UNDERWEAR FOR PROLAPSED ANYTHING

I am glad you found something that feels good and works. My question is how is this different from the supports that are out there for prolapse like the v2 supporter? the v2 supporter has really helped me but it works much better for the feelings from a cystocele or uterine prolapse. It doesn't help with the pressure from rectocele as well.

If you come out with one of your own design be sure to let us know! I am going to try your idea. My therapist reccommended trying the V-woman thing but it looks so heavy duty and as if I would have to buy new clothes to fit it all in! Your idea sounds much better.

Does this work even if you don't have any bulges outside the body? Mine are at the vaginal opening, so I wonder how this would help hold things up and in, if they're already in. I'm still up for anything that would help, though.

I have never worn a girdle but aren't they tight around your stomach? How can we keep a rounded stomach with a girdle? Sorry I am just trying to figure this out.

I was wondering the same thing? I can even feel a difference "down below" when I wear control top stockings. I hate them! My jeans are ok though, probably because they are a little big now and they are low rise. They also stretch a little.

Hello, All: I'm brand new here, and very glad I found this site. Have seen two different
doctors. Saw the first one when the prolapse first appeared in January. It was not as
bad as it is now. He didn't give it a "grade", so don't know. The other, a Urologist, said
it was the uterus pushing everything else down.

Am very interested in the post by SHEDA, and see that it's old, since 2007.
Dont know if she will even be visiting the site now, Her post said to wear two
girdles, a regular one, and then an elastic thong girdle. Does this mean a
"bikini" type girdle? All that I have found extend up to the waist. Can
anyone tell me if it is a Bikini type girdle:? Are there any with some
sort of support underneath or in the crotch? Please help, don't have
many options left, as I can't have surgery, and not sure about the
pessary. THANKS FOR ANY HELP WITH THIS QUESTION?

--+3

Hi Jroderigu

I am sorry but I do not know the answer to this question.

However, I would suggest that you go to the FAQ's tab and the Resources tab, and find out about how we do things in Whole Woman.

Support garments and pessaries are not really the first things that we would suggest for managing prolapse. The first thing for you to do is to realign your posture, so that your pelvic organs have plenty of room to move forwards, onto your pubic bones, and away from your vagina.

There is a book called Saving the Whole Woman and a DVD, called First Aid for Prolapse, at the site's Store. Go to these products and watch the little intro videos, which will also help you to see what we do. These and the intro videos for the other DVD's are all on Youtube as well. Wholewomaninc is the channel. These DVDs and the book are the best resources there are for women who want to manage POP without surgery.

Louise

Hi,

I am new to this forum and desperate. I have had prolapsed everything since I had my little girl almost three years ago. I had a laproscopic uterine suspension surgery just over a year ago. It pulled my uterus up but everything else was still falling out. Now a year later, my uterus is starting to weigh down again and it seems to be getting worse all of the time. I'd like to put off more surgery, at least for the time being. My quality of life is less than great. I basically come home from work and lie down. I occasionally walk (my running days are over) on the treadmill but I feel the negative effects every time I do it. I don't want to run any marathons or become a fitness nut. I just want to be able to walk off my stress at the end of my work day and maybe dance around the living room with my daughter. I would love to know where to find the underwear combo mentioned in the above thread but have no clue where to find them. I have looked up the Nancy Ganz but can't find anything on the website that mention the description of the underwear mentioned above. Nor can I find an elastic thong girdle at Walmart or Sears (or even have any idea exactly what I am looking for). My surgeon also recommended the supportive underwear but the only supportive ones I can find are the ones that are tight across the belly too and aren't you suppose to avoid that? If someone could point me to a link to find out what these underwear look like or have any suggestions for other supportive undergarments (my surgeon recommended the V brace but I hate to order something so expensive online when I'm not even sure of the size I need).

Thanks
Mota (mother older than average :-)

Hi Mota, I am also new to the forum. I have uterus and bladder prolapse and I found that a body suit works great for keeping everything in place. Mine are made by Flexie--a nylon material that goes over my bra and panties. It is light weight and has a hook and eye closure at the crotch. I am at the gym every morning jogging on the treadmill--wearing this, I feel normal. This has been a lifesaver for me.
Hope this helps!

Hi Fear done,

That sounds awesome. What I wouldn't give to have some quality of life back. The thought of it almost brings me to tears because I had pretty well given up on the possibility of ever going back to my old 'normal'. Is this the body suits you are talking about in the link below? Which ones do you find the best (the ones with the built in bra or the wear your own bra ones?).
http://www.maidenform.com/flexees/styles/body-briefers/#

I am kind of surprised because I always thought with prolapse that you weren't suppose to wear anything that pushes in on your belly. I am a small to medium sized person - 5'7" and 130 lbs with a small frame but I always feel a bit like stuffed sausage when I wear those slimming garments. Are they comfortable?

Wow, I am actually feeling a bit hopeful. Can't wait to get out and try to find these in department stores before I order them on line.

