uterus and bladder prolapse

My story sounds a lot like yours. I was scheduled for a hysterectomy on the 15th of December for a uterine prolapse. I canceled just two days before the surgery. I found this web site, and it's been comforting to know that I am not alone, and that surgery is not the only option. I am anxious to receive the book, and cd, and to begin the program. Good luck to you, and I hope that you can find peace.

I hope that we have made the right decision. My kids thought I was nuts to cancel the surgery after waiting for it for almost 3 months. I feel good about the choice none the less. Did your Dr. ever mention to you any other options? Mine didn't. I just trusted her, and thought that she knew what she was talking about. Do you have any problems with your bladder? They wanted to do a bladder repair on me, so I am hoping that the program will help the bladder as well. It's worth a try, don't you think? Good luck getting ready for Christmas, and nice chatting with you. tobia48

Welcome to you both!

Yes, there is tremendous hope - but women have different needs and we never know who might be happier taking the surgical route (at least for a while!), so we can only encourage you to try to reduce your symptoms with these methods, but not counsel you against surgery. The facts are the surgeries are fraught with failure and are based on inaccurate anatomical understanding of the female body. One may seem OK after hysterectomy, but there is great chance of future prolapse in a pelvis that has been destabilized in such a profound way.

The work is based on the premise that we have a natural pelvic organ support system that is the strongest and most stable in the animal kingdom - we just aren't utilizing it correctly. It seems almost everything in our modern world is designed without regard for the health of our spine, etc. Look around at your own environments to see what changes you could make to better support your body, i.e sitting on the floor to eat, etc. Have fun re-designing your wardrobe for greater comfort and belly-ease and make sure your diets are lively and anti-inflammatory.

WIshing you both well,

Christine

Boy, your case sure does sound just like mine. Have you noticed any improvement since working on your correct posture, and exercise? I am still waiting for the arrival of my products, so I can begin to heal. I do know that I have a greater piece of mind since canceling my surgery. My pocket book is a lot happier too :) Have you had any back pain with the prolapse? That is one of the things that bother me the most. tobia48

I was very surprised to see that you had responded to my post. Thank you very much. I hope that by trying your techniques, I will be able to see results. It's just a comfort to know that there are other women out there, with the same thing I have, and that it can be managed. Thanks again...tobia48

I get the idea that this is a long process, and results won't come really quickly. How long have you been working on the posture and exercise? I tried the posture today, but I am not even sure if I am doing it the right way. I say, keep working on it, and see what happens.

It definately takes time--think weeks to months, but hang in there---IT IS WORTH IT!!!
In order to really see change, the posture is great but the more you do the more will change.
The DVD is very helpful, doing the workout a few times a week will help a lot. Also what kinds of clothes are you wearing? i'm changed to only wearing loose comfortable clothes, and if i don't i definitely feel it.

also diet? Christine's working a lot on anti inflammatory diet. that has radically affected my POP, mostly my cyst. once i started that my bladder capacity leapt up and the bit of urgency i had left is gone. and i have so much more energy, am losing weight, & still functioning on far to little sleep when normally i'd be a wreck right about now... you search on inflammatory or omega and stuff will come up

i've also found homeopathy helpful, and used accupuncture which helped the symptoms of backache and urgency quite a bit.

hang in there and keep updating us...

Kiki, thanks for the words of comfort and support. It sure does help to find support from others who have the same thing. I am hoping that the program will offer help to me. Until I get the products in the mail, it's just nice to read post's and feel that I am not alone. Thanks again. tobia48

Hi Tobia and Txswimmer

My experience early on, just over 5 years ago when I first started all this, was that I could move my organs forward, but not consistently. You have to remember that the fascial damage has been done a long time ago. Prolapse is the symptoms of the damage. The fascia will probably always be damaged. The potential for organs to descend will always be there. There are no magic bullets.

Now, my uterus is always tucked inside, and my bladder rarely flops backwards seriously; my rectocele getting more normal all the time. I now find I can reposition them all quite quickly and keep them out of harm's way if I over-exert myself, or if I get constipated. ie the following day I usually have them tucked away again. It just keeps getting better. I trust them these days. The other thing is that this last five years has been the pointy end of perimenopause. I think the end of menstruation last February and the final shrinking of my uterus meant that it wasn't weighing my vagina down so much. My cervix is just a little hole in the side of my vagina now (there's not much left to peek). Menopause has been a plus for me, but perimenopause seemed to start about ten or fifteen years ago. Stopping periods seemed to be the last step. All my other symptoms seemed to tail off to occasional or negligible when I stopped the periods.

