health

Not a fun discovery for the end of the year...Man, I can't even imagine what it's like for you. I remember being 16 for sure and I had not even seen a gynecologist yet (I think that milestone was passed sometime around the age of 20)! So first, the internet can be a really really scary doom and gloom kind of place and much of what you read about prolapse will not apply to you in any way, shape or form.
Here's the deal though, it's important that you see the doc and here's why; you need to rule out any truly worrisome problems. If what you end up being diagnosed with is just a prolapse, well, it's annoying at times sure, but not life threatening and that's a relief to know.
So, what makes you think you have a bladder prolapse?

Hi Dreamer,
Welcome to this site and the WW community. I'm so pleased you found us. You'll find lots of information, support and advice available here.
First just to let you know pelvic organ prolapse (pop) is very common amongst women of all ages, so if and at this stage it's still an if, you have a pop, then this is common and there is/are safe, natural treatments and things you can do to improve your symptoms and either manage your prolapse or recover from prolapse, so that you can be happy and live a full, healthy and ordinary life.
The good news for young women is that youthful vitality is on your side and generally young peolpse recover more quickly and easily than older people do. They do too - just more slowly generally!
I can completely understand feeling freaked out by thinking or discovering what may be a pop. It is a shock initially for many women when they first discover that. However take some deep breaths and relax as much as possible. As alemama said it's not life threatening - and fortunately there are healthy things you can do that will improve your health generally and your pop specifically.
Also, pop is not static. So it's not a question of any woman having a stage 1/2/3/4 prolapse - and that's it, end of story. Women's prolapses can get worse and get better, appear and disappear.. The orgnas are mobile. They have to be, to allow for pregnancy. So whatever your diagnosis - that's a snapshot in time. Basically there are things we can do to make things better, and things we can do to make them worse. The WW makes things better. How much better varies from woman to woman.
It would be helpful to have a proper diagnosis. If you google in 'Prolapse self exam' whole woman - you'll find an article about self examination. If you can get hold of Christine's book 'Saving the Whole Woman' there are very detailed text and images around the different types of pop - and loads of recommendations about exercise, diet,posture etc - all of which are important aspects of maintaining and attaining good health and pelvic organ support. There may be a WW teacher living near you?! Also - in the UK there are women's clinics in some towns where women can go to re women's health issues or concerns rather than going to see a doctor. Some women prefer these environments to general practitioners. I don't know if there is this option where you are. Again in the UK you can ask to be examined by a female nurse or doctor if women find this easier. You may find it less intimidating to be examined by a nurse if that's a possibility. In the UK these agencies have to maintain confidentiality by law. In my experience the medical practices in the UK are wonderful resources for diagnosis, assessments, examinations, tests etc. I am then very careful about what they recommend and appreciate that they don't always know best. In the case of pop, this is certainly the case. So it may be helfpul to have an examination, but then go home and think about it. You can use the medical services to help you in the ways you want them to.
If you do have a pop please, please, please try the WW way first - and really do what Christine recommends in terms of WW posture, exercise, diet, toilet training! (no constipation, no straining on the loo, and evacuating the WW way!). You've nothing to lose and everything to gain. You're rightly nervous of surgery etc. They're potentially life long problems. However the WW way is gentle, safe, healthy - and yes slower than a 'quick fix'. It also requires doing it not just knowing it.
Ironically many women, myself included, are now healthier than ever after having a pop and following the WW way.
I'm thinking of you. Keep calm. Take it slow. If/when you feel anxious take 3 slow breaths with your exhale longer than your inhale. Help is at hand. It's ok. I was diagnosed with a tilted uterus when I was a teenager. I wish I'd known about pop and the WW way then. But better late than never. It's wonderful.
If you feel able to, let us know haow you get on/are getting on.
Love and best wishes, xwholewomanuk

Hi Dreamer

I notice that you mentioned that you hadn't told your Mum about this. There are two sides to this. One is your desire to deal with this yourself in an independent way. The other is that, though you are still technically a child, and under your parents' care. As a Mum who has a 27 year old daughter, I would expect my sixteen year old daughter in your situation to be acting a little unusually, because of the worry attached to your suspicion that you have POP. Your Mum may have already picked up that there is something going on, and be quite worried about it.

As a Mum I wouldn't like my daughter to deal with something like this by herself. If you can bring yourself to tell Mum it will clear the air. However I don't know what sort of relationship you have with your Mum, and how she will react. If you suspect that she might not take it well, is there another older woman, either friend or relative, whom you could confide in, for the time being, who can help you to work out how to tell Mum, or at least for you to have someone who understands, whom you can talk to about it? You never know, your Mum may have POP herself, or have experienced it when she was young. Women often do not tell anyone about it, and talking to her daughter about it for no good reason would be TMI for her, and probably for her daughter too. However, there is good reason now.