Thanks so much

Welcome Mota and Fear Done.......Please, no "body briefers that flatten the tummy". I know you are both new and you could both do with a bit more research on the site. Pelvic organ support comes from restoring lumbar curvature and creating space for the organs in the relaxed lower belly, where they are held over the pubic bones by gravity and the force of our breath. We have all of us had to relearn this natural way to carry our bodies. You cannot push or hold your belly in. - Surviving

Agree with surviving on this one. Mota, this body shaping brief is not going to help your prolapse at all. If you really want to feel better, start researching whole woman posture and practices. I have been doing this for a little over a year, and although I do wear the V-2 supporter for a little extra support and confidence when active, it is actually whole woman posture, exercises, firebreathing, etc. and so on, that really helps my prolapse.
Some research into this site and Christine's work is what is really needed here. Check it out, you won't be sorry!

I am new to this site but I am not new to prolapse. I have suffered from it every day of my life since being butchered in the hospital delivery room almost three years ago. Despite the time limitations of working full time and being a mom, I have done nothing but research, and everything I read just contradicts the last thing I read. Meanwhile my insides are falling out and my beautiful daughter cannot understand why I can't play with her.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have had surgery. My surgeon/urogynecologist did actually tell me to wear 'tight underwear'. I also see a physiotherapist every three weeks. I have tried pessaries but they won't stay in. I am constantly doing kegals as well as exercises to strengthen my inverse abdominal muscles. And still the condition worsens. I can't even stand up in the shower anymore. I call my prolapse my 'invisible wheel chair' because nobody can see or understand why a once active girl can no longer bare to walk or stand, much less run or dance.

Please tell me where to find this information on "restoring lumbar curvature and creating space for the organs in the relaxed lower belly, where they are held over the pubic bones by gravity and the force of our breath."

Mota, I do understand that feeling. I have the more profound uterine prolapse, and when I am not really working on posture and whole woman practices, my cervix is sticking out. The research I am talking about is on this site. Go up to the tool bar and start reading. Christine has a completely different method from what we are told to do from doctors. Kegels and tight underwear aren't going to help prolapse. Take a deep breath and start reading what this site has to offer. It is eye opening and wonderful.

Mota, Whole Woman has been around for over a decade. When I first experienced prolapse almost 4 years ago, this was (thankfully) the first site I landed on. I was saved from dangerous surgery, understood why kegels were only making things worse, and started down the path towards maintenance and "getting my life back". Perhaps you only found the forum as a place to post your questions, and did not do any reading anywhere else on the site. If so, start with the home page and go from there. There is a blog with some great articles. There is a resource page where, if you select videos, you can watch a great 20-minute overview of WW principles.

I understand you have had a failed repair and your pelvic dynamics are somewhat altered. Yet everything you will learn here still applies to you. You can learn to hold your organs further towards the front of the body and it's easier when you understand the anatomy. Good luck to you! - Surviving

The body suit I wear is not for tummy control, it is used, I guess, as a body smoother under clothes.
I wear my own bra and panties and it is made of a polyester with a touch of spandex. I found mine in
Kohls and Macys. It is not a girdle and does not restrict my middle. For me, the stretch is more vertical
than horizontal. I could never run my 5 miles every Mon-Fri without it. I have had my dropped bladder
for 5 years and just recently during my routine gyno appt. was told my uterus is dropped as well. Actually,
I would never had known, because I don't feel any different. The doctor almost had me convinced that
I needed to remove my uterus, until she explained that I needed to give my body 3-6 months to heal.
I could not do that with my lifestyle and stay sane! I also know women that are on their second surgery
because the first one did not take. I did buy Christine's book and DVD and the exercise and posture
info absolutely helps. For me, I needed some kind of support as well. This may not be for everyone, but
this works for me. I hope this helps.

Fear done,
We have to be very careful when suggesting undergarments to women with prolapse, however helpful they may be for us. This is the Whole Women site. The most important thing to be learned here is whole woman posture and practices that actually help our prolapse feel better. Trying the whole woman approach first is the best advice that we can be giving each other. And, it doesn't happen overnight. For some it can take months of really working on it. It took me almost a year to get my symptoms under control. I do wear a support garment on occasion, but it doesn't cover my belly at all. You say this garment you wear doesn't restrict your belly, but I have my doubts about anything made of polyester and spandex.
If your uterus is starting to fall back now too, then you are obviously not doing something correctly here. I think it is time to really start throwing yourself into whole woman posture, because if it can help someone like me with the more profound uterine prolapse, it can help just about anybody else.
It does take work and time, but this is the key to prolapse management.
Please, people, take this seriously. This isn't just a prolapse forum, it is the Whole Woman site that Christine Kent created to help us with prolapse with her methods which are tried and true!