Sure, sometimes I do have a low day, and I think, "Whoa! what have I done?" but by the following day it all goes back to normal, ie no big problems pooing, no big ball in the vulva, no peeking cervix. Everything is much lower than it was before I had babies, but who cares? It is all well inside. Now I stand and sit differently my whole pelvic region seems to be as Christine says, wound up like a spring. My pelvic floor is much tighter, which is great for sex, and my abdominal muscles really do support my abdominal and pelvic organs, so they are stretched tighter. Everything feels much more stable and firm. The damage is still there, but bits of me don't fall out through the holes.

I posted some time ago about fascia being like a well-fitted, tailored jacket with a split in a seam and a button missing. If you put it on your body carefully, and really wriggle into it and get comfortable it will sit still on your body, no matter how much you dance around. The split seam will hang together and the two fronts will overlap each other perfectly, despite the missing button. I see the relationship between the bladder, the vagina, the uterus, the rectum and their endopelvic fascia as being just like this. Keep putting the organs back where they belong with posture and exercise and using your body in ways that support their positioning, and their well-fitted fascial jacket will do the rest.

I know from experience that it is not always that simple, especially when real life intervenes, and make you do stupid stuff with your body, but the principle is there, and you just do it as much as you can. Eventually, new ways of doing things become embedded as normal I guess, and you find that your POPs are behaving better than they used to. They are still there, but having tamed them, they are no longer a source of fear.

'Well-domesticated' POPs are like a big, boofy, well-trained dog, walking at heel without even being told to, but you know that they also have the ability to tear you to pieces and destroy you if you let *them* take control and do what they like. It is constant work to keep them behaving well, gently admonishing them, bringing them back into line, getting them back at heel and being aware of their behaviour at all times. It is not constant monitoring, but just being subtley aware of how you are moving, and what you are doing. Having a dog is a big responsibility. Having POPs is a bit the same. You can leave your dog home sometimes if you are going somewhere that they might not behave well, like shopping for fine china, but your POPs go with you everywhere, so they better behave themselves!! Energetic dogs take a while to train, and can be very frustrating, but the results are worth it. POPs are the same. A pain if badly trained, much more manageable if you can get them to behave themselves. Sometimes they behave better than others, and unfortunately there are some dogs that seem untrainable. Often though, it is just a matter of getting to understand each other, learning to think like a dog, and being able to anticipate what they will try and get up to next. Being able to anticipate problem situations makes it easier to find workarounds and avoid problem tasks.

Enough from me.

Louise

How are you doing now and please let me know if you made a right decision. I am going through the same situation.

Hi Txswimmer

Being on your feet a lot can be a problem. Standing in front of a stove or sink also often involves leaning over just slightly, and it is too easy to tuck your butt and hunch over. Being a swimmer you probably have abs of steel, good upper body strength, and very little bulge at the front of your belly, so your pelvic organs dont have a little pouch to sit in out the front. If you adjust the way you bend in the kitchen, by bending more from the hips and less from the waist, you will find that your pelvic organs will naturally fall forwards further, and gravity will be pushing down through your pubic bones. Also, try to drag heavy pots right to the front of the stove so they are close to you, before lifting them, so you don't create more intraabdominal pressure than you need to, and breathe out when you lift, rather than holding your breath, for the same reason. Also, don't pull your tummy in to brace for lifting. Let it right out, and brace with a big tummy. This give your organs a pozzie at the front and is more efficient for supporting your spine. Think about this big tummy bracing in terms of high school physics, the math of loads, moments and levers. It makes good sense to me. These guidelines apply to all heavy lifting.

Go back to the basics of posture. Just keeping your chest up and out will help to keep your lumbar curve in place, and you will naturally bend from the hips.

Hope you benefit from this. It will become intuitive in time, but your body has a lot to re-learn.

Look, you have just put surgery on long term hold, as we all have. Hopefully none of us will need this serious surgery ever. It is not necessary, and *can* be very problematic, even if a long time into the future. We are refining these techniques all the time. Christine only started this movement in 2002. I think she has come a long way in a short time, and we all still refining it with our own experiences. I have had so much success with it that I think surgical repairs are almost totally irrelevant, but I have been doing WW for over five years, and I once again trust my body to deal with its own pelvic vulnerabilities. Hope you can get there too.

Cheers

Louise

Hi Txswimmer

You have made my day! Thankyou.

