Newly Diagnosed

Hi Paml

Welcome to the Forums. In spite of the rather offhand way that your doctor responded I had a little chuckle when I read her initial comment. Prolapse is so normal, and so non-life threatening that I wish more doctors would respond like this. It doesn't make it any less distressing for you, but it would have been much better than having her say, "OMG! Just look at that CYSTOCELE!!!" ... so don't shoot the doctor.

Unfortunately, doctors don't really have a large tool kit when it comes to prolapse. There are pessaries (which don't really work for rectocele) and there is surgery . They simply don't have anything else up their sleeve. The fact that she suggested to do nothing unless it was really bothering you says to me that she is very realistic about the strength of the tools she has to make a positive difference to your life. I would stick with her.

Paml, you do have a good idea of what is happening in your body. We can go to four different doctors on the same day at different times, or on different days, or different times in our monthly cycle, and get four different diagnoses. The bladder, uterus and rectum are designed to distend and to move around each other. They are loosely tethered together with spiderweb like 3D fascia, which governs their relationship to each other, and to other structures in your pelvis.

While you have your rectum and your bladder trying to push your vaginal walls out through your introitus, neither is going to succeed, and they certainly are not going to let your uterus come down because they are filling the space! We call this nature's pessary. The only time they can all come out is immediately after the birth of a baby, when all the fascia is stretched from the pregnancy. Even then it is more likely that the rectum is still inside, along with the bladder, even if the uterus is all the way out. It can be replaced, and the woman may experience no subsequent prolapse at all, once her body has reverted post pregnancy. All the organs are also attached to the walls of the pelvis, so they really cannot come all the way out.

The first pregnancy, labour and birth was, like for most of us, the main 'culprit'. A woman's body is 'mature' after her first birth, and usually the following births cause less trauma, rather than more. Birthing in less than optimum way is more likely to be the cause of damage to this fascia and to the pelvic floor muscles, via episitiotomy and/or tearing .

Prolapse is really caused by loss of fascial support to the vagina and cervix, either in front of, or behind the vagina. If you have one organ prolapsing, or two, you will most likely have the propensity for the other to come low as well. That is just what happens.

Once you read the book and watch the DVD you will start to understand ways of doing these everyday tasks in ways that minimise your symptoms. It is all about using your body differently. You might give yourself some gifts that will enable you to respect your body's needs better. These gifts might be:-
- a laundry trolley so you can wheel your laundry basket around,
- some knee pads so you can kneel down low, instead of full squatting,
- budgeting your time more effectively so that you can do all your daily tasks without hurrying, so you can move mindfully and in a controlled way, when you need to monitor a heavy lift or something similar
- a small lumbar cushion for the back of your car seat, and a foam wedge for the seat, so your car seat is horizontal
- a wide, padded stool in your workspace, so you cannot slouch back on your chair back.
- 30 minutes a day for doing WW exercises off the DVD to strengthen the muscles you need to strengthen so that WW posture can be easy to keep doing. WW exercises are about undoing the damage that is done to our bodies by our western lifestyle.
- allow plenty of time for emptying your bowels. Be patient. Never strain against the seat. If it won't come, despite your splinting, pull up your pants and do something else. Have another go later. Check out LoPo, using the search box. It is about how domestic animals poo.
- allow enough time every day to *completely* empty your bladder once.
- feed your body with good quality foods, plenty of veges and fruit, whole grains, unprocessed or minimally processed foods, not too much meat, good oils. This keeps your bowels moving.

It is not such a bad journey. The improvements go on for years! I used to splint every bowel movement. I haven't done it for about a year now!

Louise

Wow paml, that is some really laid-back advice from your doc. Kind of refreshing in a way, but at the same time, not awfully helpful.

The combo of those two ‘celes is probably the most common form of prolapse there is. The good news is they provide “nature’s pessary” which usually keeps the cervix from falling too far back and out of position. I’m not sure where my cervix is in relation to my pre-partum or pre-prolapse days, because I never checked back then (in fact, to this day I avoid checking!). I’m sure it’s lower than it was then, but it’s well out of the way and not an issue for me.

Louise is right, don’t worry about stages or degrees. These suckers are on the move all the time. The goal is to get them to stay forward in the hollow of the lower belly where they are not causing as much discomfort and they are not making you feel like you can’t do things. You can do just about anything once you know posture and how to adopt your moves to it.

I don’t bother trying to push my ‘celes around. I’ve read some posts on here and they usually refer to pushing the uterus back up over the pubic bones. Firebreathing and similar moves that you will learn, are very helpful in sucking things in the right direction on a heavy day. While you are learning posture, lots and lots of very mindful walking is the best way to imprint this shape onto your body and your mind. Once you have it, that walking really works things the right way. I am the most symptom-free ever after a long, long, long walk. I have proven this to myself on multiple occasions over the 3 years I’ve been doing this work. - Surviving

Hi Paml

One of the big features of both IBS and prolapse is worry, worry, worry. Worry has the capacity to make us hunch over with self protection of the belly, etc. It also has the capacity to mess up our digestive processes. I think the best course of action for you at the moment is to get searching on the Forums to familiarise yourself with the territory until your book and DVD arrives. There are some free resources under the resources Tab. Also check out the FAQ's tab.

There are two things that many women find difficult to do, which are both necessary to utilise WW posture properly. The first is diaphragmatic breathing, ie having your belly expand before your chest when you inhale, and having your belly contract when you exhale. The second thing to learn is to relax your belly, rather than holding it in to make it look smaller. If you are holding it in all the time there is no way that you can let it expand when you breathe. If you cannot let it expand you are preventing your bladder and uterus from coming forward far enough to get themselves onto your pubic bones, which will give them support from underneath.

You can teach yourself to do these two things while waiting for the post. They are both essentials. You can find lots of internet resources to help you to breathe diaphragmatically. I have found that pushing my belly out consciously, then relaxing it, is easier than simply telling my belly to relax. If you then lift your chest your belly will lift and come in, giving you a lovely rounded belly, rather than one that is hanging out. Do this in front of a mirror with no clothes on so you can see what is happening with your body. Good luck.

Louise

this discomfort might be a good thing.
I think of this area (the belly in the upper abdomen above the navel) as the sweet spot. This used to be referred to by Callanetics (wish I still had the book) as the liver roll. This is where those of us who are getting fat first put it on. This is also where the muscles seem to get lost in a fatty mould never to be seen or felt again, at least they did for me. Just recently after nearly three years of this work and a long gradual slimming diet, I'm feeling those muscles tighten and it is at those times that my prolapse feels especially good, high and tucked away.
I hope this proves the case for you.
cheers, Fab

Hi Paml

I think Fab is right. It is about gradual changes. Dance in almost any form where it can be done in WW posture, is wonderful whole body exercise that will exercise all your abdominal muscles. A muscle that can fully stretch and fully contract is a strong muscle that functions well. A muscle that is only ever contracted is not a strong or functional muscle. You will find a dance workout on the DVD.

Louise

Things will get better as you learn to live in WW posture and develop healthy living habits. The WW way is a way of life. Many of us have found we've made some changes in our lives, apart from the posture, to support our overall health and happiness.
Good luck with the book and the dvds.
Best wishes, xwholewomanuk