When my daughter was sixteen there was no Whole Woman website, so she would have to go to a GP or get a referral to a gynaecologist. Both the options for my daughter of going to a gynaecologist and learning about managing POP from a website would scare the bejeezuz out of me, if I did not know what Whole Woman is all about. Knowing about it, I know that you will not receive medical advice here, and that all the techniques we recommend are both harmless and supportive of good health. Going to a gynaecologist? I don't think I would want my daughter doing that by herself at your age. The gynaecologist might not be happy about seeing a sixteen year old girl without Mum's consent either. So, if a gynaecologist visit is on the cards you might have to tell her anyway. If there is no gynaecologist, and you just want to stick with our techniques, then there is no harm in that, but you might eventually want to talk about what you have found here with your Mum. If she knows the environment at this site she is more likely to be supportive of your not wanting to go to a gynaecologist and run the risk of being talked into surgical repairs.

This Mum has had a lot of experience with POP, and is managing it quite well. :-)

If your Mum wants to email with me at any time to talk about this, she is more than welcome. My email address is on my Practitioner's page (Louise Draper-Sevenson). I feel pretty sure that the other Practitioners would do this too. Non of us would want her to be worried about your being a part of this community, which is not about telling women what to do. It is about educating women so that they can make their own decisions with full information at their disposal.

Louise

Dreamer, I think you will feel so much better if you share this with your mom now. That's what moms are for! And think how bad she'll feel if you get to the doctor and she finds out you have been worrying about this without telling her.

Share with mom, and when you get to the doctor, you'll find out if it's a prolapse or if there's just something else (like a UTI) that is causing you these symptoms. I'm a mom and I know I'd want to be there for my girl.

Promise us that you'll come back and report. Hugs to you! - Surviving

I just wanted to say hello to you and welcome you here. I too am a mom of a 29 year old daughter. I so agree with Surviving that you might feel better, and your mom as well, if you are able to share this with her before your doctor appointment. I know that moms and daughters relationships can be so different for all of us. The decision of course is yours, but it might be a great relief for you and for her as well, if you could talk about it. Sending you love and best wishes!

Hi Dreamer

I kind of like your idea of letting her hear you asking the doctor about it. Your Mum isn't going to ballistically freak when she is stuck in the doctor's surgery, of if she does, and needs medical attention, then she will be in the best place possible. ;-) She will control herself. That's what Mums do.

Just make sure that she comes into the consultation with you if that is what you want, and ensure that the doctor knows beforehand that this is what you want, in case there is a problem.

I don't know what your Mum is like. If you think your she might not take it well, and might 'hijack' the consultation, then perhaps it would be better to bite the bullet and tell her well beforehand, so she can get used to the idea.

We Mums can be very protective of our daughters. If I was in your Mum's shoes I would be a bit taken aback if you didn't tell me beforehand, but it is not my body, and I can deal with feeling taken aback. (It has happened many times with my daughter who is now 27.) It is right and proper that you and the doctor have the discussion, and that your Mum takes good notice of what he says, in case your mind goes blank when you try to recall it later. Your Mum might also ask questions that you don't think of. She can be a great ally for you.

Your Mum actually only wants what is best for you. Yes, she might freak, but the doctor's visit is about you, not your Mum. She is a grown up and can deal with her own freaking out, as all Mums have to do.

You just need to get what you want out of the doctor's visit, regardless of how your Mum reacts. She will probably be very caring and worried for you. This is healthy, even if it might make you feel like she is treating you as a helpless child, which you clearly are not (even though you are not yet fully adult either!). If you feel pressured by either or both of them, at the end of the consultation, then I suggest that you get a new doctor, and tell your Mum calmly, firmly, respectfully and lovingly that her pressurising you is not helping you. This is very personal stuff, and you have the right to be true to yourself.

You can slow down or refuse any medical treatment that you are not happy with. Nobody can make you do anything to your own body. It is yours only.

Dreamer, the fact that you didn't tell your Mum immediately, and that you are now stewing over it, is a sign that you are growing up and that you are starting to determine your own future. One of the things about being an adult is that we need to consider our decisions ourselves, and take responsibility for the results. These decisions are never black and white. I am sure that what ever way you decide to tell your Mum, it will be OK.

If Mum wants to join the Forums, read this conversation, and see that we are not a bunch of reactionary witches, then that would be fine! She will be made welcome if she decides to speak, just like any mother whose teenaged daughter has POP. If you want to edit your own posts before Mum reads them, then I am pretty sure you can do it yourself. If you can't edit your posts, then contact me via my email details in the Practitioners' page, and I can edit them in any way that you want, so that Mum will only see what you want her to see.

Stay in touch. You just got another couple of hundred Honourary Aunties!