I agree with you about women of our mothers' generation. Their bodies are/were not their business. So many people had a stake in their bodies and they had no veto, nor did they have any knowledge on which to base the non-existent veto. Our generation, in the western world at least, have access to unlimited learning and resources that they did not. They also grew up in a world of no analgesia, so pain was often their constant companion, for one reason or another. Old people don't even keep a packet of Panadol in the cupboard. Your mother's bleeding would have had an effect on your family, you and your siblings having an anaemic mother who was always soaking little towels and visiting the toilet. It would not have been fun for her, though she probably thought it could have been worse, so it must be OK. They also had an unshakable faith in their doctors, who were hands on trained and looked way beyong the immediate symptoms before they did their diagnosis. You wouldn't use a doctor whose patients did not recover. Communities were small and the doctor was a valuable member of them, along with the chemist/herbalist and other healers, and of course the midwives, who had only on the job training passed on to them from other midwives.

So their benchmark for health was very variable, and largely determined by an accident of birth, a bit like today, with the sharp divide between rich and poor.

The hysterectomy would have been life-changing for her in many ways with no more bleeding and the prospect of no more babies. She is lucky she had no problems post hysterectomy. All women are not that lucky. www.hers.org is *the* site to visit before embarking on an hysterectomy.

I think the level of pain and discomfort that these older women experienced on a day to day basis is a reason why they didn't complain more. Often one type of pain was traded for another, but there was little point in complaining. I really think they developed very high pain thresholds! They were born, or grew up in the Great Depression, and some, like my Mum, lived through two World Wars as well. They lived in a patriarchal society and did not have equal rights to make their own decisions, own wealth etc. Complaining wouldn't have done them any good, and it wouldn't occur to them to complain anyway! They were heavily into making do, being responsible and obeying those who held the power. It was often about the sacrifices one made for one's country, one's family, one's breadwinner, one's community, etc. The corporate was more important than the personal.

Txswimmer, I would attend to all the Wholewoman techniques before trying a pessary. Most women here do not find a need to use them. They can amount to a lot of mucking around that you don't need. Keep your eyes open for a good practitioner, and do some research both here and a website like Milex, the company that seems to be the main supplier, so you know what you are talking about if and when you decide to get one fitted. You can only get the Milex pessaries via a medical clinic but you can use whatever suits you, tampons, sea sponges, beeswax or whatever.

Posture is the place to start and the most important factor. Amend your lower body clothing bit by bit. Sit in Wholewoman posture wherever you find yourself sitting. Ensure that your diet prevents constipation. Poo and wee in ways that support your body's function. Empty your bladder properly at least daily. Don't ever strain. Lift appropriately, ie in posture. Exercise appropriately. Do all this before you go for a pessary. The more hours of the day you can observe these guidelines the quicker your body will adapt itself. You will have temporary setbacks along the way. It happens to all of us, but they become less frequent as your body learns to live in a different shape. You will gradually develop a new friendship with your body, and trust it to 'get over it', and recover its composure. You might get some pain and discomfort at first. This is adjustment. We can help you with that. So can Christine, with a phone or personal consult. These setbacks are learning experiences, which help you to identify what causes your pelvic organs to suddenly decide to try and leave home.

Get Christine's book and/or DVD. The book is the bible of POP management, is very well illustrated, and as technical as it needs to be, but there is a lot of non-technical stuff too. The DVD is of course more visual, so you can *see* what Christine is talking about.

Hope to hear from you again.

Louise

I had my cervix and back vagina wall tethered to my sacral ligaments and sthg changed and my cervix is now back where it was prior to 8weeks off work and what they considered 2 major surgeries...I cannnot recommend this treatment..I have had 3 chunks of mesh removed vaginally from the back of my vagina as they are scratching me and will have to get more done to prevent bleeding and fluid seepage How gross is all this??

Dear Sammy,

Thank you so much for your post. I have thought of you often over the last few months, hoping you were okay.

The surgical realities need to be sorted out for women, so that they truly understand the risks associated with standard medical treatment of prolapse. The Very worst operation possible is hysterectomy with A&P "repairs". This causes the vagina to become a very short, wide cave that is much more susceptible to turning inside out. There is nothing there to hold the abdominal contents up, so they fall against the vagina and eventually into the prolapsed balloon, a very serious evisceration. This is what they have tried to avoid in your case, but the solution is completely misconceived. The natural vaginal axis is not pulled toward the back, therefore there is constant tugging against those sacral sutures. I imagine you have a pretty significant cystocele by this time as well.

