New Symptoms

don't live with regret. Regret is negative self talk that will only add to the stress.

As I read your post I could really sense your frustration and fear. I also understand how this discomfort is so distracting. I can't answer all your anatomical-specific questions relating to your prolapse but I would suggest that you really try to focus on taking an hour for yourself alone, on your back and really focus on letting go of all that anxiety. Can your husband take the kids for an hour some place? All that traveling creates stress which just makes prolapse worse. Just pretend that the prolapse doesn't exist for one hour and really relax. I've found that the more relaxed I am, the less noticeable my prolapse is. Put a warm blanket over you and just close your eyes and breath slowly and deeply and turn on some soft music.
Half the battle of this is not worrying about it getting worse. I know that sounds unrealistic given how you feel but truly, as soon as I start worrying, I get so much worse. I didn't realize how reactive my pelvic muscles were to even the slightest bit of stress until I relaxed.

I personally believe that you can and will improve. I'm living proof and 2 weeks ago I thought I was going to end up on disability.

Optimistic, probably the most common manifestation of prolapse is a combo of rectocele and cystocele. For all the discomfort, this is one of the things that helps to support the uterus and keep the cervix from intruding into this arena. I'm not one of the anatomy gurus on this forum, but I do have both 'celes and I can attest that they can be managed. When I started this work 3 years ago, I dove immediately into the book and very quickly lost my fear and dread. Before I even knew the posture, I knew I could manage this, and I felt better from that moment on.

These 'celes are constantly on the move. Something that's a grade 1 this morning can be a grade 3 by evening, and back to grade 1 the next day. The grading system has little value in this discussion, and only causes an endless cycle of checking and stressing.

Think of yourself as a 4-legged animal. Think of those organs nestling in the belly from the forces of gravity and the nice space you have made for them there. Just picture your organs where you want them to be. Does this sound silly? It isn't. Do learn to firebreathe when you get home. Study the DVD's for great moves you can incorporate throughout your day. Rest, avoid stress, eat healthily, don't strain on the toilet, bend and lift with lumbar curve in place, protect that curvature and over time it will come back to some semblance of the spinal shape you had as a young girl.

This isn't easy and it isn't fast. But at your age you could see far more improvement than a 60-something like me who started this work after menopause. Do not fear! - Surviving

This is all good for me to read, too. I have some days (not many thankfully) where I obsess about all this (and panic.) I have not been diagnosed by an expert nor know the grade but I know "something" is going on for sure (definitely a rectocele) and maybe a cysto, who knows. I am just having my period so I think that is why I am more focused on it as I have to put the diva cup in and out and it makes me focus on my vagina and what "should" or "shouldn't" be there. I don't even really know anymore! I am new and just getting into the book...

I find when the old anxiety is getting too much, an after dinner drink of wine relaxes the wild animal in me and allows me a little of that ‘old devil may care feeling’ enough to start believing that tomorrow will (not may) be better. Now, this is an action very much of my culture, and besides, I am a bit of an old duck so can be a bit limited otherwise in my letting the old steam rise into the atmosphere. And I am not really attempting to inflict my particular solution upon you. The idea is to think of something that will aid you to rid yourself of anxiety; a condition prominent among women; we are wired for it to be able to respond quickly if any danger might threaten us or our children’s survival. For some, it will be dancing the night away. For others it can just be a good old talk with a dear friend. For others a sit on the grass in the sun and a picnic will do the trick. If pinched for time a half hour session of deliberate, deep diaphragm breathing. Do whatever safe thing it is that will do it for you. Experiencing prolapse during postpartum not to mention your tearing etc is giving you a rough period; your anxiety levels will naturally be high. So determine to enjoy this special time with hubby and push that anxiety away.
Postpartum wise it can and will get better. Keep thinking of that lumbar curve and its partner the abdominis rectus; let them both stretch gently upwards from your hips and you will know you have the key; time will take care of the rest.

To be confused is ok. It means you are absorbing a lot of info and ideas and the old brain is processing and checking and reaching forward into projections. The whole darn thing. It will clear and you will have your plan. In the meantime, think automatic on posture, diet, easy bowels and bladder, healing, getting through. Sure, it will keep coming up: periods, diva cups, female troubles. When it gets bad just lie back and think of the good ole USA and the good times and do some nice diaphragm breathing.

Hi Optimistic

I have been away. Just saw this thread, where you mention not being able to empty your bowel properly, using the suppositories, then getting urine leakage. I have experienced this leakage after getting constipation moving. Usually it seems to be that emptying the rectum moves it out of the way, and my bladder falls back, and the urethra gets kinked. Sometimes I will have a wee while waiting for the poo to come. After the poo comes out, suddenly the urine flow starts again (probably a further reconfiguration of my pelvic organs). Weird. Even though I have empties my rectum, it seems that there is often a backlog of stool creating extra volume in my pelvis and abdomen. After a day or so it gets back to normal.

Constipation is weird. Sometimes we are not aware of it because the logjam is higher up, perhaps the large intestine just slows down. We keep having normal sized poos but it is not getting the whole system to move along in a healthy way. I think we need to look at getting over an episode of constipation as something that can take a few days, particularly where there is a menstrual cycle effect. Are you dairying this. It helps to spot these menstrual related symptoms.

Eventually, you will get it all sussed out, and will be able to trust your body to get better in a couple of days. That is a wonderful feeling, because it means you don't have to worry any more. Worry is the biggest cause of gut slowing that I know! Once you then start worrying about constipation it is a recipe for a vicious cycle!

Trust your body. diary what happens. Do the right things and it will largely take care of itself.

Louise

Thank you for your last comment on this issue concerning urine and constipation. This is the reason this WW forum is soo wonderful, it is because of insight like this.
I am so grateful for this. It helps to bring things into proper perspective.
Rose