A couple of questions and a so-for-so-good way of dealing with constipation

Submitted by stillkickin' on July 6, 2013 - 2:02pm
Body: 

Hi everyone,
I am fairly new to the Forum and I have a couple of questions:
1. Is gentle swimming conducive to helping a Stage 4 "complete prolapse" in a woman in her 70s?
2. Are elasticized support panties good for this condition? While the support at the bottom of the vaginal vault feels good and secure, I wonder what these garments do to the lower belly, which is where the uterus is supposed to be. Would these panties tend to push the uterus out of its proper place and down into the vagina where it DOESN'T belong?

Now for some maybe helpful pointers for dealing with constipation:
Being one who recently has decided to take the natural route to prolapse whenever possible or likely, I have recently been having success with elimination issues (#2) by drinking about 8 oz. of prune juice in the morning with my OTC pills (vitamins, etc.) and eating a high fiber fruit during the middle of the day -- usually an apple (one or two peeled Granny Smith apples) and/or a juicy pear -- and lo and behold, around 10:00 or 11:00 every morning -- Bingo! and my mind is at ease for the rest of the day. This has been going on for the better part of two weeks now, and as one who has had constipation in the past until I came upon this solution, I can say life is a lot more pleasant for me now. I won't say it would work for everyone, but I'm not one to go through contortions of diet, etc., but this is the easiest and most effective method I personally have used. I also pay attention to the proper sitting position on the toilet during this process and to also continue eating fruits and vegetables on a regular basis throughout the day. I haven't had to push hard, in fact sometimes not at all. Without sounding too graphic, nothing feels better than a good poop!!

Forum:

baffled

July 6, 2013 - 10:36pm

A teaspoon (more or less) of unsulphured molasses before bedtime works, too (not maple syrup), as does increasing magnesium...at least for me. I don't like prunes.

Tree Woman

July 7, 2013 - 1:38am

I'm not one for contortions of diet either, so I love your advice. I also eat several dried prunes a day and taking a fiber supplement is helpful for me. I'm also drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day and attempting 4 servings of fruit and 5 servings vegetables a day (though still unclear about what a serving is.) Still, the rectocele and rectal prolapse make it difficult to pass even soft stool so I'll try your suggestions too.

Surviving60

July 7, 2013 - 6:26am

Hi kickin' - I'm glad you've gotten your bowels more or less sorted out - that makes a huge difference! Your tips might be helpful to others, thanks. Couldn't agree more about the joys of a good poop.

Swimming is great. I don't know that it "helps" prolapse but it certainly can't hurt, and it's a great way to de-stress and get some exercise while keeping symptoms relatively in check.

I really don't know about the support panties. i would think it would be difficult to get some support for underneath without compressing the belly. Experimentation may be the key. I can recall conversations on here about this topic, maybe the search box will yield something. Good luck to you and keep up the good work. - Surviving