Louise

Hi Dreamer, this is a symptom of prolapse. Is it new for you? I guess you never actually told us what your other symptoms were. I think you need to start working on posture, which will be easier if you tell your mom about all this. Are you still planning to see the doctor? - Surviving

Hi dreamer

When you sit down, back up to the chair with your feet shoulder width apart and hips turned out a bit. Bend your knees to a half squat. Now do a deep hip hinge with relaxed belly, your lumbar curve in place, not hunched over, just like men in business suits do when they sit down. While they are in this weird position with butt hovering over the seat, they pull on the knees of their trousers so that they pull up the legs to give themselves plenty of fabric over the knees when they are seated, and it doesn't make the knees of their lovely tailored trousers baggy when they stand up again. ;-)

But let your relaxed (not pushed-out) belly go between your legs so that your pelvic organs can flop forwards and get sucked further in. *Then* shift our weight gently backwards onto your heels and allow your butt to come down onto the seat. Keep your belly relaxed while sitting. Keep your chest up, your shoulders low, your back flat and broad,your neck tall, and your chin just slightly tucked, so it won't allow your neck to bend back and slouch your whole posture. Keep your feet apart and turned out. This gives you a wide triangular stable base for sitting, so you can relax your belly and not topple over. This belly relaxation is only possible if you are wearing a low rise skirt/trousers, or stretchy fabrics like yoga pants. Your long top will cover your relaxed belly. People will notice your tall, regal sitting posture, not your belly.

(I am also thinking,"You are only sixteen. You probably wear very closely fitting clothes, particularly jeans and tops. You might feel pretty self-conscious about showing a belly. Longer tops, tunic style and a bit looser will not get hitched up on your skirt or trousers, but will hide your relaxed belly. Tight jeans will constrict the lower abdomen unless they are quite low rise. Your belly needs this room to move forward and make room for your uterus and bladder. Otherwise, if you pull your belly in and tuck your butt under, your bladder and uterus will be pushed back, off your pubic bones and onto your vagina."

This is all secret women's business,. ;-)

Louise

It is important to tend to the constipation. That can be problematic and each of us is a bit different in that regard. Look at your diet to be sure you are eating enough fresh foods, fruits and veggies, drinking enough water to remain well hydrated. Sometimes it can be as simple as being sure you are drinking plenty of water and finding a good balance with healthy foods. You can certainly bounce around some ideas here. Consider if you have any food allergies or issues that might be causing the constipation. You mention that you are in intensive sport training. Can you share with us what you do? Some sports can be difficult, especially in the first months of prolapse. If you are indeed dealing with prolapse, over time when you are well adjusted to the posture, then so many things will be just fine for you. I really think that the most important thing for you right now is to make that doctor appointment. It can actually be really difficult to do that, at least it was for me. Sending you best wishes!

That is great that you now have the appointment and yes, I think most of us felt that it was scary to make that appointment and have to talk about this with our doctors. Symptoms like this don't get talked about much and that really does make it all much worse than it has to be. I hope you don't have to wait very long for the appointment. If you are running a lot and doing strength training, then you want to be sure you are doing it in natural WW posture. Do you understand the basic concepts of this posture that we are always talking about? Also, if constipation remains an issue for you, that is something that your doctor might be able to guide you with. there is much on this site about it and much on the internet as well. It really is a trial and error sort of thing, but natural real food is what you are aiming for. Love and best wishes to you. Please keep us posted !

Hi Dreamer

What has happened is a sign that there is something or some things that have 'disorganised' your pelvic architecture and the configuration of your pelvic organs. It is very important for the sake of your future wellbeing that you now take great care of all the factors that could worsen your prolapse, so that you are in more control of the level of stress you put on your body.

MsNightingale stated "It is important to tend to the constipation." I would go further than that, and state categorically that:-
- not straining against the toilet seat when emptying your bowels,
- keeping your gut contents moving,
- eating foods that will ensure that the contents are always soft, and
- keeping your intestines where they belong (and that is in your abdominal cavity, not squashed down into your pelvic cavity)

are *absolutely critical* to managing your tendency to prolapse, and preventing further damage. If you can do these things you will maximise your ability to keep your pelvic organs safely inside you in future.

The other critical factor is arranging your posture so that your pelvic cavity takes a bend towards the back by maintaining your lumbar curve whenever your body is loaded, and that includes not only lifting and carrying, but when it is supporting its own weight. Intraabdominal forces, which result from breathing and movement, cannot travel around corners. Therefore, with lumbar curve in place your bladder cannot be pushed out the back of your body. It can only be pushed further *down* onto your relaxed lower abdominal wall, where it is supported underneath on your pubic bones, not on your pelvic floor, which actually faces backwards when the lumbar curve is there.

There are other factors which support this work, like learning how to clothe your body in attractive clothes that make you feel good as the young woman you are, but that will allow your belly to relax and expand when it needs to, and not have that expansion limited by tight garments.

Breathing with your diaphragm, rather than with your chest and shoulder muscles, makes your belly expand, pulls your lumbar curve into place, and push your uterus forward and down at the front with every breath, and keeps your shoulders relaxed.

Choose how you use furniture, particularly seating, to ensure that you are not resting your back against chairs in a way that collapses your lumbar spine, and/or curls your butt under by having a seat that is sloped backwards, with a rounded bend that has insufficient room for your wider female pelvis and larger butt than the boys. Think about using every chair as a stool, and carrying a little foam wedge to sit on, if you have seats in your classrooms that are all the same, and all the wrong shape for your body.

