I don't know much about them, except my mother has one. Her's started years ago, and the doctor said no big deal. Now she is 84, and it is very enlarged. She actually talked to a surgeon about it, who was willing to do it, but at her age, she decided against it.

I had never really noticed it until she got older, and started losing weight, but it is very big. She is embarrassed of it, but does a good job of covering it up. I could shoot the doctors for letting it go so long, but Mama could also have addressed it, she just trusted the doctors when they said as long as it didn't hurt her, not to worry about it!

I tend to agree with your husband, I would get your hernia thoroughly checked out and advice on how to handle it. Take care of it now, not later, while you have the chance.

Good luck.

No, I have never had a hernia. I think many people who have them, do end up having to have surgery. Did the doctor suggest what might have caused the muscle weakness that allowed the hernia to form? My MIL had a hernia due to previous abdominal surgery, which resulted in a weakness in surrounding muscle.

I'd probably get a second opinion. Holding the baby should not have caused it, some type of straining might.

tina

I've had 2 of them, both surgically repaired. Mine were an inguinal hernia and a femoral hernia located in the lower groin area where the thigh meets the pelvis.

I waited too long ( My fault; surgery wasn't in my schedule and I was too busy.) to repair the femoral hernia and it became incarcerated. That turned into emergency surgery because my bladder got caught in the hernia opening, or something like that.

I don't think picking up your grandbaby caused your problem. I was told it's a weakness in the intestinal wall.

Does it hurt? Is it unslightly? Can it be seen through your clothing? Why not consult a surgeon rather than a Primary Care MD? You may be more comfortable with his advice.

Tina, the hernia is right above a scar from gallbladder surgery I had years ago, Orthoscopic, and he said it could be from that, which is what you described.

He also firmly believes coughing causes hernias, and I wouldn't be surprised because I have asthma and cough sometimes.

Mona, it doesn't really hurt, I noticed it hurt some this morning when I bent down. Other than that, I can't tell I have it. No one can see it unless I were to wear a tight shirt. That I will NOT do. lol. It's about the size of an oval golfball, I was told it's small compared to other hernias.

I'm going to try to give it a month or so and see what happens. If the pain increases, I'll definitely go see a surgeon about this.

It could be a combination of both.

Wodka, where is your mother's located at? Maybe this is karma for me cause knowing me, when I was a kid I probably laughed at old ladies with "bumps." lol. Karma has always came back to bite me. :)

My mother's is located lower stomach area. She looks great, and is in wonderful shape for her age, but because of the hernia size, she has to buy larger pants and skirts than she normally would. She's very good about wearing jackets or layering blouses to conceal it. Not exactly sure when her's originated, but she had six kids, then a hysterectomy - she seems to think it is scar tissue from either having us or having the hysterectomy. Again, no one really ever discussed it with her, and fortunately, she's never had real pain with it. Just inconvenience and embarrassment (when she goes to a new doctor, they go "wow, you have a hernia!") Duh.

I had them as a child -- my parents told me it was because I cried too much :( (so I didn't cry from kindergarten until probably 11th grade when my piano teacher died). Inguinal hernias, like wodka's moms, bilaterally. My mother told me that as long as I could push it back in, it was o.k. but if I could *not* push it back in one day, to let her know because that would mean I needed surgery. The first surgery didn't fix them, oddly enough, so I had to have two. The second time got them. I'm glad I had the surgeries so I wouldn't have to be worried about them getting incarcerated.