Running 5 miles a day is quite a lot of impact on a worsening prolapse situation, so I hope hope hope that you are applying posture principles at all times while doing so. Yes we run, but we do it in a sensible and prolapse-friendly way, and combine it with other work that strengthens the whole pelvic support system. - Surviving

Thank you all. Fear Done, I really appreciate your follow up comments. I too need some kind of physical support. I too require physial activity for my sanity. If I can find a body suit that gives that vertial support without pushing on my belly, then that is exactly what I need (and I don't have much of a belly, so I am thinking it is not beyond the realm of possibility that might find something that is not too tight). We don't have Kohls or Macys here (eastern Canada) but I think Sears might carry Flexie garments. It can't hurt to try them on. I will 'know' if it feels right for my body. I am going to look into those v-braces too. Anyone have any experience with those? I work as a school counsellor and I can't go around all day with my hand between my legs holding everything in, which is what I do at home. In the mean time, I will consider the Whole Woman books and dvds. I have done some reading on this and I will reserve my judgement here since I don't think this is the place for it. Suffice it to say, everyone has something to sell. At this point, I would buy magic beans if I thought there was any chance of them helping me get back even a fraction of my former normal existance. Funny you know, all through my 30s I looked and felt so much younger than my chronolocial age. Today I turn 41 and I look and feel every minute of it.

Mota,
We are not here to try convince you that whole woman is the right way to go. You have to experience that on your own. If all you've come here for is a support garment, I can tell you from personal experience that it may hold up your prolapse while it is on, but all the symptoms come right back as soon as you remove it. If this is the way you want to manage your prolapse, then there isn't anything more I can say to convince you otherwise.
I wish you the very best with your journey.

Hi ladies, I am sorry if I over stepped, I was just stating what works for me. We are all just trying to get through the day as best we can. Mota, I can totally relate, I too, used to walk around the house with my hand on my crotch. Have a wonderful birthday. Things will get much better once you find the path that is best for you.

I guess I am on the wrong forum then. I want a forum about prolapse help, not an infomercial. Fear Done's suggestions are MUCH appreaciated since yes, that is exactly why I came here - in response to the posting about support garments. If they keep my bits in while I'm wearing them so that I can get through my day, that's a good enough place to start for me. I will buy the book and dvds and whatever other magic beans I can find on the internet but right now I am in daily survival mode. Aging Gracefully, "Trying the whole woman approach first is the best advice that we can be giving each other" is your opinion. If we had it all figured out, we wouldn't be here having this conversation. Can anyone suggest a good unbiased forum about prolapse? If I wanted to be preached to I'd call my mom. Thanks :-)

We are not an infomercial. We are prolapsed women, volunteers all, who have gotten our lives back thanks to Christine's research and the program she has developed after her own profound post-surgery uterine prolapse.

May you find a method that works for you! - Surviving

Ha! Good one, Mota! Yes, this forum is biased to the extent that it is on the whole Woman site. Women come here to learn more about whole woman posture and Christine's work. We do get sidelined on occasion, but the focus will always be about Whole Woman, work that Christine has put over ten years into. I believe in that, and won't apologize for my faith in her and the work that has helped me and so many others.
As I have said before, we are not here to convince you otherwise, but we won't stop talking about whole woman here.

Hi dear Mota,
Prolapse can be very scary, mentally draining & consuming while working out how to manage it - I waited 17yrs to find the way for me here.
Try to relax and take in the 20 years of research that Christine Kent is willing to share on this forum & volunteer ladies' guidance, as I did feeling the same way as you. I then made up my own mind, after feeling fully informed about all the management options available, as before this forum the only option given to me was surgery.
You say you do work now with no support, & use your hand at home - think on this if you may - if you can do that, then what do you have to lose by adopting the posture both at home & work?
Aging Gracefully has good perspective regarding her experience of the use of support garments.
Best wishes,
Aussie Soul Sister

Great suggestions from AG and Soul Sis. Mota, don't be mad at us for talking about WW on the WW site. It happens a lot and could be avoided if women would simply check out the content of the site before they start to post. The WW approach to prolapse management is plastered on every page.......not our fault when women fail to see it.

Do what you will for your prolapse, but please don't belittle this work. I know you came here in search of suggestions for support garments, but we cannot be blamed for trying to help you do more than put a bandaid on the problem as it continues to worsen. You chose the path of surgery after what you describe as a couple of years of extensive research. Either you missed us, or were not swayed by what Christine had to say on the subject (she too has had repairs). I sense you realize that further surgery isn't wise, but you must also realize that there are still things you can do to stabilize your organs. This is our message here. - Surviving

Dear Mota,

I also am fairly new to this forum. Your statement about "looked and felt so much younger than my chronological age" struck a chord with me. Sometimes I think that the characteristics that "help" us in one area can be a "hindrance" in another. I think that the same equation of my connective tissue and collagen that made me look years younger than my chronological age all of these years, may have been the same formula that allowed my tendons to weaken. I'm not a researcher, so I may just be coming to this conclusion by the information that I have read (not necessarily on this website). I can't cite the post, but one of the ladies said something to the effect, "What other "machine" could last for 70 years? (she being in her 70s). We all need to go in for a tune up. I'm so glad that I found this website before I went in for a hysterectomy tune-up. My tune-up is that I'm going to learn a new way of exercising to build back up my muscles that I have neglected for so long. I absolutely had to have a foot and ankle reconstruction, but to be honest with you, all surgeries, no matter how innocuous, have an impact on the whole body, especially if general anesthesia is used.

41 is a wonderful age. Enjoy every minute of it.

~BOTW