Lift by keeping your butt out the back, and your belly expanded and braced out the front (as safe haven for pelvic organs), lumbar curve in place, and use your leg and arm muscles to lift. This keeps your torso as a fat, solid breakfast sausage, rather than an thin barbecue sausage, to corset your spine, which makes it all much more structurally stable. This is basic high school physics. It is not rocket science. Try bending some cooked sausages some time!! ;-)

You, like all of us, now have a chronic injury that will determine that for the rest of your life you will have to sharpen up your posture, and consider your body's wellbeing whenever engaging in loading of your body.

No doubt there will be, at your school, students who have obvious chronic injuries, congenital abnormalities, or medical conditions that determine the way that tackle tasks every day. These don't necessarily limit their achievement, make them unpopular, make them less valuable people, or prevent them from getting just as much out of school life as you do. You are very keen on, and achieve at physical sport. Other students are perhaps more artistically oriented, and paint beautiful pictures, or compose beautiful music.

When we love doing something we will find a way to do it in a meaningful way, and achieve our goals. However, sometimes we have to shift the goal posts when an obstacle appears. All athletes experience injury at some point, and sometimes this is a turning point in their career. Several years later we find that they are using their strength, determination and coordination to achieve in a different sport, where their injury is not an impediment to achievement. Rowers become shooters. Gymnasts become cyclists, etc, and often go on to achieve more in their new sport than they ever did at the original sport. The achievement happens in their heads, which is why they remain elite performers at a completely new sport!

Nobody questions the wisdom of a student with a strapped knee, or a neck brace. Why should they be concerned that you sit on a foam wedge? Tell them that you have injured your back, if someone asks. You don't need to go into the details.

People of your age will push and push their bodies to high levels of achievement in sport or other areas, because your young body is relatively unencumbered by a lifetime of accumulated damage. You are also an age where danger and risk are part of the thrill of participating and competing. You are at an age where you are wired for combat and competition. There was a very good reason why all the bomber and fighter pilots in world War II were under the age of 20. They were the best pilots. They learned the new technology quickly. They were fired for victory and survival. Nobody over the age of 25 would think about wanting to run that risk, even though the glory of shooting down enemy planes and dropping bombs accurately made them the heroes of that war!!

So it is with elite sport. What age are Olympic athletes when they get really serious about training and competing? They are teenagers, wired for success, and they will risk almost anything to win. Sometimes their coaches push them too hard or in the wrong way, which results in injury or mental or emotional burnout. Often this is not out of cruelty, but out of ignorance, particularly ignorance of the differences between male and female bodies, and their different geometry, which many people are *totally* ignorant of. This *may* have contributed to your prolapse, along with the demon constipation; and maybe striving for a flat tummy and flat butt as the ideal of the times; and maybe other factors.

When we are at school, we are driven by peer pressure, teachers' requirements, the potential glory of success, and maybe coaching methods , to do what we are asked to do, at higher and higher levels. Sometimes this is for the glory of the coach or the school, at the expense of the wellbeing of the athlete's body.

You may need to take a break from these intense workouts until your injury is under control, and you have learned some new techniqes that will minimise further damage. Then you can decide to take up again where you left off, or take a new direction that will accommodate this chronic condition.

I am sure that your best days are ahead of you.

Louise

they ladies with prolapse certainly can have sexual relationships and conceive, and do. Glad you have been taking the ladies' advice. It's a heavy load for a sixteen year old to carry. Maybe, there is someone close to you who can help you carry that load, but know ultimately you are young and flexible still and still growing so with the right work and self care you can feel light again.

cheers, Fab

Hi Dreamer,

if you have less bulging on more days, then you are doing something right! Keep aware of what other things happen or don't happen on days when the bulging is less. Doing some coded entries in your diary might be useful, ie if you have a good day, put an asterisk in the corner of that day's page, or in your phone calendar or whatever you use to keep track of what you do on which days. Look at these asterisks after you have kept the records for a month or two, and see if there are patterns, particularly with your school week, vs weekends, or days when you have sport training, or any other regular activity.

Yes, prolapse is a very personal condition. Nobody else knows that you have it. This has two effects.

2 You are still you. It doesn't affect anyone else.

3 You are not sick. There is nothing wrong with your reproductive organs. This will not affect your ability to have babies. It won't affect your sexual relations. There is nothing wrong with your sexual organs. Boys and men do not notice the difference. They have their minds on other things. ;-)

If a boy or man comments negatively about your body in any way I think it is a good move to think very carefully about whether or not sharing sexual pleasure with him is in your best interests. There is an awful lot to be said for keeping your body to yourself until you have built some mutual respect with any potential sexual partner. Then, when you get around to sex, you can really enjoy it, knowing that you are in safe hands, and that both of you respect yourselves and each other.

Louise

I was wondering how you made out with your doctor appointment. Did you get a diagnosis? Happy to see you back here in the forum!

Just make sure that there is nothing other than simple prolapse. We can help you with the prolapse but if there are other medical problems, then it is important that you get the doctor's opinion.

