Hello, Newbie here with questions

Submitted by pandora114 on November 5, 2009 - 10:32pm
Body: 

I'm 30yrs old and I have a rectocele. That's pretty much to the point eh? lol. Anyway, I can't do the surgery at all, because 1: My husband isn't here to help with the kiddo, and I can't really do that on my own and 2: We are in a serious state of flux, not knowing if we'll be moving after he gets done his course or not. I had 2 kids vaginally at home, Both were preciptious labours under 90 minutes each from first contraction to placenta delivery. My now 6yo daughter was only 6lbs 6oz at birth but my son was 8lbs on the button and had mild shoulder dyscotia on the way out (Midwife fixed it with the Gaskin maneuver.)

Anyway there's the history. Had a little bout with constipation, then bloop...you know the rest. I do have a Dr's appointment Monday to see how bad it is anyway.

So the core question: Who here has done a juice fast/colon cleanse at the same time to at least help make sure all is clear for a while and get the bowel health back on track while doing the physio/kegel/posture work to tone things back up while everything is "empty" ?

Also, since sex isn't an option right now (With the husband gone and all that, he doesn't share very well and it would go over like a lead balloon if I did put the old Tide box in the window LOL), I do have some toys that can mimic it so to speak...would that be an option to help tone things up too?

I'm totally lost, I really don't want to live my life with part of my rectum bulging out of my vagina.

Christine

November 6, 2009 - 2:20pm

Hi Pandora,

I guess we’re not big on fasting here, but if you try it let us know how it affects your rectocele. Some of the very earliest information on prolapse on the new-born Web was from an Indian website where they suggested fasting on fruit for five days. I have always suggested a “lively” diet to keep the colon healthy and toned. I think the structural blow-out comes from a couple of primary places. When the sigmoid colon, which is normally held right behind the lower abdominal wall, is constantly pulled in it allows the rectum more slack. The rectum normally has a forward-facing curve, but more slack allows more curvature and therefore more pressure against the back vaginal wall. Add to this unnatural straining against the toilet seat and the result is often rectocele - babies or not.

The very best things to do are to allow your organs their natural positions through this postural work and avoid any and all straining against the seat. Some straining is fine, but do so in a half-squat position to protect your pelvic organs. Avoid kegels on your back as these aggravate rectocele. The whole concept of vaginal tone needs to be revised. Yes there is tone, but no Great tone within the pelvic interior. The primary issue is that these are heavy organs and when held out of position their sheer weight is enough to thin fascia and push through slightly open vaginal walls. At 30 years of age you have plenty of tone.

Welcome to Whole Woman!

Christine

pandora114

November 6, 2009 - 2:54pm

The moment I felt the "bloop" I was like "oh crap" and hit the google like a madwoman for non-surgical alternatives for fixing it. Found this site and was like "Oh ok" and put myself in the posture. Right now as I type this I'm straddling a stool at my computer with my mons pubis touching the stool, and my hip bones kind of tilted back. does that make any sense, then every so often I've been tilting my pelvis forward again. Didn't realize how bad it was to sit in a chair lol. It's pretty comfortable. my upper back pain (Due to Dyastis (sp) and having rather large breasts and nothing to support them)

Another question, would wearing a real steel boned corset for any length of time worsen a prolapse? I don't mean every day wear, but "on occasion" if you know what I mean ;)

kiki

November 6, 2009 - 3:56pm

HI Pandora,
So glad you found this site. As you'll see from reading through posts, lots of women have found their prolapses to change significantly through WW.

As Christine said, the most important thing is posture, and avoiding constipation like the plague. I have found that I've had to alter my diet, cutting out all dairy except live plain yogurt, no chocolate, and lots and lots of fibre. Ideally a good serving of beans / pulses a day, plus lots of fruit and veg. I'm also now following Christine's anti inflammatory ideas which are helping a lot as well (use search engine to find out more). You'll also read on here about Nauli and Firebreathing, also very helpful. If you are able to get Christine's DVD you'll find lots of great exercises and information all in one place.

