Surgery or Pee bag? What would you do about a Stuck Uterus* With update

Ok I need you thoughts/experiences/internet research/2 bit opinions.

Let me start by saying baby is fine. I am fine. Everyone is fine. Nobody's life is in danger. I just have some rare condition that presents itself at this stage of gestation and I need to fix it ASAP. Stuck Uterus.

Starting last Thursday (today is Monday) I began to notice I was having trouble peeing. I'd have to go...felt a big bladder but just couldn't pee. Not every time. I would pee later but it took a lot of pushing and concentration. I noticed I felt like I had to pee a lot more often and then not a lot would come out. Sometimes nothing would come out. I thought I was developing a UTI and decided I'd would call on Monday and get the meds to fix it. I increased my water intake so that I would be flushing out my bladder and reducing the amount of bacteria in there.

But I was missing one symptom of UTI. It didn't burn or hurt to pee.

Last night I was really uncomfortable. My belly was distended but no pee. I was up at least 10-12 times last night. Never a pee. Just a belly getting bigger and bigger. I was in agony. Not real "pain" but that feeling of having to pee and that your bladder is going to blow. So not pain but certainly agony. I stopped drinking water because I realized that I was putting it in but none was coming out; making my discomfort worse.

I got a urgent appointment this morning. They finally decided to catheterize me. Never in my life did I think I would say the words "For God's sake could somebody please catheterize me already!?" The Dr. and nurse kept saying , "Oh my God, You poor thing. I can't believe you weren't writhing in pain". Which I was when I was alone. I don't writhe in public. Of course, I started crying during the catheter becasue I was so relieved. They had to get a second receptacle I had so much pee. Over a liter which, I guess, is a lot of pee.

Ok so the immediate problem is solved. My bladder is empty. That should help for a few hours.

I have a retrograde uterus. It falls back (towards my back) instead of front. In rare cases as the uterus grows it can get caught on the spine. Mine is really stuck and it's closed off my urethra. When my bladder is full it pushes the uterus even further back into the spine.


Dr A is awesome. She tried and tried but could not get it to flip (not a pleasant procedure BTW). At one point I was on my knees with her had up my nether regions. What a trooper.

She thinks she mights have gotten it but if not sure. It feels "looser" but the uterus is still really tipped back.

We are taking the wait and see plan. I drink. If I pee it's probably going to be fine. If I do not pee by 3pm I go back there and get another catheter.

Then have to decide and here is where I need your opinions.

Option A (Standard Care): Epidural and manual manipulation (fingers up the who-ha). Much like I already had three times today but I would be numb so they could try harder.

Option B (Experimental Care) Have a catheter for a few days (i.e. walk around with a bag of pee strapped to my leg). Twice a day get on my knees, put, my shoulders to the ground and let gravity do it's thing. I also get to wiggle and rock in the position for 15 mins. If it doesn't work I still have Option A.

At this point I am leaning towards Option A becasue I know it would be done with. I also don't see how I can live with a pee bag. How does one sleep, bath, give a presentations to the Board of Trustees (yea I have to do that on Tuesday night...it cannot be rescheduled and by state law this presentation must occur). But I have never had an epi so I'm not clear on how the recovery is or any risks to me (I'm pretty sure there is no risk to baby-right? Well, none from the epi...but what about the manual manipulation?) If Option A is unreasonably risky I will try Option B first.

While Option B is more conservative(which I am in favor of in general) there is no guarantee. I might need the epi anyhow.

I'm loath to take extra risks but three days of a pee bag with no guarantee...sheesh. Since mine seems to be "really stuck" that might mean the wiggle method has less of a chance of working. But I have no stats to go by. No experience (either mine or other people's).

Also, just to make things extra fun...Mr. Peeveme is out of town all week. I have in-laws ready to take Piccoliona for the week. My parents are warming up the minivan to come a take care of me if I have the surgery.

So, what would you do What would be your considerations. What are your experiences with epidurals? Have you had this? Do you know anyone who has?

Finger crossed that I pee!


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I peed! Unassisted! All by myself. At first it was hard but I'm getting better at it all the time. Dr. A. spoke with the other Dr.s (none of who have had more than a few cases of this in their careers). The consensus seems to be that if I can keep my bladder empty and do my exercises the uterus will grow to the front and it should be fine in a couple of weeks. If I do freeze up again they will catheterize me, teach me to do it to myself, and leave it in there. The Epi/hand manipulations will be left to the last resort. It seems that Dr. A turned the uterus just enough so that I can pee. Also, not having a bladder the size of a bolling ball probably helps. It still seems tilted but it may not be caught. If I keep my bladder empty it should not get caught again. If the bladder gets big it will push the uterus back into the spine.

Self-catheterizing sounds awful but if you are in agony you'll do anything to stop it. I swear to you I was in such agony this morning that if I had a hand mirror and some rubber tubing I WOULD have done it to myself.

And since Dr. A semi-turned my uterus I'm showing. Yesterday I was wearing my regular pants and not showing at all. Now I am am showing and fitting into my smaller maternity pants.

Thanks for all you kinds words, concern and thoughts on my dilemma. It does mean a lot to me that I can turn to you guys in a time of anxiety and for advice.


And a very special thank you to D----y. I know you prefer to lurk so thanks for coming out of hiding. Those are really important questions I did not consider. I hope I don't need to ask them any time soon. They do say that once they do the procedure it does not go back. It should just flip forward into the proper position. But you never know. Weird things happen all the time.