It is a *Problem* when we are surgically altered so that our torso no longer holds in our guts. That women continue to be subjected to such a fate is nothing short of criminal. But we don't see it as that because we have been eased into this reality - like the classic frog-in-hot-water experiment. As Nora Coffey chillingly states, "It is a very powerful thing to be able to take another human beings sex organs."

The sooner women can stop being operated on, the better. Hysterectomy should be avoided at all costs. Incontinence surgery should be avoided at all costs. A hysterectomy without anterior and posterior vaginal surgery is better than with. Avoiding sacrocolpopexy is better than vagina tethered to spine - if at all possible.

I want to believe there is hope for All women who are already on the surgical path. I want to believe that severe vaginal vault prolapse could be managed with soothing herbal emollients and well-designed external support garments.

Thank you so much for being here with us, Sammy, and I hope you will keep us updated.

Wishing you well,

Christine

Your comments are helpful Christine:

A referred specialist did not understand why the gynaecologist who gave me a supercervical hysterectomy with a concomittant sacralcolpopexy did this to me.
I was about 3 years agreeing to this surgery and gave in to a lot of advise from every direction to go for it. It was an unwise decision and now I am as I am.
In a few weeks I will be given advise on what can be done for me _ I still have mesh which was inserted abdominally protruding thru my vagina(after 3 peices removed vaginally)Ther is a granulomatous tissue and both pink red and rust coloured discharge. Still little pain, some irritation,
I am told this surgery is >90% sucessful - and that mine failed because of lifting I do for a living.

I believe what I have now, near my exposed cervix must be a section of my bladder pusshing thru the vaginal wall.
When I have a full bladder or bowel, it really is my focus from pressure i think other than that it is not much of a problem--
My torso was not holding in my guts before surgery but now I have a wound and foreign plastic in by beloved abdomen and my guts are still falling. Think I need to quit work and get simple pelvic rest for a few years..I do tread cautiously.

Hi Sammy,

Yes, life always goes on. I know we will all be very interested to hear of your progress once the mesh is out. The >90% success rate is classic - really a joke at this point. I agree that a woman who sits upon a cushion eating strawberries for most of her days after sacrocolpopexy probably has a better chance of not disturbing the surgery. However, lifting can’t be blamed entirely for an operation that is conceptually faulty at its core.

I certainly don’t expect you to consider whether or not you are better off now than with UP because it is a moot point. However, this is an issue of central importance to the health and well-being of women everywhere. Your torso was holding your guts in very well. Women considering surgery for uterine prolapse need to understand that they are trading an uncomfortable (but changeable!) condition for a destabilized pelvis that harbors great morbidity.

Thank you for your openness and willingness to share your experience with us.

(((Hugs, Sammy)))

Christine

Louise, how long does this process take? I have been doing the exercises and posture for about a month, and don't really see any improvement. It's discouraging at times. I am constantly worried about my prolapsed uterus, and bladder. I wonder if I made the right decision not to have surgery. tobia48

Hi Tobia

You mean the process of getting everything to move up, and not come down again on a daily basis?

All I know is what has happened to my body. I cannot say what will happen to yours. I could get some improvement in symptoms, though not consistently, straight away. It probably took over three years for the longer term improvement, but I have experienced menopause since then, I think, no periods for nearly 12 months. So it is hard to tell how much improvment was caused by what. Ironically, I thought POP was supposed to worsen at menopause. Go figure.

In addition, my uterus flipped over from retroverted to anteverted at about the end of year 3. That actually seemed to make my cervix lower, but I can now see that previously it was pointing upwards, then changed to downwards after the flip. Then the posture really started to work well over the following couple of years.

Wholewoman techniques are not everything. There are so many outside factors that can affect it as well.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your situation.

Cheers

Louise

Just a thought but very short as i have to run out the door to work...sorry!
But, i know when my POP arrived I desperately wanted a quick fix. I wanted it gone then! I was so frustrated the doctor said no surgery for at least a year--what???? then I found WW, and my attitude changed completely. But it still took time. I decided to look at the next year as my year of focusing on my POP, and make that whole year about my POP and see what happened. I cancelled long flights, didn't really do much closer travel, and focused on me. Everything was about what is good for my POP.

The year progressed and I followed WW principles, and my body changed amazingly. But at the end of the year I was inspired to keep trying to make more changes, and three years on I still do.
I'm now experimenting a lot with diet to see what that can do. I'm on a strict anti inflammatory diet (miraculous for my cystocele) and now working on cutting out grain to see how it affects my rectocele (I say as I finish my delicious breakfast of black beans, eggs, and avocado--thanks WW for the ideas!). My trousers pretty much all went to the charity shop, bring on the lovely skirts and dresses. I ask people for help, don't lift things I don't feel comfortable lifting, etc etc...