Louise

Honey, did you ever get to the doctor or discuss this with your mom? At your young age, getting an actual medical diagnosis wouldn't be a bad idea, just to rule out anything more problematic than a prolapse. Please do that, and let us know what you find out. - Surviving

So you are not ready yet to tell your Mom, or to ask the doctor. This is understandable. It sounds as if neither your Mom nor your doctor is your favourite confidant(e).

What is the fleeting *thought* in your head when I ask you to tell your Mom or the doctor and seek her advice? Grab those first couple of thoughts or seemingly nonsensical phrases. Write them down if you have to, before you dismiss them as irrelevant, or deny them. These first thoughts are often the *real* drivers of our behaviour.

Don't tell us what they are, but ponder on the feelings and emotions that they bring up. Write the feelings down as you feel them. Don't deny them, or write them down so they sound 'nicer', more positive' or 'more acceptable'. There are dark emotions in all of us. They warn us of danger. They are valuable for survival.

These first thoughts (there may be more than one) and emotions are neither good nor bad . They just *are*. The ones that are the most confronting and negative are often the ones we dismiss and deny, unless we really trust the person we are telling them to. You are telling only yourself these emotions. Nobody else will hear them. You can destroy the piece of paper as soon as you have done this exercise.

Now, do you trust yourself? Just do it.

Do these thoughts and feelings/emotions give you any hints as to why you choke up when you go to tell your Mom? Go deep. Let it stew for a few days before you draw any quick conclusions. This is between you and yourself. Quite private.

Dreamer, these are the first stages of an exercise in cognitive behaviour therapy as I learned them when dealing with depression a few years ago. If you can't at this point make sense of what to do about these feelings I suggest that you seek out a counsellor, maybe at school, or some other community service, who can help you do the rest of the exercise, so that you can move on. CBT is quite a commonly used tool. You will feel much better when you have overcome this hurdle, which seems insurmountable.

Once you understand what is blocking your communication with your Mom you are on the way to resolving this dilemma. Perhaps you will never tell your Mom, for your own reasons? Perhaps you can use this very distressing POP condition get over this blockage and develop really trusting communication with her? She is your ally for now. Perhaps unblocking your communication with her will change your relationship. This is 'growing up into an adult' stuff, and it normally happens at about your age, where you are no longer a child, but have not yet taken your inevitable place in the family and community as an adult. It eventually happens to all women, but the transition is sometimes painful, as I think you are finding.

Perhaps you will realise that the adult approach might be to go straight to the doctor and ask him if your Mom needs to know? Perhaps you ask around and find a doctor whom you would be happy to talk to, who has no connection with your family. Your school health staff or another trusted staff member may be able to help you to find someone by giving you a list of 'girl-friendly' medicos.

Only you can move on by taking an action yourself. Nobody can do it for you.

If you don't feel comfortable about doing this, I suggest that you email Paula, who is an WW Practitioner. This is her page, http://wholewoman.com/newpages/practitioners/paulaalempijevic.html . I am sure that Paula will be able to give you some brief guidance as to how to proceed.

Louise

Hello Dreamer,
your story has touched me. I am an high school physical education teacher and a certified yoga teacher, but I actually teach yoga full time now. Some of my students are on the track team, they take my yoga class because they want to become more flexible. You know, since I became a ww practitioner, I started to teach the ww posture to all my students. We discuss a wide range of subjects, from yoga to diet and constipation. One of my students shared that she has been eating lots of bagels. She has been so constipated that she has been tearing her anal sphincter many times. Once she heard about prolapse she got scared and stopped the bagels. She finally started to have normal bowel movements by eating more vegetables and fruits. Tomorrow they are taking a written exam on the ww posture and anatomy. Its interesting how you were asking the women on this forum the same questions my students asked me this week while reviewing for the exam. They asked me if a woman with prolapse can have children or have sex. You know, you have received a lot of good advice here. These wonderful women know what they are talking about.

I have been teaching my students that exercises that make the pelvis unstable (with tailbone tucked under and belly sucked in) can contribute to prolapse, in addition to practicing a bad posture. Some of my students study dance also. They have been taught to tuck their tailbone under. They are also learning that full sit ups are also not recommended which can also cause back problems.
I was wondering in what track event you are participating. I understand you do a lot of weight training and maybe we can discuss how to make sure you are training safely. Are you getting enough sleep? Not enough rest can make prolapse worse.

What are your goals Dreamer? The fact that you chose this screen name says something about you. When you participate in an event, what goes on your mind? How do you psych up for it? Do you stare fear in the eye and go all out and do your best? Or you allow fear to hold you back?
We are all sisters on this site no matter what age group. Like I said, you touched my heart, and I want to offer you support. I love sharing what I know with my students, they all come to me to ask me about so many different ailments. You came on this site asking for help. We are all reaching out to you, each in our own way, but most importantly, the healing will come from you. You took the first step to acknowledge you needed help, and you found us. Now stare at your fear straight in the eye and take action, your race to healing. You have it in you Dreamer, you just don't want to see it. Fear and worries wear you out. You know, your body feels your emotions as well. You are an energy being, every cell in your body responds to what you feel. When you feel good, don't you feel so full of energy? Your whole body vibrates. When you feel fearful or depressed, where does your energy go? Your prolapse needs nurturing. It needs your love and attention now. Dreams without action will not manifest. What do you really want?