Clothing wise, loose comfortable clothes that don't press on the abdomen allow your organs for fall forward into a natural place. I would imagine a corset would push everything into an unnatural place. However, if it was for short times, you might find it's fine--experiment and see how you get on.

Keep posting lots of questions!

Kiki

pandora114

November 6, 2009 - 5:04pm

Well I eat pretty well. The only dairy I eat is a Kefir smoothie once a day. I always eat whole grain breads, My favorite snacks happens to be grapes (and a little cheese) I eat pretty well. The only real issue is water intake ROFL. Sometimes I forget to do that, that's what brought the constipation on, which caused the bloop.

Do mostly the Detox/bowel moving poses for yoga and core stretching...child pose, cat/dog tilt...happen to be my faves.

It's funny was doing almost everything "right" except the posture thing and I let myself get bunged up *once* I guess once is all it took lol.

I'm gonna go to the Dr on Monday anyway just to see what she has to say. I do have a nasty tummy separation still (and it's almost been 3yrs!!!) and trust me THAT isn't helping the pelvic muscles stay stable that's for darned sure...

I guess...a rectocele is sort of like...a Ingual Hernia in men? If they lift/strain too hard their stuff comes out the ingual ring into the scrotum..

louiseds

November 9, 2009 - 10:37pm

Hi Pandora

I did some research on tightlacing and corsets a couple of years ago. It seems that corsets are done up from the waist level, progressively tightening upwards, then downwards. There does not have to be a lot of tightening below the waist. Depending on the shape of the corset, there doesn't have to be a complete straightening of the lumbar curve. All the upper abdominal organs are squashed upwards and the lower ones squashed downwards. When waist training is done the corset is worn during all waking hours for 12 to 18 months, and the shape of the liver changes, half going up and half going down; same with the intestines. It is possible to cause permanent damage. The straightening of the thoracic curve could actually be good as long as the lower abdomen is allowed to relax forwards and the whole abdomen is not compressed too much. You still have to breath, though. And you cannot eat much at a time.

I wouldn't personally do it, because it is still compression, and it is still putting tension on the fascia and producing inappropriately directed intraabdominal forces. It is still squashing your body into an unnatural shape. I don't think it is a good idea to do anything that might aggravate POP. There are enough factors conspiring to make it worse in every day life.

You might like to wear a conventional bustier instead of a full corset.

Cheers

Louise

kiki

November 10, 2009 - 6:57am

from what others have said, WW really helps with separation of the abdominal muscles as it gives more space for them. sorry, can't remember all the ins and out and have to run--but just to say that this could well help you!!

louiseds

November 10, 2009 - 7:37am

Hi Pandora

Kiki is right. WW posture should help with the separation. The reason for this is that the ribcage is lifted in WW posture and the abdomen is allowed to relax out front. The effect of lifting the ribcage is that it increases the distance between the top and the bottom of the rectus abdominus muscles, which are attached at the top to the bottom of the ribcage, and at the bottom to the top edge of the front of the pelvis). These are the muscles that separate in the centre line. When you lift the ribcage the RA goes into slight tension, so it is stretched and contracted, ie exercised, with every step we take, and the muscles become straight up and down instead of gaping open, and once again meet in the middle. It may take some time to achieve but it will happen as you use these muscles more. If you just do exercises to achieve more tone in them you are only exercising them while you are actually doing your exercises. The rest of the time they just hang there like a floppy curtain. They never get stretched, then contracted, so they never build up any more strength.

The thing that makes muscles stronger and gives them 'tone' is stretching them fully, then contracting them fully, all the time. This we do with everyday ambulation, as long as the chest is lifted and the pelvis is allowed to remain vertical with the pubis at the bottom, not with the butt tucked under (which lifts the pubis, and once again reduces the distance between it and the rib cage.)

It is like pinching a big, fat, rubber band with a finger and thumb at both ends. If you move your fingers apart to the point where there is a little tension on the rubber band, the two parts will be together. If you move your fingers and thumbs towards each other, the two parts will gape open.

I am sorry if this is a garbled description but it will give you the general idea.

Cheers

Louise