sitting

Mysterymom, if you are specifically talking about floor sitting, then I think you only have a couple of choices. You can sit with your legs straight out in front (though I find this very tiring and hard to hold posture) or you could sit with legs under bum and a nice comfy cushion between legs and bum. I've always found this pretty comfortable and the added cushion creates an angle that really helps keep lumbar curvature in place. - Surviving

Is cross-legged not recommended? I've been mainly sitting cross-legged, or with a soft cushion to raise the back of the seat. Wedges and lumbar support sound a great idea - will google. I can just imagine my husband's face when I scatter floor cushions around the place...!

I was experimenting with a semi-slumped position yesterday (feeding LO on the sofa). With belly-breathing I could really feel the pressure on my vulva... Old hat to all of you but was a real a-ha! moment for me. I tried to create a bit of lumbar curvature and felt the pressure redirect to my tummy. It's amazing how self-evident the WW recommendations are, and great to feel it for myself.

No, it was actually an impression I had from Surviving60's post where she mentioned two options, is all. I'm just being too literal!

I'm probably replying in the wrong place, too...

I was responding to Mysterymom's initial post where she said she was not able to sit cross-legged or with her legs under her. I couldn't think of any other floor positions except legs out in front, or with a cushion under the butt. SH has come up with some other floor ideas to try. Chairs etc. is another discussion altogether. - Surviving (FMP, remember to read the question before trying to interpret the response)

I ended up buying a really nice quality yoga mat for my floor sitting. I also got rid of my recliner because it was too easy to push myself back in it causing my prolapse to worsen. I actually just ordered a really nice stiff upholstered chair, but I will continue to put a little pillow behind for lumbar support. I generally use my couch now for lying down, although I am guilty of curling up into it from time to time, especially in the mornings with my tea right before I do my whole woman exercises.

I have been a reader of this site and forum for 10 months now, I just became a member, I felt I needed to say thank you to Christine and to you all , the members of this magical site. I would never ever be able to explain how Whole Woman has changed my life, I went from having such a limited painful life , living everyday aware of my recotocele , fighting all the issue that come with it to now living each day hardly giving it thought, pain free. I have no problem remembering to stay in posture now, its just common nature for me now. The posture is so very very important. I was raised to hold that tummy in, stand tall and tuck that bum in, no more of that nonsense for me, now I stand as Mother Nature intends us to stand, sitting in posture was a bit more difficult to remember, the exercises that helped me most i would say are the pelvic rocks and the fire breathing, I find the exercises a calming part of my day, everyday, . We need to become aware of our own bodies. This site has changed my life, my doctor had no help for me other than surgery when he deemed I was ready for surgery, I avoided that horrific journey, I thank you all for that.

Wiseowl,
Thank you for sharing your story with us about your journey into whole woman! So glad you found relief and that everything is working out so well for you.
I agree, I was never so aware of my body until I started studying and practicing whole woman.

Hello Dear wise owl,
Lovely to hear from you and hear how WW has helped.
It is always inspiring to hear such success stories.
I manage rectocele also, with all its challenges & now realise that when I do firebreathing the position of it changes, & even though I can sense something there upon investigation is tucked in further. Another wonderful result... & I am with you & Aging on body awareness....
Best wishes & hope to hear again from you,
Aussie Soul Sister

Love your post. You have captured so beautifully the life-changing nature of this wonderful work, and the joy of this whole journey to self-awareness. I wish that every woman who is fortunate to find her way here could do what you've done.....just jump in and do it and not waste another day of her life in fear. Thanks so much Wise Owl - Surviving

I thought after I posted my comment that it sounded maybe a bit smug or pretentious, my gosh, anyone starting out with the exercise and posture please know that it was not always easy, it took, day after day, some days I failed miserably, but , having the knowledge is the key, the answers are all here, you just have to see what works for you personally. I was working on a private island cooking when I took a bad fall onto rocks below, it took a long time to get me to hospital, , I suffered internal injuries and a nasty head injury that has slowly been robbing me of my vision, its been since the accident that I have suffered with the prolapses, there is a connection , doctor said no, I say yes, it took a while to get on my feet again, but I did. Because they said I had IC I still follow a whole foods diet, but I was wrongly diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis for years , I did not have IC, not ever, it was always the rectocel and maybe cyctocel, I say maybe because my doctor was not the least bit interested in helping me other than anti bio tics for a none existent bladder infection, and eventually surgery to " hitch " everything back up, to just accept this as a "woman thing ". I have never been a violent person ever but I wanted so bad to punch that man in his nose,,,, sooo bad, lol. But I forgave him for his stupidity and pitied him quietly in my own mind, lol, found this site and thats how I reached the point I'm at today. I still will careful not to lug and pull heavy things, and I listen to my body more, when my lower back aches from over doing, I lay down, relax and then do my exercises, they are called " first aide " for a reason, they are your go to too set the placement of organs back in order. It will always be a part of my life, thank you for the warm welcome.

You are truly an inspiration, wise owl! It sounds like you have been through a lot, and to pull yourself out of it and onward is amazing and so very wonderful. Please keep posting; I personally love reading your posts, and they are so needed on these forums, especially for new ladies coming here to read.

I just realized that I have a prolapse and the symptoms show it is a rectocele because i have difficulty in evacuation. I saw the prolapse in November 2014 and had lost hope but this platform has made me more hopeful. However I have questions that need to be answered and I Shall highly appreciate it.
I have been doing pull up Kegels which have turned to be painful, How can I do them better?
I have always had an active sex life, Can i go ahead and have sex without having to worry about fecal incontinence (poop leaking) because I can feel my rectum when I do under washing?
Is there a comfortable sex position or all can work?
Thank you all

That is quite a story. I am inspired by how, after all you endured, when the prolapse came along you were able to take matters into your own hands. To realize that in this case the doctors had nothing good to offer and that you had to listen to your own voices telling you what to do. I wish you continuing success. The posture correction brings a world of good things with it, physically and emotionally. I am so grateful for how it has helped you get on with life after your injuries. Truly a lesson worth hearing, especially for those who are still struggling with this discovery and feel like life is ruined. I hope you will keep posting. - Surviving

Hi Dotie and welcome. I have never heard of pull up kegels, but somehow, that sounds a little scary to me! Christine has written extensively on why kegels are useless for prolapse and can actually make it worse because they pull the organ into the vaginal space. You can find articles on the Blog tab; go there and put "kegels" into the search box on the right side of the screen.

The goal of Whole Woman posture is to move the organs forward into the relaxed lower belly, where they are held over the pubic bones and away from the outlet. This is accomplished by restoring lumbar curvature, and letting belly breathing and gravity do the rest.

I'm not clear on your intercourse question, are you experiencing fecal incontinence now? Normally sex isn't much of an issue with a rectocele, but if you have discomfort you can always try additional lubrication and experiment a bit with changes of position.

Please poke around on the site and get an idea of what Whole Woman is all about. This is a great community and we'll answer your questions the best we can. - Surviving

Thank you for your answer. However I am not experiencing fecal incontinence now. I stopped having intercourse when i realized I had a prolapse and I have since then feared thinking that I could face incontinence and get ashamed. Would it be a good idea to continue having sex normally?

Yes, I believe that's what you should be doing. That, and learning how to incorporate WW posture into your life. Learn the posture; that is how you manage prolapse while going about all your normal activities, of which sex is just one. - Surviving