So what exactly is a rectocele? It’s a type of pelvic organ prolapse that occurs when the wall between your vagina and rectum weakens, causing the rectum to bulge into the vaginal canal. These types of prolapses can be mild to severe. In mild cases you may not even know that you have a rectocele, however, more severe cases, you may feel: heaviness in the pelvic region, pain with sitting or intercourse, difficulty having complete bowel movements, or even needing to do something called “splinting”