And all together, three years on, I have such a different, healthier body in so many ways. And my POPs just keep improving. haven't disapeared, but are sooooo much better--I can live with them.

So maybe think of this as a longer process. Surgery is always there--you can go back to that idea. you can't do the reverse, but if you say okay, this year is about my POP--I'll posture, I'll excercise, breath, eat well etc etc etc, it won't feel so frustrating if tomorrow everything is still feeling low...

Kiki

Louise, I am a 53 year old woman. In October, I just got home from work, and felt a really funny sensation, like something was moving down in my vagina. I was on my period, and thought that maybe it was my "cup" that I used to collect the blood. I went to the bathroom to take a shower, and when I was washing "down there" I thought..."what the heck is that!" I had heard about prolapse before, so I figured that was what had happened. I found an ob gyn in the phone book and made an appointment. Two weeks later, I was informed that I had a uterine prolapse, and cystecele, and the Dr recommended a total hysterectomy. She didn't give me any other options. We are conditioned to believe our physicians, so I consented to the surgery. My prolapse is pretty bad...my uterus is right at the opening of the vagina. Well, as the date moved closer, I got cold feet, and felt that I shouldn't have the procedure. I found this web site, and decided to give it a try, before I tried the surgery route.

In reading Christine's book I realize that I did a lot of things wrong. I had 4 babies, all with episiotomy's...three of the four were delivered with forecepts...I do a lot of lifting at work, ( I work with the disabled population) so I am pretty sure that has contributed to my problems.

It's comforting to know that there are others out there, with my same condition. I mentioned my condition to my primary care physician, and he told me that prolapses don't get better. So, there's not a lot of medical support for women who opt for a natural approach to my problem. My children think I'm nuts for having canceled the surgery. Husband is very supportive none the less, and that really helps.

Hopefully, I will be able to see some results, but it sounds like it is a long process. I guess the key is just to give it time. Thanks for the support. tobia48

Thanks for the great ideas. I do know that once I decided to cancel the surgery, I felt at peace, and so much happier. I haven't done anything diet wise for my condition. I guess I need to get Christine's cook book.

Hi Tobia

Well, you have had a few surprises.;-)

I am so glad that you had the presence of mind to just slow it down and put off the surgery. I too had the same sort of big solution offered to me, and I felt as if nothing was negotiable. Fortunately I had found this site about a month before my gyn appointment, and I had experienced enough improvement to see that it was worth perservering with. You can always change your mind again and opt for the surgery. If you say you are putting it off for a while your critics might just shut up and leave you to it. They might be the ones getting the surprise next time.

In a way your physician is right. Prolapses don't get better, or not that we know of. However, like a friendly dog you can train your body to support your pelvic organs better, so they don't produce symptoms of prolapse. POP itself is not dangerous. It is not life threatening. It is fear of what could happen which eats away at us. The limited perspective of most doctors, and ignorance of well-meaning friends and family don't help either.

Perimenopause can be like a roller coaster. You never know what is going to happen next, like your body has been invaded by aliens! I have yet to meet a woman who has said, "Oh, isn't perimenopause a wonderful time of life? I wish I could stay here for ever." I don't think so!

You have a lot of adjustments to consider. There is no doubt that you will have setbacks on the way to recovery. That happens to everybody, but they are only temporary and are usually caused by overdoing something, or not realising you have been doing it in a non-supportive manner. As long as you recognise what happened and why, you can think your way around it next time. I guess your job will be one of the big question marks. I do a lot of heavy work, particularly in the garden, because DH is not a doer. He would rather pay somebody else to do it. I can usually think my way around heavy tasks, usually by splitting loads, using mechanical means to lift and/or shift, and doing heavy tasks slowly and in a controlled manner. Handling the weight of a person is a different matter. You are going to develop thighs steel to help you manage your work.

It takes a while for your body to learn new ways of doing life automatically. It is a bit clunky for a while, and you can experience a bit of pain and discomfort while your body is learning.

Hang around and we will do what we can to help you adjust.

Louise

You're a Godsend! Just what I needed today. Actually, my boss has been wonderful since I had the prolapse. She doesn't make me lift. I am grateful for that!