I am here for you, we are all here for you. We love and support you. Love yourself too and do the right thing for your self. See the doctor and talk to your mom. When you do the things you think you cannot do, you gain courage, strength and self confidence.

Lots of love.
Paula

I was moved by Paula’s post too. Her students are indeed lucky to have her. Her voice feels soft to me. How about you getting a job! I worried that you did not want to tell your mom in case she got upset about you perhaps giving track away, but seems you just don’t want to make her feel afraid for you generally. Crumbs, I think that life from time to time can give us a wack. Doesn’t mean we are good at ducking straight away, but it sure broadens our outlook on things. Gyno hey, now there’s a brilliant thought and all us women here would feel proud to have you up their going into bat on our behalf. Good luck with mum and doc. Sounds to me you are strong enough to hold both of them up, if they faint. When you get that over, there’s some planning to do. Next time when you come back to let us know how you went bring your pencil with you. Gyno is a long way to travel and we need to draw a map and a plan to get you there. Just think ten years on I’ll be ancient but still kicking and banging on here and you’ll be a bright, young, kind but no nonsense Gyno. Well, I can leave the adjectives to you.

Good luck on Tuesday, dreamer. Just getting past that point that you have feared for so long, will start to make you feel better. Please take careful note of what the doctor says, and report back to us. You need to be aware that doctors don't have the best solutions to prolapse. That's why it's so great that you want to be one. You can learn the real truth and help spread the word. And who knows, even if your doctor identifies something else besides prolapse going on with you right now, you still have this priceless opportunity to learn what posture can do. Looking forward to your next post, hugs to you honey! - Surviving

What a beautiful post by Paula and What a beautiful post by you! Just wanted to send you all best wishes and lots of love.

My dear Dreamer,
when I am touched, my heart speaks louder than my head. I am being truthful. I made a promise to myself a few years ago, that I was going to start living my life from my heart no matter what. I have done things which I never thought I would. I was a very shy child, afraid of everything. The last seven years of my life have been life changing. I started to believe in my own strength. We all have it. I speak from my heart and life experiences. You follow your heart girl. On Tuesday, "no matter what is", stand tall, and we will all deal with it together. You are a step ahead already. Prolapse reminds us to take better care of ourselves. Don't loose your dream. There is no better satisfaction in life than to help others. We are all connected through the energetic heart. My vision now is to educate my students and teach them to become empowered at the physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Not to give their power away.

I will be thinking about you.
Hugs,
Paula

PS My thanks to all of you ladies.

Of course you feel scared.
Everything new is in some way scary, even good things, like a first date, are scary. It's all new, we have to give that old dinosaur brain of ours time to get on top of it all. In the meantime, our emotions come blasting in to ask us; is this a threat? Mostly, we try to focus on the plus side and push the scary side back somewhere behind childhood memories, but it will keep jumping out and letting itself be known in sweaty palms or tingly arms or pumping heart panic. Anticipation can let our minds go wild and our emotions become unruly. We can rein them in when we want.
The good thing about doctors is that they do this every day. It’s kind of a mundane work-a-day world to them. What is our pride and joy (our body) is for them a warm living creature to examine, and to help if needs be. It’s not the same as a mechanic looking into a car engine, more like a vet with a cute puppy, but the professionalism is there; they know about these things. When they examine us our embarrassment and fear gets lost somewhere in the curiosity of the professional way they go about it. Think of this as life experience for your dream profession and ask those intelligent questions. This should prove a big help to you. Thanks for sharing your progress with us.

I was thinking about you and am glad that you posted. I was also thinking that you first posted almost five months ago and that is a long time for you to feel scared and not knowing....a long time for you to be alone with all of this. I hope that you can find the strength to talk with your doctor or with your mom about what you are going through. I know from your posts that you are active and like to work out. You might want to take note of the things that are bothering you the most. The jump rope might not be the right thing for you right now...lots of impact there. Walking is usually excellent, and if you have been able to understand the posture, then you may also find that running can work for you. I love Fab's discussion of fear. She is so right about all of that. The unknown can be very scary. I believe you will start to feel better after you have shared this with your doctor and mom. You will not be alone with it then and you will know better how to go forward. I send you much love and best wishes!

