Childbirth left me with life-changing injuries – it took 20 years to regain my freedom
A mother who suffered life-changing injuries during a traumatic birth says it took 20 years to regain her health.
Jo Prance from Surrey was diagnosed with a small perineal tear, a damage to the tissue between the vaginal opening and the anus, during the birth of her son in 1998.
But the severity of the tear and the extent of the injury went unnoticed by doctors, she claimed.
Mrs Prance, now 48, has since undergone 19 separate operations for urinary incontinence, severe pelvic pain and even pelvic organ prolapse.
Ms Prance, who lived a life ‘defined by access to toilets’ for 20 years, and who also had to wear a stoma and a mesh sling, is now fighting to break the stigma surrounding incontinence.
Jo Prance, from Surrey, was diagnosed with a small perineal tear – damage to the tissue between the vaginal opening and the anus – after giving birth to her son in 1998. But the severity of her tear and injury went unnoticed, she claimed.
Mrs Prance, now 48, has since undergone 19 separate operations to address the resulting urinary incontinence, severe pelvic pain and even pelvic organ prolapse.
After two decades of living a life “defined by access to toilets”, Ms Prance, who was also forced to wear a stoma and a mesh sling, is now fighting to lift the stigma of incontinence.
Looking back on her 20-year ordeal, she said: “It was a gruelling journey, physically challenging and mentally exhausting.
The personal toll of the injury is enormous.
‘I tried all kinds of medications and treatments for the incontinence and had to irrigate my bowels daily.’
She added: ‘My son has grown up with these issues and I need access to toilets.
‘When I took my children to school, I had to stop several times (to go to the toilet).
‘At work, I may not eat or drink some days because I’m afraid I have a problem with my intestines.
‘It affected every aspect of my life and controlled every move I made.
‘Toilets became indispensable and I always had changing supplies with me for myself and my child.’
Incontinence was not the only problem that caused the tear. Mrs. Prance also suffered from pelvic organ prolapse.
A prolapse occurs when organs located in the pelvis slip out of their normal position and press on the tissue surrounding the vagina. This causes a heavy, bulging or dragging feeling.
Although not life-threatening, it can cause pain and discomfort during sex and be another trigger for incontinence.
It mainly occurs in mothers, because pregnancy and childbirth weaken the pelvic floor muscles.
But menopause can also be a trigger, as hormonal changes can affect the elasticity and mass of the pelvic muscles.
Figures show that around six in ten women experience at least one symptom of poor pelvic floor health, such as urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse.
Yet 69 percent have never discussed these issues with an NHS professional, according to research by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
Treatment for prolapse varies depending on the severity of the prolapse and ranges from simple lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or quitting smoking, to surgery.
In 2000, Ms. Prance had a mesh sling fitted to support her bladder. It helped temporarily, but she later suffered from chronic pelvic pain, she said.
The pain became so severe that she was eventually forced to quit her job as a fitness worker for the NHS.
In 2000, Mrs Prance was fitted with a mesh sling to support her bladder — which helped temporarily — but left her with pelvic pain that became chronic, she said. The pain was so intense that she was also forced to give up her fitness job in the NHS. Pictured: Mrs Prance and her son at his graduation six months after her stoma operation
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of her original injury, Ms Prance has also challenged herself to try 25 new things over the course of the year to ‘start over’
She added: ‘My body was a mess. There was a nerve in my leg that was affected by the mesh.
‘I have had a few experiences where my leg was not functioning properly before I sought private help.
‘Sixteen years after the mesh was placed, I had it removed in private, which finally took away the chronic pain.’
After opting for a colostomy, in which one end of the large intestine is diverted through an opening in the abdomen and covered with a stool collection bag, she claimed she had her life back.
“It was a turning point for me because I got my freedom back,” she added.
‘I am a very fit and active person, and every time I had an operation I had to start again.
“I feel like I’ve been rebuilt in some ways.”
‘I have had many surgeries and with the pelvic floor care I do now, I try to limit the need for them in the future.’
In honor of the 25th anniversary of her first injury, Ms. Prance has also challenged herself to try 25 new things over the course of the year to “start over.”
She said: ‘For years I’ve kept myself fit, but I couldn’t get into the positions I can now because I had to go to the toilet.
‘A swimming club would have been impossible, because access to toilets would be a prerequisite.
‘My health is better than ever. Six weeks after I had my stoma placed, I was back in the pool and I have now also completed my yoga teacher training.
‘I am now picking up the thread again after my life has been at a standstill for so long.’
‘I think it’s important to share my story and create awareness, because people just don’t talk about it.
“I want people who are struggling with these problems to not hide and to seek help.”
The report comes just months after a damning report into the NHS maternity ‘postcode lottery’ also found that good care is ‘the exception rather than the rule’.
A highly anticipated parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma, heard testimonies from more than 1,300 women, revealing that pregnant women are treated like a ‘piece of meat’.
At the time, then Health Minister Victoria Atkins called the evidence in the report “shocking” and pledged to improve maternity care for “women during pregnancy, childbirth and the critical months afterwards”.
In May, former Made in Chelsea star Louise Thompson also revealed how afraid she was of dying after she was refused a caesarean section and her womb ruptured during the birth of son Leo.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, also said the experiences described in the report were “simply not good enough”.
In May, Former Made in Chelsea star Louise Thompson has said she feared she would die after she was refused a caesarean section and her womb ruptured during the birth of her son Leo.
In an exclusive extract from her book, published by Mail+, the 34-year-old revealed she could barely look at her baby after the traumatic birth and that her fiancé Ryan Libbey considered leaving her.
Doctors at NHS Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Ultimately, she decided to have a C-section after it became apparent that Leo’s head was stuck in her pelvis, she said.
Unbeknownst to her, her uterus had ruptured, causing a hemorrhage that was difficult to stop and caused her to lose three and a half liters of blood, more than three-quarters of her body’s total blood volume.
Frontline midwives have previously warned that working in the NHS is like playing a “twisted game of Russian roulette” as there is a risk of harm or death to women in labour at any time, partly due to “dangerously” low staffing levels.
The CQC’s annual maternity survey, published in February, found that women’s experiences of care have deteriorated over the past five years, with staff shortages a key reason.