Poop Issue

Hi optimistic, I dealt with this for months and I can empathize with you! I swear by splinting. I don't know how long you have been doing it, but it took my body a few weeks to be able to relax and just 'let it go' with two fingers inside my vagina! I push down with those two fingers and it has saved my sanity ever since. Something that really helped me figure it out is to look up a diagram, one of those 'animated' looking ones that have clearly drawn pelvic organs and displays a rectocele, and look at what direction you need to apply pressure with two fingers.
I have found that pooping has a lot to do with relaxation. You need to be relaxed in order to easily go. This is why it took me a couple weeks to learn the splinting (oh sure I'll just stick my fingers in my vagina for the first time ever, be totally relaxed, and sit back and watch the magic!). I wasn't used to it. Once I became used to it, as long my stool was of the right consistency (soft-ish but still firm enough to stick together) The horrible season of incomplete bowel movements ended.
As for digging around in the rectum and trying to get the stool out, I would try to stop that asap. I'm no expert on it, but I worry that, in time, your body might rely on that pressure and not be able to pass stool by itself. And I totally understand how doing this is just out of an overwhelming need to have all the stool come out. Placing my middle and ring finger in my vagina and pushing down not only prevents the stool from stretching that tissue further, but it also is clean, quick, and easy. My gyno told me about splinting and said he had many other patients with rectoceles that splint.
I would definitely advice to keep trying to splinting and maybe experimenting with positions on the toilet. Good luck with everything, and to the whole woman forum, thanks for making this such an open forum to talk about anything. Pelvic organ prolapse is said to be the "silent epidemic" because a lot of women find it embarrassing to talk about. I am so glad this forum is open and accepting, because there is really no other way to explain all this!

The tissue coming out of your anus sounds a bit like healed haemorrhoids, Optimistic. One of the tricks with splinting seems to be to stop pushing while you splint, to straighten the rectum slightly, then waiting for the urge to push the poo out. If the urge doesn't come, then just up camp and wait for it to come again. Yes, it is frustrating and time consuming, but refraining from straining is essential for rectocele management. If you strain the rectum cannot stretch out straighter but is continually pushed into the bottom of the pelvis in a little curled up shape.

Also - in 'Saving the WW' (which is such a helpful book for anyone with pop, I hingly recommend it), Christine suggests 'toilet training', ie not sitting ont he loo seat but standing on your feet, knees bent, leaning forwards, either half standing or if I'm tires I sometimes lean my elbows on my upper thighs which is easier. This can help to prevent prolapsing further whilst goin to the loo.
Also make sure your diet is anti-constipation. I find some stewed fruit 1-3 times a day works a treat for me.
Good luck, xwholewomanuk

Thanks so much for all that info. I used the splinting and standing position. I felt really good for a while, but now I have lots of mucous drainage leaking out. It will burn me, I know, if im not meticulous about it. maybe I worked to hard at it????

The mucous will burn? Inside or outside your anus? Is the mucous from your anus or from your vagina (ie near ovulation)? Try some coconut oil around your anus and perineum if outside, to protect your skin. Is the burning from something you ate? Chillies or some other spice? Or haemorrhoids?

Thanks for your reply lousised. I just found it. The mucous was from the rectum. That's a good suggestion, I didn't know any thing that was all natural. I did read a former post to take psyillium daily and I it really ended the diarrea and mucous. I also cut out milk products. The posture for toile
great toois grea

Keep thinking, keep experimenting, and remember that more fibre is not necessarily better. If extra fibre doesn't help, or makes it worse, then less fibre might. Weird, eh? The cutting out of milk products will be interesting.

Hi Everyone, I have actually found that cutting down fiber has helped me immensely. I read the book called Fiber Menace by Konstantin Monastyrsky and it really makes a lot of sense when you think about it: if we are having issues physically moving stool out of our rectums, then large, bulky stools are just going to make it more difficult. But of course, especially with matters of the stomach, every person is different. best of luck :D

Ditto, Shortcake. I couldn't do everything his book suggests even if I wanted to, but I can certainly relate to the central message. I've made it a point to cut back on added fiber where possible and I know it helps me. - Surviving