your vagina
- Heaviness or dragging that gets worse as the day goes on
- Tampons or a menstrual cup being harder to insert or not staying in place
After birth, a top prolapse often happens alongside a front wall prolapse.
Sex and prolapse
A prolapse can change how sex feels, and how you feel about it. Some women notice pressure or discomfort during sex, or that sensation is different. Others find the worry gets in the way more than any physical change, especially not knowing whether sex is safe.
It can also knock your confidence in your body, and that can be hard on you and your relationship.
Trying different positions, using a lubricant, or having sex earlier in the day, before the heaviness builds, can make a difference. Your GP or a women’s health physiotherapist can also talk through what’s happening and help you find what works for you.
Where to get support
You don’t have to work this out on your own.
- The National Continence Helpline: 1800 33 00 66. Free, confidential advice from a nurse continence specialist about prolapse and your pelvic floor.
- Your obstetrician. If you had private care, you may still be under your obstetrician’s care for the first few months after birth, so you won’t need a new referral. Check with their rooms.
- A women’s health physiotherapist. You can book privately without a referral, though there is a cost. You can also be referred through the public system, but there is usually a wait.
- Your GP. They can examine you and refer you on to a physiotherapist or specialist.
To learn more, read our articles I’ve Been Told I Have a Prolapse. What Does It Mean? | WHEN and What Can You Do About Prolapse?
References
Li, J., Zhao, X., Li, J., Liu, Y., & Li, T. (2023). Pelvic organ prolapse after delivery: effects on sexual function, quality of life, and psychological health. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 20(12), 1384-1390.
Raju, R., & Linder, B.J. (2021). Evaluation and management of pelvic organ prolapse. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 96(12), 3122-3129.
Zhao, Y., Ma, L., Li, W., et al. (2025). Pelvic floor support changes in postpartum pelvic organ prolapse with involvement of single and multiple compartments. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 25, 985.
