A significant number of women press against the vagina or perineum to finish a bowel movement and never mention it to anyone, assuming it is a personal quirk. The clinical term is splinting, and it usually points to a prolapse of the back vaginal wall, known as a rectocele.
The mechanism is straightforward. The wall between the rectum and the vagina weakens, so the rectum bulges forward into a pocket. Stool settles into that pocket instead of passing straight through, and pushing harder drives it further into the pocket rather than out. Pressing with a finger works because it changes the angle and empties the pocket manually.
Ask whether you need to be seen
Message us with what you are experiencing and we will tell you whether an examination is worth making, and what the appointment involves.
WhatsAppLINEAssociated symptoms include a dragging or heavy sensation in the vagina that worsens through the day, needing to change position to finish, a persistent feeling of incomplete evacuation, and sometimes incomplete bladder emptying as well, because the front wall can descend at the same time. Symptoms are typically mildest in the morning and worst after a day on your feet.
Treatment does not begin with surgery. Milder cases are usually managed by keeping stool soft enough that straining is unnecessary, changing toilet posture, correctly taught pelvic floor training, and a vaginal pessary where it suits. Surgery is considered when symptoms interfere with daily life or when other approaches have not worked.
See a doctor if you need to splint every time, can feel a bulge at the vaginal opening, have bleeding, experience pain on defecation or during intercourse, or have repeated urinary infections. All of this can be assessed in a single pelvic examination.