Dreamer, Ms. N makes a very good point. It was December when you first came on this forum. Now, you have told your mom and seen the doctor, but still do not know the actual cause of your symptoms. I know you're going back to the doctor in a couple of weeks. But in the meantime, I agree you need to avoid some of these high-impact activities that are making your symptoms worse. If you have a prolapse, we can help you learn to manage it so that you can do pretty much whatever you want to do, in correct and safe ways that will not make things worse. But in the meantime, until the doc can put a name to what you are experiencing, take some care. What gave you the idea to jump rope, have your symptoms been bothering you less lately? No one's saying you can't continue to exercise, but if you have prolapse, there are some things you need to know about it. Good luck honey - Surviving

Dear Dreamer,

happy to see you posted. Tell you the truth, I am back here because of you. I don't have time to write posts much, I have a few jobs that keep me busy but I want to make sure you get better. I was afraid too when I didn't understand why I felt something about to come out of my vagina. I have always been active and now felt very uncomfortable even walking. I felt betrayed by my body. I came close to scheduling surgery. I just wanted to be "fixed" but my gut feeling was against surgery. Mind you, I didn't even go on line to search for prolapse, i thought that surgery was the only option. I decided to take a break from agonizing over my prolapse and if to do surgery. I was researching yoga articles when I came across Christine Kent. I immediately ordered her materials. It was a God's send. Once I understood how to sit and stand with my new posture, my pop improved immediately. I only feel it if I slack on my posture. I have become very mindful of it. Actually, my back pain has improved. I jug and run at intervals, go up and down small hills, and do push ups on park benches. I also skip and slide as part of my routine. The park is my gym. Besides yoga, I also dance. I do it all but in the whole woman posture.
Dreamer, its ok to feel the fear, its not ok to stay with it for long. I shared my story to let you see how I went from fear to victory. Just like all the women on this forum. We all have our story. Do you want to move from your fear to victory?
MsNightingale and Surviving60 have already advised you not to jump. You need to get the proper diagnosis. You are very young, your body can recuperate very quickly with the right guidance. I want to help you. Let me know how.
Hugs,
Paula

I wouldn't do any exercise that makes you feel like you have that 'coming down' feeling. When you learn to maintain your lumbar curve with the types of exercise that don't have impact as part of them, you can slowly tweek your posture and technique in other activities in a non-competitive environment, but get the easy ones first.

For now, I would be looking at walking, swimming and other water sports, where gravity is not a factor, yoga, some forms of dance, things like that.

Try jumping rope in your own time, like a little girl, with your knees apart and your feet turned out a bit. Look up, with a raised chest. Use a long enough rope, with your arms spread a little, so that you don't have to hunch over to keep your body inside the line of the rope, and you don't have to keep your shoulders cramped and your knees together. Circle the rope slowly, with two jumps to a slow turn, so you can be aware of what your body is doing in space, and relax into it, rather than trying to go fast and hard, like a boxer in training. Try doing it with one foot in front of the other, in a kind of rocking horse motion, first one foot, then the other, with bent knees, rather than jumping up and down on both feet, stiffly. I remember how mesmerising that was as a child.

Jumping rope is usually about heart health, burning calories, and increasing your level of activity. It is going to do almost as much good, as long as you do it slower and maybe for longer. You will need to do it in your own way.

If your PE teacher want you to go faster and harder, that is a sign that you need to get a doctor's opinion, a medical certificate, and a note if necessary, excusing you from high impact activities for now.

Louise

Hi Dreamer,
You need to first understand that the whole woman posture is very important. You said you slack at times. Try to be more aware of it. Louise mentioned the lumbar curve. Its very important to keep the curve when sitting and standing. I don't know exactly what you do in P.E. Just remember, jumping is not a good idea at this time, if you must, try the way Louise described it (one foot on the ground has less impact, than jumping with both feet on the air) if it helps not to feel your prolapse, but be in the Whole woman posture. Your chest is lifted, your lower belly relaxed, shoulders relaxed, lengthen through the back of the neck and top of the head, chin slightly down. Also, if you have to do sit ups, Do not do full sit ups. Crunches are better, from the floor, Just lift the the head and shoulders off the floor, your knees should be bend, or you can lift your legs up to a 90 degree, (feet and knees above your hips) then just lift your head and shoulders up to come to a crunch and lower. Remember only shoulders lift, middle and lower back stays on the floor. As long as you stay on whole woman you should be ok, on all activities. Are you also lifting weights? Tell me what else you do in P.E. and then we will take it from there. Any activity that changes your whole woman posture you need to avoid. You might need a medical note like Louse says if those activities are affecting your prolapse.
Overall, you need to get a good understanding of your posture. I suggest you go to then go to the village post. Christine wrote an article about kegels. Read the whole article and try to understand the entire article on the female posture, from birth to young adult. If you have questions ask us back. At the bottom of the article, Christine does a "kegel" exercise video with the pelvis rolling forward and back. Practice it with the breathing, this will help you move your organs forward. When you sit, don't slack back with your tailbone under and stay like that. When you sit, your pelvis is rolled forward, pubic bones are almost underneath you. You should feel the bladder above your pubis leaning forward against your lower belly. Touch and feel it. Lower belly is relaxed and feel your breath expanding the belly forward and release on the exhale.You can place one hand on your belly to find your breath. Tailbone stays lifted, chest is lifted (heart kisses the sky),shoulders stay down and relaxed. Lift from the back of the neck and top of your head. Chin slightly down, throat should feel soft, not strained. I am repeating my self again on the posture, but it has to become second nature to you. Once you lift your chest, the lumbar curve comes right back. Never suck in your belly. This makes you loose most of your lumbar curve. We are taught this in P.E, pilates,even in yoga. Don't do that. I did this for 40 years. Then it took me a long time to relax my lower belly. One more thing, don't strain on the toilet. You must practice this bathroom rule. Every time you go to the bathroom, sit and lean forward, lift your butt a bit. Let the skin of your thighs lightly touch the toilet seat , but use the power of your legs to support your weight up. This is easy when you pee. Also when you poop, Don't push.. relax, keep leaning forward. Eat more vegetables and fruits to give you more fiber. Leafy greens are great, beans, lentils etc.. You want to keep inflammation at a minimum. Stay off soda. Drink water. I feel I am giving you a lot. You can make these changes gradually. Make a list for yourself. Have you looked at Christine's videos on YouTube? Just stick to whole woman's work on these videos or otherwise it will become confusing and you won't go anywhere.
Ask questions my dear dreamer, what ever confuses you, or is not clear, ask please. What is your job like? What do you do?
Take a few minutes everyday to sit on the floor on a firm pillow or blanket. Make sure you are on ww posture. Place one hand on your lower belly, and one on your chest. Close your eyes, breath out, inhale, expand your belly, rib cage and chest, breath out and release abdomen, rib cage and chest. In this order. Feel the breath in front of your body, starting from your lower belly, pushing your bladder, uterus and bowels forward towards the belly. This is where you want those organs to be. This is actually relaxing and nurturing.

