Pessaries, Surgery and Finding Your Way Back to Yourself
A Gentle, Evidence-Led Guide to Navigating Pelvic Organ Prolapse
woman supporting tummy as she considers next steps for prolapse
You’re Not Alone in This
Take a breath with me.
This is one of those topics no one ever prepared you for. The quiet worry, the heaviness, the pressure, the fear that your body has shifted without your permission.
If you’re here, something doesn’t feel quite right. And you want to know what your options really are.
Not the scary version.
Not the sugar-coated version.
Just the truth — held gently.
Let’s walk through this together.
What a Pessary Is (and Why Many Women Start Here)
A pessary is a small support device that sits comfortably inside the vagina to lift the organs involved in prolapse. It’s reversible, adjustable and often the first step women take before considering surgery.
Women choose pessaries because they want:
time to strengthen
time to heal
time before making a permanent decision
support during movement, work, parenting or exercise
relief from heaviness, dragging or pressure
A pessary can be a bridge, a pause, a way to feel held while you rebuild from the inside out.
How breath affects your pelvic floor (link to your breath/pelvic floor blog)
Types of Pessaries: Finding the One That Fits You
There isn’t one best pessary. There is only the one that fits your body.
Support pessaries (like rings) — often suitable if you are sexually active
Space-filling pessaries (like Gellhorn or cube) — used for more advanced prolapse or wider openings
Each option varies in:
comfort
whether it can stay in during sex
how often it needs cleaned
how long it stays in between checks
This isn’t about moulding yourself around a device.
It’s about choosing the device that respects your anatomy.
Understanding prolapse symptoms and stages
When a Pessary Isn’t the Right Choice
Some women simply don’t feel comfortable with a pessary.
Others struggle with dryness, discomfort or anxiety that makes pessary use difficult even with support.
And that is completely okay.
You deserve a solution that feels safe, sustainable and supportive.
Internal link:
Non-surgical options for prolapse
Surgery: What It Can and Cannot Promise
When prolapse is significantly affecting your life, surgery can be a meaningful option. Many women feel lifted, supported and more confident after their operation.
There are three main types:
1. Vaginal Repairs (No Mesh)
Uses your own tissue to support the vaginal walls. Effective, but recurrence can happen.
2. Sacrocolpopexy or Sacrohysteropexy
Performed via abdomen or keyhole. Often more durable for apical prolapse. Involves mesh under strict UK regulation.
3. Colpocleisis
A strong option for women who do not wish to have penetrative vaginal sex.
Surgery usually improves symptoms, but no surgery can offer a zero-recurrence guarantee. Tissue quality, healing and pressure habits all matter.
Pressure management and your pelvic floor
Life After Pessary or Surgery: Relearning Safety in Your Body
Healing is more than physical.
Prolapse affects your breath, your posture, your nervous system and the way you hold tension without even realising.
This is where gentle, breath-led work such as Hypopressives can support your recovery — not as a replacement for medical care, but as a way of helping your body feel spacious, grounded and responsive again.
What research shows:
breath-led work can improve pelvic floor strength and symptoms
it supports pressure management
it helps create reflexive support, rather than gripping or over-tightening
What research does not yet show:
Hypopressives reversing prolapse stage, however there is a huge amount of anecdotal evidence that most prolapses can be changed by a degree and most become symptom free.
preventing surgical recurrence
But many women feel more stable, calm and connected after practising.
Internal link:
What are Hypopressives?
How to Choose What’s Right for You
Come back to yourself.
Ask:
What do I want my body to feel like next year?
What makes me feel safe?
Is reversibility important?
Do I want a long-term solution or a gentle start?
What support do I have?
You are allowed to take your time.
You are allowed to change your mind.
You are allowed to ask for help.
A pessary isn’t a failure.
Surgery isn’t a failure.
Rehab isn’t a failure.
These are simply different paths to coming home to your body
Free Breath Video
Begin with One Breath
If you’d like a soft, simple place to begin, you can download my free breath video. It teaches the exact breathing pattern that supports your pelvic floor, ribcage and nervous system.
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DescNICE Guideline NG210 – Pelvic Organ Prolapseription text goes here
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RCOG Pelvic Organ Prolapse Patient InformationDescription text goes here
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NHS Prolapse Overview Pages
