New here with an introduction and question

Welcome to the forum.

It just dawned on me after reading your post that I too have been pushing on my perinium periodically since my son was born to assist with BM's. I never really thought much about it before but it was obviously a sign of things to come. You didn't trick your body into forgetting its job, it just got damaged and so you needed to help it out. I also have a recotcele along with a cystocele and slight uterine prolapse and am not sure of their stages but unfortunately I am symptomatic and trying very hard to make things more comfortable.

Try to relax when going to the toilet as tensing up may lead you to become constipated and constipation is not our friend.

It sounds like you have been doing your reading and have ordered all the information from the store so are headed in the right direction.

I am sure some of the more experienced ladies will chime in soon. I still feel like such a newbie to all this.

Anita

Hi Beth
You probably did add the fiber too quickly. When you are adding fiber to your diet you should do it gradually. Adding fiber too quickly can cause bloating, cramps and gas. You should also drink lots of water.
Try cutting out some of the fiber and adding it back gradually with a few days in between each addition.
Hope this helps.
I don't think splinting would cause your body to forget what it is supposed to do.
Flora

Nothing with wheat, bread, cookies, even whole grain wheat pasta. I noticed that if I eat that stuff that I get the worst kind of poos. "Toothpaste". Very soft and hard to get out completely. And, feeling like you have to go all day long.

If you just eat protein and vegetables for a week, you'll see an improvement.

hi beth-

I have the same problems with fibre and couldn't work it out on my own- I saw a dietician about this- it'll help if you cook veggies rather than having them raw initally, and lots of water (2 L per day) to keep things soft. The dietician has put me on supplements etc to help, including digestive enzymes (which help people when they can't digest fibre well) and high strength probiotics (acidophilis etc). After a couple of weeks I started to be able to eat more raw foods and brown rice etc without too much gas. btw, dried apricots and other dried fruits can bring on bloating from the sulfur preservative used.

When you say splinting, is that another term for splitting? I get that when I don't drink enough water and push too hard when going to the loo. very important to sit there as long as you have to and not stress OR push (hard as that is). and DH has just introduced me to a bottom zinc cream (anusol) which has helped healing more quickly.

I was diagnosed before xmas 07, and ups and downs have been part of my experience too. always worse when the bottom is playing up. hang in there :)
one day at a time

hugs
bluemama

Hi bluemama, splinting is helping the bowels to empty by putting pressure either on the perineum or putting a finger inside the vagina and pressing on the back wall to push the rectocele back in to place.

I was using Anusol as I had loads left over from when I was pregnant as that is all we are allowed to use and it wasn't helping at all. I switched to Preparation H which contains witch hazel and ooh soo much better at releiving the pain. Only bought it yesterday as sitting down was becoming more difficult due to the pain, I put a load on before bed last night and so far today I cannot feel the roid/tear. Just wish I could say the same about the prolapse.

Anita

Oh, I absolutely agree about avoiding wheat, all grains actually, including corn and soy. I limit starchy beans, too. I initially avoided grains because of impaired glucose tolerance, but then noticed after a period of adjustment that lack of grain fiber really improved my elimination problems much of the time. Now any fiber I consume is only from non-starchy veggies, with a bit of fruit (lower sugar varieties) and nuts. I don't supplement fiber, nor seek it out specifically, nor do I avoid it specifically, but I have learned through trial and error that more fiber isn't necessarily better, especially fiber from grains.

Grain fiber adds so much bulk, which can become a bit addictive for elimination, requiring more and more of the fiber over time to get the same effect. But back when I consumed a lot of whole grains (I used to bake a lot!) I would get fissures and continual tears trying to pass the bulky stools, which is difficult enough with or without a rectocele.

Soy, especially processed soy that is found in most protein bars, always "stopped me up" with lots of small hard "marbles" of stool that would compact together and were hard to pass or pass completely, creating lots of pressure and discomfort. I had double trouble if I ate a protein bar in a similar time frame to something with whole grain or bran fortified. That effect quickly became very rare when I stopped eating foods which contained processed soy and whole grains or bran. And I've since stopped anything remotely similar to a highly processed protein bar - I rely on whole, real foods, particularly paleo style foods which are quite nutrient-dense.

I've since learned a lot about some downsides to grains (aside from really wreaking havoc on my blood sugar), which makes a lot of sense to me when think about human dietary history; grains are such very recent additions to the human diet and we really haven't had much time to truly adapt well to grain proteins (gluten) and their potential to damage our gut.

For several years I didn't bake at all because of how grains affect my blood sugar and weight (and can cause indigestion and gas, though it took elimination to notice those connections, too). But avoiding grains reduced my rectocele issues greatly; I have recently been baking things with coconut flour, which happens to have a high fiber content, though I tolerate it quite well. I don't find the high fiber in coconut flour makes much difference either way with my rectocele, but I do like making good tasting foods that don't cause roller coaster blood glucose values. Because coconut flour is gluten-free, it needs a lot of binder, though, usually quite a few eggs. I like that, too, because eggs are a nutrition bargain, quite nourishing and filling, and easy to digest.

Anyway, nice to see your comment, mom30. I don't often find too many people who share my views about grains and grain fiber.

I just saw your post. I am still having problems with the bulky, sticky, grainy stools. I am just guessing that it is from gluten. I have an appointment scheduled with a gastroenterolgist next week. I also have some thinning of my hair. Was wondering if that was related too. Plus, my mother has Sjogren's syndrome.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thank you!!!