Hugs,
Paula

Good for you Dreamer. You are slowly empowering yourself. One step at a time. There is always a solution. Take charge of your health. Practicing the posture while playing valleyball shouldn't be hard at all. Remember to keep the chest lifted as you are bending your knees to bump and set. Even the rest of the skills. Chest lifted, belly relaxed, maintain your lumbar curve.
Soda has corn syrup and if you google out the effects of it on the body it is very damaging. Natural juice is best, just be aware of the sugar in it. For women, no more than 26 grams a day. Check the nutrition label. I am proud of you making these changes.
Keep us posted and whatever your concerns are, we are here for you.
Keep empowering yourself.
Paula

Howzabout ordinary old water, the best of all? Add half a squeezed lemon and a bit of ice. You can't get any more thirst-quenching than that!

Louise, I can't believe you just posted this. It's exactly what I've been doing for about the last 2 weeks. Gave up the juice, now it's strictly water with a hefty squeeze of lemon or lime. I love it and can't believe I didn't start this years ago. - Surviving

Hi dreamer,
Thank you so much for your posts. Your posts have already drawn out so many helpful responses, which will also be helping other women and teenagers.

Pelvic organ prolapse is very common and probably more common amongst teenagers than we realise. I was 19 when I was first told I had a retroverted uterus (one of the first stages of prolapse). The medics just said it was genetic and it wasn't a problem. However if women knew this was a warning sign and also what improves pop symptoms, then what a wonderful difference that would make!

The WW undersatnding and approach is not widely known, so it is generally not offered as a treatment option - or as a general women's health advice. So whether you have pop or not, this knowledge is very special and really really helpful! I'm so please you are thinking of helping other women in some shape or form. I love the idea of this work being shared and cascading down the generations and throughout the world!

Whe you do see your gp. remember whatever the diagnosis - it's just a snap shot in time. As you've already discovered, symptoms vary day to day or even during the day, so they certainly vary week to week and month to month. So whatever your diagnosis - it's certainly not for life! Fortunately the WW approach oofers the knowledge and the resources to know what to do to optimise recovery, and if there's not problem, to prevent a problem.

Over time, I would recommend you build up some WW resources. The 'saving the WW' is the prolapse treatment bible! The dvd's visually show how to do some postures and offer safe and effective exercise programs. Work within your means though - everyones different. You may not be able to afford them right now, but they;re a great investment in your life-long health.

Wishing you all the best.
xxwholewomanuk

Louise, you are right about the lemon water. I have also been doing this for a while. I thought it would be a gradual change for Dreamer. From soda, to real juice to lemon water. There is a great post on lemon water and its benefits.
http://lajollamom.com/2011/01/drink-warm-lemon-water-in-the-morning/

Paula

Hi Dreamer

You have had heaps of suggestions and support from the volunteer women here, who have freely made an effort to help you over the last ten months. You have given very little response to our clarification questions and I don't see a lot of evidence that you have actually done anything seriously, and/or longterm to help yourself.

I am left thinking that we have given you all the information you need to start healing yourself. It's up to you now. If you really feel unable to act on our suggestions, or are just seeking attention, then I think professional counselling would be a better thing to seek than posting on these Forums . Seriously.

Sorry if this seems blunt but Whole Woman work is about making it work for yourself, not posting nondescript comments which seem to have little purpose or direction.

Best wishes for the future.

Louise

Dreamer, did you ever talk to your mom about this? Did you ever go to the doctor and try to get an actual diagnosis of what you have going on? Louise is right, you haven't really updated us on what's going on. As far as how to make yourself feel better, there is nothing like action to help you feel empowered. So get out there and really work on posture and lifestyle changes that can help your symptoms. And let us know what the doctor had to say. - Surviving