One of my biggest problems is a very sore back. The Dr. said it was from the uterus pressing on the nerves. I don't know what I can do about that, but I'll just keep doing the exercises, and see what happens.

Again, thank you so much for your encouragement. tobia48

Hi Tobia

Do you mean that since starting WW posture you have had a sore back? Or prior to that?

L

The back was sore prior to the exercises, and still is...I think that is common with prolapse.

I had a very sore back. I found accupuncture amazing, and got rid of most of the backache. the rest got better as things improved.
I did get a bit of soreness with the posture at first, but that went quickly as i got stronger--new muscles, nothing bad...

Yes, I think it is quite common. It reminds me of period pain and posterior labour pain, as opposed to back muscle pain, which is more on the outside of the sacrum and spine. Is your uterus retroverted, or just banging around in there? either way, WW posture will help it to move away from the spine and sacrum. If you try firebreathering, that may help it along. It is early days yet. Try to be patient and learn what you can. If you buy and read Saving the Whole Woman you will start to understand why all this is so.

Cheers

Louise

Louise, I am not sure of the position of my uterus. My Dr. didn't tell me anything about the position, other than it was pressing on the nerves of the spine. I don't think she was a very good Dr...she didn't have me stand for the exam, and I had to tell her what the problem was. Oh well, I guess that doesn't really matter now. I have tried the fire breathing, and nauli, but am having a hard time getting the hang of nauli. I will just give it time, and I'm sure that things will improve. Thanks

I have wondered about accupuncture for the back. I'll have to give that a try. Thanks

Hi Tobia

I confess that after several years I still cannot do nauli, so don't think you are alone! You can probably tell yourself if your uterus is retroverted. If you can feel your cervix with a finger coming out of the back wall of the vagina your uterus is probably retroverted. If it comes out of the front wall then the uterus is probably normal, ie anteverted.

Sometimes doctors seem dumb. Half the time they have been taught by people who do not think, so they don't have a lot of hope of doing better, because nobody asks the difficult questions, and nobody is able to give the answers. It is amazing how little seems to be known about what *really* happens in the pelvic cavity, what goes wrong, and why. We seem to be the ones asking the questions, and working out the answers ourselves using logic and trial and error. Your doctor is not uniquely dumb. Most doctors don't examine with the patient standing up, unless you ask them to.

It can be all very frustrating. Good luck with the acupuncture.

Louise

Boy, you are such an inspiration! I appreciate all the time you take to answer my questions. In regard to my Dr...I think she was just not very well informed about POP. I feel like I have learned so much since my initial examination. I only wish that I was so well informed at my first visit, and I would have asked many more questions. She was so quick to suggest hysterectomy, I don't think I'll go back to her.

I am not sure of the position of the uterus. The cervix seems to be pointing toward my pubic bone. It seems to be staying put, so I don't care ir it's upside down, or inside out...just as long as it stays where it is :) Tobia48

Kiki, thanks for the encouragement about back pain. Mine is often unbearable. If I've been sitting for a little while, when I stand up my back spasms so bad I have to hobble around like a little old lady--all hunchbacked--because I can't straighten my back. After a minute I can slowly straighten up and resume WW posture. Yesterday was my first work-out. I could only do a few minutes before the baby started fussing, but even that few minutes caused me to ache all night and I was very stiff and sore this morning when I got up. I'm trying not to be depressed, but pain is a really bad thing. I'm a pretty matter-of-fact person (ISTJ on the Meyers-Briggs temperament test), and not much bothers me, but this has really knocked me for a loop.

Question: my son, who is 4 1/2 wants to do the WW workout with me and my 7 y.o. daughter. Is it okay for him to do these "girly" workouts? I mean, will it damage him the way "boyish" workouts damage our core as women?

Hi Tobia

It sounds very much to me like your uterus is retroverted. Do not be surprised if one day if flips over to normal position and your cystocele slips down to take its place. I would see this as a good sign even if it scares the bejeezus out of you, because it is your body going back to its proper configuration with the uterus sitting on top of the bladder. Your body is kind of winding itself up again.

Just out of curiosity, if I were you, I would ask the practitioner if it is retroverted when you next have a PAP smear. My rate of improvement increased dramatically only after this happened. In the meantime I think nauli and firebreathing will help it flip over, but it might take a while. Don't be scared of this. If my thinking is correct on this, Your uterus is hanging backwards and will be exerting downward and forward pressure on your rectum, just by sitting there pressing on it, and possibly giving you back pain(?) by pressing on your sacrum and all the nerves that come out of it.

Cheers

Louise